SFGirl Says Farewell.
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A free post—I’ve come to the difficult decision that it’s time to hang up
my Substack, so this is a heartfelt thank you and see you later.
(photo taken from here.)
Ignorance is Bliss. That has been one of My Many Mantras that I use when needed. Life is a Little Too Complicated to be Governed by a Singular Thought. But this particular Mantra need not apply regarding Your Knowledge about Your Own Nation. It really is Dis-Heartening to know that People of Our Country know Peanuts about other areas in The Same Republic. When a Huge Uproar is being made about Indians being Attacked in Aussieland, it would also do Well to do a bit of Introspect, regarding the Prejudices people have about Both Foreigners and their Own Countrymen. Its Bitter, its Un-Pleasant, but its An Hard Truth that Decades of Dirty Politics and Prejudices have Succeeded in making Absolute Strangers out of Indians .
A south Indian is Perennially a Madrasi(though after Lola Kutty, one M has been Almost replaced by another, Malayali) and Santa and Banta are supposed to be the Official Representatives of Sardars. Worst is the case of North Easterns . They are outrightly ruled as Non-Indians("are unki ankhien dekhi hai naa"). So much so that a Khasi or Nishi(and I expect you know Who Exactly they are) would be made to feel like An Alien in the Capital of his Own Country, his Own Land
I am from the North East. Ethically I belong to the Mainland, but This has been my family, my community's land for Generations. I am supposedly 'Lucky' that I have 'Normal Features’. That I look 'More Indian'. That I don’t have to be mistaken as a Chinese or a Japanese everytime I visit New Delhi
And until That Day arrives, my NE Friends would continue to be called 'Chowmein Walley Chinkies' and would remain a Foreign Bunch of Peoples in their Own Country and among their Own Country(wo)men.
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It is always a Social Service towards The Greater Good of the World when you Recruit some one New into the Ever Growing Club of Book Worms. Recently, I have done the same. My pal, Mr.XYZ, always wanted to be 'In'.
Time was when Harry Potter was THE Rage. Few Read the Books and Most Saw the Movies. The 'Readers' were Termed The Coolest Ones Ever. We had Our Own O.W.L.s Tests. Our Own fan Fics, with us Gliding and 'Magicing' in them. We knew All the Spells and Potions, and even Invented a Few of Our Own. And All were Awed.
So Mr. XYZ was (and still is) in Our Group, and incidentally All except Him had read the Books. It was Such a Shame, and Mr. XYZ felt Booed. So he asked for My Copy of ‘Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone’, and he was Determined to finish it. A Week Later, I found that he was still on Page 2. I felt Vexed, and Instantly took My Beloved Book away, while his Pleas echoed in the School Corridors left far behind My Back. I had Saved a Great Book from Disgrace. I was The Last Lost Templar Knight, and the Book was my Sangreal.
Cut to 2009. A few days back, while One of My Most Annoying And Closest Friends was browsing My Tiny Collection of Books (I had Borrowed his Borrowed 'Mein Kamf', which was in Very Plain Terms, Very Plain), Mr. XYZ felt an Urge again. He borrowed My Only Copy of 'The Adventures Of Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys' and read it All. And I was Scandalised. That was the First Book he completed in My Knowing. Next went 'Dracula', which wasnt similarily Admired. Blood Suckers out, Hormonal Detectives in.
After that he Read and Lost an entire collection of Drew and the Hardys. And then Another. When I was going to suggest 'White Fang', My Inner All Knowing Self warned against it, and I Heeded. And later I knew Why.
Weeks later, he came and asked for Chetan Bhagat's 'The Three Mistakes Of My Life'. Then 'A Night @ The Call Center', and last mein 'Five Point Someone'. Now I dont have Anything Against Bhagat. I like His Books, albeit on a Different Level than others. He Writes, well Okayish and I Do own All of his Works. His words are first analysed for their Commercial Value, and then Inked on the Paper. At Rs. 100, his books are like those Mass Produced Chinese Products. No High Performance, just Temporary Entertainment.
So Mr. XYZ fell in Love with Bhagat, and then He let Me know that I read Boring, Thick Books (hello, 'The Godfather' is NOT boring. The only Boring Books that I ever read were My Textbooks and Jerome K. Jerome's 'Three Men In A Boat'). But that’s what happens to Obsessive Bhagat Lovers, they begin to Lick those Chinese Goods-Like Books only.
Khair chodo, the Good Thing is that he finally began to read Literature other than those Dry, Un-Refreshing Refreshers. Any thing Other than that is Welcome.
