Bhubaneswar: India may pride itself on its hospitality with the slogan “Atithi Devo Bhava” (Guest is God), but some do not agree.
Take the case of Instagram user and vlogger Nolan Saumure (@yaboyseal), who calls himself a ‘world goober’ and has traveled to several countries, including India and Pakistan. He was interviewed by @officialnamour, known for his vox pop videos on social media.
On being asked: “India and Pakistan, which country has better hospitality?”, Nolan didn’t waste a second before answering: “Obviously, Pakistan.
When pressed for a reason, Nolan explained, “You go to India and people just look at you as a walking ATM.”
Then, he added: “You go to Pakistan, and people are just like, ‘Oh come here, sit. Take this free food. Oh, come sleep at my place.”
The video went viral, amassing over 4.4 million views, with 23.5K shares and sparking diverse reactions, with many agreeing with Saumure’s perspective.
One user commented: “The truth is, in most Islamic countries people are very hospitable.”
Another user explained that: “There is a reason for it. India gets lots of tourists, so we are used to it and in fact develop the economy around them. Pakistan hardly gets few hundred tourists in a year and hence it’s a big event for them after seeing a foreigner.”
One user wrote his honest comment: “I agreed with you, but I’m an Indian.”
Some criticised his comments though. One of them wrote: “Why do whites expect princess treatment from Indians after stealing $45 trillion from Indians?
In response, Saumure replied: “Preferring not to be harassed is not princess treatment.”
Another user wrote: “No brother, India also has better hospitality.”
In another video, the interviewer asks: “Which is the cleanest country? India, Bangladesh or Pakistan?”
Nolan laughs and replies: “I don’t want to say this, but it’s Pakistan.”
