2 Cultures... Err ! .... 2 Planets !!

Welcome !

I was engrossed in today’s newspapers, thankfully Sunday, most of them carried the below analysis. If you have to marry your love who happens to be not amongst your caste/colour/region/state/country you will have to face a battle or boycott. Yes, real time, simple. Deal with the great "Khandhan" human emotions and the parent’s prestige. Don't panic. This is not going to be a review of 2 states - The book/ the flick. Enough spoken about that, I know, even you are bored. 

But... 

Why do we hate people or cultures out of our belonging? Didn’t we read “India is a land of diversity, tolerance and accommodation” in the 1^st page of our history books? Where did things go wrong then? Right here, in our heads.

When I was in my 6^th class, I had a friend. A good one indeed. My family also liked her, and things were all fine, until her mom asked my caste in a casual conversation. I was struck, I dint knew my caste name; thankfully I know that I am a Hindu as I wore bindi and visited temples. I went home and asked my awesome dad (Who still doesn’t talk of caste, I love you Dad!) regarding the same, he told me the name. Little did I realise the sense of false identity at that moment.

I told her and surprisingly, her attitude changed. She started bringing the caste topic too often. Oh, listen. She was a law graduate who runs a school. Well educated in all terms, not an illiterate as one could have presumed. I was deaf-eared as all that I cared at that age was paintings and long jump. Slowly, that caste bug intoxicated my little friend as well. It dint take long to break our amity.

 

Then, Scene 2. My neighbouring aunt. I befriended the poor maid of theirs and was helping her out in small stuffs. The aunt yelled at me for ‘unholy’fying our caste and economic status as she was an untouchable. I asked what that meant. She said, I should wash my hands ASAP with dettol. Right in front of that girl.

Infact, we face such scenarios once every week, if not less. Oh yes, we are civilized now. We don’t turn away our heads right in the face these days. We are educated. So, we gossip and marry within the caste, culture, status, and the same colour tone as well. It’s not our fault. Let’s go technical. It’s the psychological instinct called Labelling. We tend to attach tags to everyone around us, to buckle up human processing speed of daily chores and relations. Self-fulfilling prophecy.

The beggar - The watch man - The Teacher - The Collector.

What we don’t realise is it builds stereotypes which if aren’t looked keenly, become permanent discriminatory headings. 

The beggar.  The watch man.  The teacher.  The Collector.    See ?

We call him a Bihari, the ruthless. He, a Bengali, the orthodox. She, the Madrasi, yew, Sambar. She, a Chinki. Wow, straight welcome for sexual provocation. The gore/kaala effect is undisputable universally. Thank Fair and lovely and Himami for that. What I don’t understand is that a south Indian is not okay because she is dark. A north eastern girl is not acceptable because she is too white. Eh? Did you get it? For strengethening my argument - "A stigma is defined as a powerfully negative label that changes a person's self-concept and social identity.^[2]." Who said racism is a different thing altogether? I can see it right here. Just in another bottle.

The point of easy mingling of same cultural worlds is acceptable. Parents, relatives list out things like food, religion, customs which define the social life. Who asked to discard all of them? But I cant see how it is justified to draw lines around only a few domains, alienating the rest and terrorising the most.

Elections were fun in my home state. Apart from contributing the highest sums of fund money in the whole nation during police checks, my state, AP, this time did a caste blend. Two rival caste groups, who were sprinkling slush on each other’s faces till 6 months ago, suddenly became a political alliance. No names needed, everyone knows. The leaders are quite happy, taking sefies and sharing dais to give revolutionary speeches. How about the masses?   

I personally know two brothers in my street who have campaigned for these two diff caste (sorry) political groups earlier, have broken their blood relations. Now that these parties came closer, what do you expect them to do ? A Kabhi kushi kabhi gham moment ? Ridiculous.

It’s time we realise that these labels create unbridgeable rift valleys across people and their inclinations. For a change, let’s try defying the caste, region, rich-poor, religion, colour differences and see every one out there. Just like us. 

Well, if you ask me what a stupid article I have written, here goes my prayer.

“ Holy Mother India!  Why do you house so much variety in your bosom when your sons and daughters can’t even stand a similar neighbour?

Hamare Caste ki jai ! Bhagawan hamari Religion par krupa kare.

Aur Doosaron ko Maar de ! ”

P.S. Cross - cultural Salutes to Mothers, btw. Happy mother's day. You are the only one who keeps us sane in this trauma.