Month: April 2013

The caste prejudice

Our society feels proud to say that there’s caste discrimination among them. Surprised? Attend a family wedding and you’ll be shocked. People are so clever as to hide this attitude from outsiders though. Because, in the civilized society, people consider it quite rude and uncivilized to admit one’s caste hunger in public.

But as far as I have noticed, (and honestly, that isn’t much (so forgive me if I’m wrong (though I’m quite positive that I am not))) this is a line of thought prevailing mostly in India, or more specifically, Indians throughout the world.

I’ve personally met a few people who are so much against inter-caste marriages. But they hold their tongue in common presence; they are careful not to allow others to decide their character because of their uninterest in accepting an outsider as family.

These folks – I like to call them ‘insufferably narrow-minded people’ – cause so much confusion and disorder if an unfortunate person is to suggest a different-caste helper, let alone marriage. The ones most prejudiced are the Oldies, and they take extra care to educate their generations about this.

There is one problem, though. This is my question, which I direct towards the “insufferably narrow-minded people”, why is it that these people, who feel ashamed and hesitant to accept an inter caste marriage, are proud to declare that their sons or daughters have settled themselves in a foreign land?

You might wonder what the connection is, here’s what it is: when I spoke to my mother about this, she said that the main reason for underlining caste differences is because it is socially difficult to adjust with people of other castes, or as they say, ‘people of other family and social backgrounds.’

How then, can they easily adjust with people of  other national backgrounds?

Whenever long-unmet people meet each other, (particularly at a family gathering) they have the most irritating habit of inquiring of the activities of each other’s children. And what pride they have in saying that their children are residents of the Western world!

I abhor their pride and pity their prejudice.

The very fools, who feel distressed to accept people of other castes, because of their different way of life – which, by the way is the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard of – find it prestigious to admit that their children have abandoned their nation and have gone to live with ‘people of other family and social backgrounds.’

Suckers!

Current issue

There is one hot topic among our people today, and boy, isn’t it hot! It’s none other than the current issue. It’s that time of the year again, the time we are mostly in need of the breeze that nature so unkindly denies.

Nowadays, it is not only the nature that forbids us some bliss; the frequent power failures are highly disrupting. Soon enough, it would be a huge political matter, if it’s not already.

People are discussing this everywhere I go. It’s made the headlines of the evening news. This matter is of a great concern to students and those who indulge in small-scale industries . This is the exam season and whether it be studying or attending the exams, students are surely not going to enjoy the heat wave.

Then again, is this really as bad as it’s described? Yes, I don’t deny the hindrances the power failures are causing, but something tells me there’s some good in this bad.

Here’s how it goes: every evening, when my father returns from work, we (my mother and myself) would be watching TV. Not long afterwards, the power goes off. Naturally, it’ll be too warm for us to stay indoors, so we retreat to the balcony. The next one hour is a time to share our thoughts on everything ranging from studies to world politics. It’s not only about social issues either, we speak of anything and everything, our hopes, plans, worries, disturbances, expectations and disappointments.

These dark evenings throw a light into my knowledge of my family. It really helps me to know more about my parents, and even myself, now that I mention it.

We all need that time alone with people we call family, because, even if we have the same roof over our heads, we may not know each other. Understanding each other would be difficult when each is in one corner, either whiling away time in front of the television or the computer.

I, thus, believe that the power cuts, though a barrier to progress, could be a tool to get to know ourselves better.