I am a doctor. I work in an ethnically, religiously diverse environment. Nearly 60-70% of my patients belong to Muslim community. And I feel awkward saying these words.
We look different. We talk different. We dress different. But we have the same colour of skin. We even have the same colour of hair. And blood.
In India, we do not very frequently encounter differences like Ferguson. We encounter a very insidious, difficult to touch, often floating in the air kind of bias that clings to our persona. We may try that our education keep us away and safe from these prejudices- this in itself is a huge bias.
And yet- there are pockets in India where the skin colour id also different. Where the way we speak also is different. Where the differences are obvious.
We celebrate these differences as our National Slogan and motto- "Unity in Diversity"
Cliched as it sounds- to a great extent, it is true. We do not fight about these differences. We crack jokes about them. So there are Punjabi jokes, and there are Tamil jokes. There are sick jokes, and Sikh jokes. There are even jokes about specific communities like Baniyas and Guptas; and about ethnicities like Parsees and Goans.
A famous joke doing the rounds goes something like this-
Two people are fighting...
Scene 1- Punjab- they pause, each flashes his cell phone, calls friends and soon there are many people fighting.
Scene 2 - Goa- They fight, their friends join in, they also fight- soon it is sun down and everybody stops, looks at each other, hits the nearest bar- and drink.
Scene 3- Bangalore- they fight, and someone shouts from the balcony- fight if you want to- but don't do it in front of my home. Get lost!!
Scene 4- New Delhi- they fight- then they show each other their social muscle- "you don't know who I am. " And name dropping becomes the replacement of the brawl that was on.
Scene 5- Gujarat- They are fighting, a huge crowd has gathered to witness the fight- and some young guy thinks- great time for business and starts selling hot tea to the crowd..
And so on. The regional and ethnic characters have become a matter of caricature for us in India. And we should be grateful it is so.
It does not take too long for stereotypes to take over thinking n mass and mob. It takes very little for vested interests to incite strife and violence. And that, too happens. We have seen more than our fair share of terrorism, and jihad. We, the people are not Hindu, nor Muslim. We are Indian. But the polity and the clergy know just how to hit and where for emotions and sentiments to run wild.
And quite like the age old poem I read long ago- We, the People forget!
Till we, the people learn to remember- each drop of blood spilled for history to forget- we will fall pray to racial and ethnic violence- whether in Ferguson or Muzzafarnagar.
People are the same everywhere. They seek certainty and familiarity. They do not accept mingling and mixing in the cauldron of Time- to create a better world.
They destroy the Budhas at Bamiyan, They bring down the temples as well as the mosques. They try to assert their religion as the only way to salvation even when they walk off a level playing field of a cricket match.
Where will this end?
Will it??
For this to end- we must go back to Kindergarten and remember the basics we learnt then-
Early to bed and early to rise...
Wash your hands- before and after.
Flush
Stay together.
Say sorry and thank you.
Pray.
Living a good life is not rocket science. Opening our eyes requires us to only lift our lids- and see. And smile. And accept.
We look different. We talk different. We dress different. But we have the same colour of skin. We even have the same colour of hair. And blood.
In India, we do not very frequently encounter differences like Ferguson. We encounter a very insidious, difficult to touch, often floating in the air kind of bias that clings to our persona. We may try that our education keep us away and safe from these prejudices- this in itself is a huge bias.
And yet- there are pockets in India where the skin colour id also different. Where the way we speak also is different. Where the differences are obvious.
We celebrate these differences as our National Slogan and motto- "Unity in Diversity"
Cliched as it sounds- to a great extent, it is true. We do not fight about these differences. We crack jokes about them. So there are Punjabi jokes, and there are Tamil jokes. There are sick jokes, and Sikh jokes. There are even jokes about specific communities like Baniyas and Guptas; and about ethnicities like Parsees and Goans.
A famous joke doing the rounds goes something like this-
Two people are fighting...
Scene 1- Punjab- they pause, each flashes his cell phone, calls friends and soon there are many people fighting.
Scene 2 - Goa- They fight, their friends join in, they also fight- soon it is sun down and everybody stops, looks at each other, hits the nearest bar- and drink.
Scene 3- Bangalore- they fight, and someone shouts from the balcony- fight if you want to- but don't do it in front of my home. Get lost!!
Scene 4- New Delhi- they fight- then they show each other their social muscle- "you don't know who I am. " And name dropping becomes the replacement of the brawl that was on.
Scene 5- Gujarat- They are fighting, a huge crowd has gathered to witness the fight- and some young guy thinks- great time for business and starts selling hot tea to the crowd..
And so on. The regional and ethnic characters have become a matter of caricature for us in India. And we should be grateful it is so.
It does not take too long for stereotypes to take over thinking n mass and mob. It takes very little for vested interests to incite strife and violence. And that, too happens. We have seen more than our fair share of terrorism, and jihad. We, the people are not Hindu, nor Muslim. We are Indian. But the polity and the clergy know just how to hit and where for emotions and sentiments to run wild.
And quite like the age old poem I read long ago- We, the People forget!
Till we, the people learn to remember- each drop of blood spilled for history to forget- we will fall pray to racial and ethnic violence- whether in Ferguson or Muzzafarnagar.
People are the same everywhere. They seek certainty and familiarity. They do not accept mingling and mixing in the cauldron of Time- to create a better world.
They destroy the Budhas at Bamiyan, They bring down the temples as well as the mosques. They try to assert their religion as the only way to salvation even when they walk off a level playing field of a cricket match.
Where will this end?
Will it??
For this to end- we must go back to Kindergarten and remember the basics we learnt then-
Early to bed and early to rise...
Wash your hands- before and after.
Flush
Stay together.
Say sorry and thank you.
Pray.
Living a good life is not rocket science. Opening our eyes requires us to only lift our lids- and see. And smile. And accept.
1 comment:
Nice read!
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