As someone who has lived half her life abroad and visited over 75 countries representing India and engaging in global diplomacy at the United Nations, the recent attacks in some western countries on the alleged uncivil behaviour of Indians are both painful and familiar. Nothing is more agonising than representing the oldest continuous civilisation, the largest democracy, the most populous and diverse country and a rising economy, and seeing it mocked for its warts rather than admired for its striving towards perfection as a paragon of all that is best in humanity.

Throughout my travels, I have heard foreigners — Indophiles or not — praise Indians for their warmth, hospitality, and generosity. Like Bill Clinton, they see India as one of the world’s greatest and most consequential civilisations, rich in art, architecture, music, dance, literature, cinema, cuisine, festivals with spirituality, harmony with nature, and the world-as-one-family ethos. The diaspora is admired for peaceful citizenship, adaptability, brilliance, technological smarts, hard work and invaluable contribution to countries of adoption.

Equally, I have received valid criticism about uncivil behaviour; Japanese journalists I had sent from Tokyo returned from India admiring almost everything except the dirt — kitanai desu, they said. That is why, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi made swachhta (cleanliness) a national mission and aimed to make India open-defecation free, I applauded. But much of the recent put-down is neither fair nor innocent. Some of it is colonial hangover; some racism, envy at India’s rise and the success of overseas Indians; and, in some instances, motivated information manipulation originating........

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