21st Century

When I was introduced to some of my colleagues in the USA, and they heard I was from India, many of them asked me if I am from North India or South India. First on, it came as a surprise and I was even happy that they were aware of the Indian geography - though not to the extent some of us know. I know people who, without ever going there, can tell the names of all the 50 states and their capitals by heart. Anyways, after this happened a couple of times, the surprise made way for curiosity. After all, after this question, most of them came back to the usual questions about elephants and Indian weddings. And then I thought - this North Indian and South Indian thing - was it something they know? Or was it something they observed in us? Then I thought some more.

When I was leaving home for my first job in Bangalore, one question everyone invariably asked was how was I going to manage with the South Indian food? Everything is sour there - said someone from experience. (He had stayed in Chennai for 2 days en route to Port Blair some 30 years ago.) I did not like these questions at all - because I normally like to take things with an open mind. Anyways, when I landed in Bangalore, in my new group in office, I was instantly called a North Indian. "East," I said repeatedly. But, was anyone listening?

There is this view/counter-view for every situation. At least in this respect, the grass is not greener on the other side.

In Bengal, whichever house you go to, there is a 100% chance that on the first day itself you would be asked - "Ghoti na Bangal?" Meaning, originally from West Bengal or East Bengal? For someone from West Bengal, the other group will always be considered as refugees, even if they had migrated 50 years before the partition. And likewise, someone from West Bengal is always branded as unenterprising.

Then, there is this eternal fight between Bengalis in Calcutta and the Districts. Calcutta view - 'O, you live in a village.' District view - 'Spoiled, useless lot.'

If you think you'd be at peace if we just talk of Calcutta, you need to be more clear. North or South. South view - the North is old and we are the elite. North view - we uphold the tradition of Calcutta, who are they?

Then there are talks about how the Marwaadis constitute 30% of Calcutta's population and hold 70% of the money. "All they know is money with no value for education." Now hold on and hear the other party. "We, industrialists, make the destiny of the city. Bengalis are just a bunch of unambitious people who just know how to eat fish."


Now if this has your head reeling, I can just empathize with you. In the last four years, all I have been hearing are things like - 'Malayalis are spoiling Bangalore, but I don't care; I'm from Mysore', 'Telugus are ruining our Tamil culture and tradition; but when have Chennaites cared for it' and 'Everyone comes to Hyderabad to earn their living but we do not care, we have the highest immigration numbers for the US; the Telengana imbroglio would only get worse'. I am leaving out - just to name a few - the Tulu, Cauvery, Brahmin, caste, non-vegetarian, Sivakasi, Kadapah, Old Hyderabad, Guntur, Reddy, Naidu, Nair and similar angles out of this discussion.

In essence, no matter where you go, no one sees who you are. You invariably become what the other person thinks you are. I get to hear things like 'how can you be a Bengali if you don't smoke?' and 'yes I know, in Bengal fish is considered vegetarian' so frequently that I do not have to struggle anymore to keep a smiling face. I just take care that the smirk does not show up.

I remember filling up five pages in the History paper of my tenth Board exams explaining why India exemplifies Unity in Diversity. I doubt if I could write what I did if I had these experiences then. Hats off to this diversity, but just where is the Unity?