Sometimes I wish my life had a erase/rewind button

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Straight talking politician

Chanced to tune into some Sahara Bombay TV channel and found Sanjay Nirupam being interviewed. Apparently Raj Thakre recently mentioned that if Bihari don't respect Marathis beat them up or something to that effect.
What I found refreshing in the interview was the candor with which the MP spoke on issues. Yes it is wrong to target people based on any identity. Yes all have a right to live.
This gentleman I found, and a first in a politician, did not skirt questions and was forthright. What I really liked was when he said to effect that when one Shilpa Shetty was told something that was deemed improper in a TV show the entire world media went up in arms against those who made those racist comments including in India while we in India are probably the most racist people of them all.
I totally agree.
There is so much identity based hate and violence in India, it is numbing. As Mr Nirupam said for how long will we keep considering ourselves only as a part of a small group while the race to advance the country to a glory place in world has to be fought. I have found this so obvious even in a highly educated place like Pune. Go to a peth (old market) area and you can make out that if you are from North India the attitude of people towards you is of contempt! And this for region that gave most freedom fighters, great musicians and poets and many in academia.
Heck in my own housing society "foreigners" are not allowed to be tenets. And this when half the owners themselves or a close family member live abroad half the time. By Mr Thakre's logic, should US sack all Maharastrians because Maharastrians believe that their own land should not have any outsider living?
This attitude is not just here, I use it because I live here and see it firsthand. I am sure it the same in most other provinces in India. MH which in many ways is a very progressive state still suffers such bigotry I shudder to think what happens in more conservative societies in India.
This kind of discrimination is so common in India that we do not even bother to take notice anymore. I have traveled abroad a few times but the amount of hostility that I have seen within India for people from different "stock" is way ahead of any country outside. Its sad to see the original melting pot so degenerated. I had hopes that once people start traveling abroad often they will imbibe some of the good values. But when I asked a young guy in my housing society why such rules - he was shocked by my questioning it. They are so immoral was the answer I got! Wonder why then Indians so pride on family members settled abroad. How can you be happy about someone who leaves glorious India and goes on to live in an "immoral" society?

1 comment:

The Chef said...

Sure, we have been to business of racism for 2000 years and it's not limited to verbal abuse. It's outright hostility from public offices to hiring a house to taking a cab. It extends based on caste/rel'g. Imagine this - the family of new CJI used to be given food in a hole dug below the ground so the sacred earth on which rest of the society lived remained pure.