A good place to wash dirty laundry

In case you're one of those, who find it mortifying each time one of our countrymen criticise GoI outside I, or a state government outside that state, chill. It's 2024 and geography really has put paid to the whole ignominy of washing one's dirty laundry in public. We'll not invoke Mohandas Gandhi railing against the British India government from South Africa. But being post-Cold War creations, hold up George F Kennan, one of the post-war 'wise men' who crafted Washington's foreign policy of Soviet containment. He went on to be a vocal critic of the US government - from his ambassadorial offices in Moscow and Belgrade. No one - barring the Truman government, of course - thought of him as a 'ghar ka dushman Vibhishan'. Closer to our time, South African comedy-tator Trevor Noah has made a career out of poking fun at governments worldwide, including his own. If Noah can do it, why not anyone else?

Criticising your gov abroad offers a fresh perspective - like realising your hometown's 'world-famous' burger is just a glorified meatloaf once you've tasted a real one in Texas. Plus, let's be honest, it's safer. So, the next time you're tempted to hold your tongue while abroad, remember: the world's your stage. Until your country, state or city gets mature enough to handle criticism without getting enraged, you can speak easier from abroad.