I recently returned from a short holiday to a neighbouring Asian country, where I was dismayed with the overwhelming feeling that Indian travellers aren’t exactly welcome at most places. This wasn’t just about casual racism either, more a pointed observation that the world outside would be a nicer place if some of us weren’t visiting. It occurred time and again, when I was profiled, then given a pass after I responded with politeness. It felt as if the Asians outside just hadn’t met too many of us who knew how to say ‘please’ or ‘thank you.’ This saddened me, obviously, because I have always believed that Indian tourists are among the world’s best-behaved people.

Look at how we are at airports and on aeroplanes, for example. Sure, a majority of us will hog the overhead luggage compartments, stare lecherously at Caucasian women, rush to boarding gates without waiting to be called, or share our food with each other while the seatbelt signs are on, but surely this doesn’t count as bad behaviour? It is simply our culture, what we refer to as ‘sanskar’ and ‘sanskriti’. We are raised to treat rules and regulations as minor inconveniences to be ignored, so why is this a problem? The fault lies in everyone who isn’t Indian, for not educating themselves on these cultural nuances about what defines us. It’s not ‘bad behaviour’, just ‘Indian behaviour.’ They are the ones who should learn to deal with it.