Majoritarianism

I was at the immigration counter at Heathrow, London. The gentleman behind me was also an Indian. He had some questions regarding the immigration process; so, he requested my assistance. I answered his questions in English - he was from the national capital. Looked like he wasn't comfortable in English. So, i tried to explain him about the process in broken Hindi. He asked me 'Don't you know Hindi?' I said, 'No, i know very little Hindi'. He smirked and mocked at me - "You are an Indian and you don't speak Hindi?!?!?!"

All i could do was pity his ignorance. (Dear brother, i have learnt English and little Hindi in addition to my language; whereas you know no other language other than your mother tongue - and you question my patriotism? Shouldn't i accuse of bigot ism?)

How many of us know that India doesn't have ONE national language (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Theres-no-national-language-in-India-Gujarat-High-Court/articleshow/5496231.cms)? How many of us know about the amendment to the Indian Constitution in this regard in 1965? How many of us know that the Indian Constitution is written in English and not in any other language?

Based on my experiences, i see there is (still) a kind of sense that 'you should know Hindi if you are an Indian; You are not patriotic if you don't know Hindi'.

More amusing is this prejudice prevails among the so called 'educated mass' as well. And most of those who say this are those whose first language is Hindi or one of its siblings.

I think there has been enough altercation on the web over this 'Hindi Imperialism' and the reservations and concerns of the minority speakers; so, i am not going any further on it. But, this incident brings out a more generic question - 'How is the Majority imposing itself on the Minority?' This question can be related to any sphere of social life - language, culture, religion, economic system, etc.

'The mind is like a parachute. Works best when open!'

Easier said than done - we are all frogs in a small well. As long as we stay within the well, our thoughts and actions will be influenced by this confined environment. Once we step out and see the bigger picture, we will be able to better appreciate the views of the wider populace.

If only the majority is more benevolent and accommodating, and the minority in turn less effusing, humanity would be a better race.

Bachelor's Kavithai

கை செய்யும் தவறுக்கு நாக்கிற்கு தண்டனை
செல்்ப் குக்கிங்!

~ அருண்

kai seiyum thavarukku naakirku thandanai
Self Cooking!

- Arun

Hips, Hugs and Hulas

There have been many firsts in this travel – it’s the first time I travel out of India, it’s the first time I flew in a Boeing, also the first time I brush shoulders with Brits. Over the days here, this has transcended into several overlaps (and sometimes incursions) into their life style. Last Friday, I had a chance to peep into yet another ‘hi-life’ style of western culture – the Disco.

TGIF!! Friday night is party time. When the week’s share of toil (?!) is over, and there are 2 full days to rejuvenate before the next week kicks in, ‘rest’ is the last thing in ! I was settling down with some movies for the week end, when my colleagues pulled me up for a taste of the night life; and we shot our way out to ‘Chicago Rocks’, a club in town.

I am a nervous wrack. Flocks of party-goers with bottles on one side and babes on the other – a sight that would be a fascination for a lad made me nervous. May be, I wasn’t used to all this before. But it was all to change in the next few minutes. After spending a dime of a time waiting to be let in, we stepped into a world of dance and drinks. We picked up our drinks – I picked up a ‘KICK’ hoping I have at least in name what others have in their ‘more exquisite’ drinks. As I sipped through my drink, I tried to absorb myself into the mood; by the time the drink was done, I was on the dance floor. Feet tapping progressed to hand clapping; and soon I was jiggling all over. The party has begun!

Song after song, beat after beat, I danced my time out, ‘Jai Ho’ and ‘Slumdog’ only pepping up the mood further. Mind it when I say I danced - it was more a jiggle here and jerk there than any coherent co-ordination of the limbs. However, fellow dancers (Brits) were gracious enough in encouraging my amateur act; with one even going to the extent of being ‘generous enough' to let me dance with his girl (but before she could come over to my side, her ‘actual BF’ jumped in and dragged her away).

As the moon climbed up further over the midnight sky; and cash dipped deep into the corners of our pockets, we called it quits. I returned to my room; and turned on my laptop to move on with my movies. Quite bizarre is the human mind – what else could explain that after all the burning of cash and calories, I watched a movie on hunger and poverty! No wonder, in a country where thousands are losing jobs every day, the party bells ring late into the night!!