10 comments:
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Thanks! ^_^
yeah, even i noticed that, but Five Point One was still his best one for me.
i know, thats why i wrote that. haha, i know, you wouldnt ever do that! :) you are MY co-triplet after all! ;)
but yes, it IS not that easy for un-accustomed eyes to know the difference.
and you seriously liked 'Three Men In A Boat'?! i read it like when i was 10! who was Montmorency?? i forgot. :P the dog?
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Firstly, Nice writeup.
Secondly: What I feel is, Calling a Malayalee a mallu or a Tamil a Madrasi, or a person from NE a chinkee is not racism. I don’t get annoyed at being called a mallu. I don’t get annoyed at being called an “You Indian”(now since I live outside). Why should calling you a chinkee annoy you? This type of calling names exist everywhere in the world and if one has a problem then I feel it’s more due to the insecurity of their own identity, rather than racism.
Racism is something which is in much more higher level where the very existence of the person is under threat-Like in the case of Blacks in the 19th century being used as slaves or the current issues in Australia.
Feel proud of yourself that you are a chinkee. I am proud to be an Indian, no matter which white European abuse me.Its also a challenge to prove your worth. If people from the north east want to be respected, they should earn their respect. And not cry that we are alienated. I am waiting for the day when we would have a Primeminister or a president from northeast. Or even a Superstar actor or a cricketer from NE. That can only stop the alienation.
I feel Indians are treated as third world citizens because of our own nature and prejudices. We have very strange ways, we lack civic sense, we are one of the worst dressed people(even rich). We have a long way to go before we are respected. I feel sad when I see aunties dresses in fancy silk sarees and heavy gold ornaments roaming around in the malls here, turning themselves into some sort of showpieces. They don’t realize that their sense of beauty makes them laughable. Indians need to come out of age. I feel sorry to say that.
Thirdly: You are right about chetan bhagat. But thanks to Chetan, people have started reading more. At least my friends whom I know, have borrowed my books after reading Chetan bhagats novel. I guess he brings about a change which heavy weight scholars couldn’t bring out in a country like India.
Cheers, TC
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Well, Thanks. :)
and no, i am not a 'chinki'.
but my friends are, and they obviously dont like called that.
calling Malayalees Mallu, Bengalis Bong or Gujaratis Gujju is no offense. its just shortform of the names.
but pointing at your racial features and singling you out on that basis is racism.
Yes. my point exactly. Bhagat's definitely pushed more people into reading, for sure.
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i really hate chetan bhagat! he s a real commercial writer...which is boring!!!!!!
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also I agree with the racism part...
Im sorry im not much of a commenter.. but i think you write really well.. these kind of opinion articles are your genre :)
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Thanks Buddy, did you know about Anurag Basu the director of the movie "Life in metro"?According to wikipedia "Anurag Basu was diagnosed with acute leukemia in 2004 [14] when he was halfway through his film Tumsa Nahin Dekha. He was immediately hospitalised where the doctors announced he had two months to live. Basu even directed parts of the film from his hospital bed as shooting could not be cancelled. To complete the film, he would give instructions on a dictaphone, talking about camera angles and the script. Mahesh Bhatt and Mohit Suri finished the film later.[15] Basu underwent chemotherapy and is on medication."
isnt that a real inspirational? Hats of to him. :))
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@Vaish
haha!
and thanks! ^_^
@zillionbig
Yupe, totally!
yeah, i had read about that before, but still it continues to inspire!
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Agree with the north-eastern people part whole-heartedly. There are other examples which spring to mind with respect to unfair incarceration on the basis of stereotypes but that's for another day.
And yes, the Chetan Bhagat part. Reminded me of the interactive session with him at Osian's Cinefan last year. Were you there by any chance? This, by the way, is the follow-up query.
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Nope, am not a Delhiite. so i missed that event.
yeah, almost every region in India has got its own little stereotyped notions.
taake ignorance bolbo naa refusal to learn and accept?
I loved this line :"At Rs. 100, his books are like those Mass Produced Chinese Products. No High Performance, just Entertainment for the Moment."
Though I thought '3 mistakes' was a great book. Even his writing had improved in it. And I loved Montmorency in '3 men in a boat'. He's cho cute!
The part on racism was great, and I've often mistaken North-East Indians in my college for foreigners, but once I find out they're Indians I, for one, never act like they're not. I know its a common misconception, but I know better, I guess.