How British are We?

I have always maintained that the national religion of post independence India is Britishism. We are often more British than the British themselves. This is actually true for a variety of reasons ranging from love for the white skin to a colonial hangover to plain inferiority complex. But there actually is more to our Britishism than what I imagined. The man who opened my eyes to how British we actually are was George Mikes. So here goes a passage from his omnibus, "How to be a Brit". The passage is the contents of a secret memo from the Ministry of Standstill(as Mikes calls the Transport Ministry) on how to go about road laying.

"Inasmuch as after seven or eight years of strenuous work, minor road-repairs must unfortunately be terminated, the cooperation of the local authorities is now sought. As soon as the road is covered by the new asphalt, but before it dries it is to be torn up again by the gas authorities; the same procedure is to be repeated by the Water Board authorities;by the telephone authorities; by the Sanitary authorities,by the Inland Revenue; by the local education authorities;by the Chelsea pensioners. As soon as the last-named body has completed operations, ordinary road-repairs may safely recommence."

Now we know why our corporation guys lay roads the way do. They are just being British.

If that is to do with the bureaucratic circles, this is what Mikes has to say about the intellectual achievements of the average British.

"A true-born Englishman does not know any language.......Indeed inability to speak foreign languages seems to be the major if not the only intellectual achievement of the average Englishman."

So our citizens are obediently practicing Britishism when they refuse to learn the language of the place they dwell in and instead continue to use Hindi or English or Tamil(as in Bangalore).
Now who dare question their right to the religion of their choice, a right enshrined in the Constitution?

PS: That line from Mikes reminds me of Cho's dialogue from Mohammed Bin Thuglaq...."Tamil Varathu, English Theriyathu, Hindi Pidikathu".