Food for Thought

If we have brains, why don’t we use it!

The Other side of India Shining!

1. On March 9, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) issued its Concluding Observations regarding India’s compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Committee’s report found that “de facto segregation of Dalits persists” and highlighted systematic abuse against Dalits including torture and extrajudicial killings, an “alarming” extent of sexual violence against Dalit women, and caste discrimination in post-tsunami relief.


The report also documents routine violations of Dalits’ right to life and security of person through state-sponsored or sanctioned acts of violence, including torture. Dalit women face multiple forms of discrimination and are frequent targets of sexual abuse. State and private actors enjoy virtual impunity for these crimes.

2. New York-based Human Rights Watch said more than 165 million Dalits -- once known as untouchables -- were "condemned to a lifetime of abuse simply because of their caste".
"Dalits endure segregation in housing, schools, and access to public services," the report titled "Hidden Apartheid: Caste Discrimination against India's Untouchables" said "They are denied access to land, forced to work in degrading conditions and routinely abused at the hands of the police and upper-caste community members who enjoy the state's protection."
The report detailed specific instances of abuse. It said Dalits were still forced to perform jobs considered too "polluting" for others -- 1.3 million dalits, mostly women, were employed to remove human waste from pit latrines manually.
Dalits make up around 160 million of mainly Hindu India's 1.1-billion population.
… by Reuters

3. Presently in India, more than 70% of Christians are Dalits. – Outlook, India



Why is it that India doesn’t seem to bother about an issue, which even international communities have pointed fingers to?

We may ask, of course to America if they forgot the horrible treatment they meted out to their Black slaves! And look at the condition of their own poor black people today, as seen recently during the New Orleans Katrina cyclone.

But, let’s put that question aside. I don’t believe that since America did something wrong once, we can still continue doing that. For that matter, they, as a nation had accepted this as a problem, and had put in laws and legislations to stop or fight the issue.

So, what does India do? They brush the subject and push it below the Kashmiri carpet in a cozy air-conditioned living room of a healthy wealthy socialite.

And why am I bothered? As I wrote in my last post, I love my India…but I don’t see it shining.


Ok, so let’s read this:

1. The Indian Express on 27th March 2007 reports – “A Dalit village in Tirunelveli (TN) got restoration of bus service after 11 years, thanks to the Madras High Court’s order which also directed the police to give adequate protection for operating the buses.”

2. "The Dalit is not only forbidden to enter the home of a Brahmin but he must also not draw water from the same well, nor eat from the same pot or plate. He must not glance at or allow his shadow to fall on the Brahmin. All these acts will pollute the 'pure' Brahmin. The Dalit 'is not only Untouchable, but also Unseeable, Unapproachable, Unshadowable and even Unthinkable', writes by V.T. Rajshekar in his book DALIT: THE BLACK UNTOUCHABLES OF INDIA.
(V.T. RAJSHEKAR is recognized worldwide as one of India's foremost human rights activists and a spokesperson for the Indian Dalits)

Let me give you a personal example:

I was a guest with a family in Vizag (rated one of the up-coming cities in India). There the utensils are washed by a maid, but someone from the house puts them in a small little place away from the house, where the maid is allowed to come, sit and do the cleaning. After that, she puts them in a big container and leaves that near the kitchen door (outside the house). Now, the lady of the house will take a bucket of water and throw that into the container containing the cleaned utensils. After she is sure that the utensils are now purified, she then takes the container inside.

The maid is never allowed to enter the house, and she literally catches the food at the end of her work, which is thrown to her from the kitchen door by my hostess.

After seeing this for a couple of days, I asked the lady of the house why she did that. Not only was she very surprised with my question, she also thought I came from an uncultured family without proper values.

Just to note here, the 3 children that this lady has, one is a school principal, the second works with IBM and the 3rd is a Major with the Indian Army. And no one seems to have any problem with this exercise going on since ever.


I have a few questions.

1. What is it that we, the ‘enlightened, knowledgeable’ ones, the so-called Future of India, the ones who are aware of all our democratic rights, doing about it?

2. Why is it that 70% of dalits are Christians? Is it because Hinduism is too insensitive, or that Christianity too accommodating?


3. Is this issue less important than say a Nandigram, or a Puducherry?

4. Or, are we all those real son-of-a- …. who pretend to be concerned but at the same time cannot think of letting go the comfort of having someone cleaning our shits?

I know no one would be comfortable giving the answers; but can we please start with asking the right questions?

I love India – and it’s a cliché!

The other day a friend of mine asked me post lunch what food I had for lunch. Very proudly I said its rajma and chawal (because I had cooked it myself). My friend says “oh! It must be some food from Bengal!”

Was he kidding? Absolutely no, I realized. He definitely had no clue about rajma (and also chawal). Then I realized, he is from Kerala, and that was the first time that he heard of some ‘foreign’ edible (???) object called ‘rajma’!

But I felt bad, not because he doesn’t know about ‘rajma’ but because he knows so much about everything else. He is an authority on Ayan Rand, he has a blog where he discusses about the legal issues in USA on certain specific areas, and debates about spirituality, humanity and other heavily loaded stuff effortlessly.

So, may be I had high expectations of him. May be I expected that perhaps a bright kid like him should have little bigger perspective in life than his daily dose of rice and avyaal.

No, I am not stereotyping. Neither am I trying to point my blunt finger towards a dear friend of mine.

Let me ask a similar and simple question – does any one, up north of the Vindyas, know what are Appams & Idiappams? Frankly, I have been disgusted to see and hear from so many so called ‘educated’ people from the north -‘Woh Madrasi hai, bas idli dosa khata hai’ while talking about say a Telegu or a Kanada or even a Malayalee. My God! - Does any one know that they also exist in Southern India and are not ‘Madrasis’ !!!

Ok! You must be thinking that’s all history. We all know so much about each other. Rite? Wrong!!! Can you tell me how many states are there in North-East India? What are their languages? What are their state capitals?

You know! Great! Then why do you call them ‘Chinkies’ ????


I love my country! I am proud of them! A country where all people living in 4 southern states are called ‘Madrasi’, where we are not ashamed to call our fellow Indians ‘Chinkies’ because of their oriental looks, where a Tamil Brahmin will only give a job to another Tamil Brahmin and not to a Sardar, though the Sardar is more qualified for the job, where we all celebrate with so much enthusiasm the English New Year Day, but have no idea of what a Baishaki, Navabarsha, or Ugadi is!


Oh shit! I must be a crack pot… Don’t I know that India is progressing? And everyone is happily emerged in that euphoria. So why care about a fellow Marathi, a Coorgi, a Kumayuni, a Khasi, or an Asamese? Lets talk China, Germany, Brazil, Russia, EU…. Or simply USA, USA, USA…..

The conversation

“Is it ok to trust someone Ma?” the little girl asked her mother.
“What made you ask this question?” the mother asked.
“I trusted my best friend Sukanya and gave her my favorite game. But she lost it!” said the little girl with sadness in her eyes.
The mother smiles. “That’s ok, honey. You didn’t do anything wrong. You trusted your friend. She lost your game because she is yet to learn how to keep others’ trust. But she will learn. So, be happy”.
The little girl looks up at her mother. Happy and contented she rushes towards the play ground.


Fifteen years later…

The little girl is now grown–up and have just started to work. One day after her work she comes home rather depressed. She goes into her room, throws her bag and plunges into the bed and the room’s darkness.

“that’s not usual!” her mother thinks. “She is always full of energy and lots of stories when she is back from her work!” – she enters her daughter’s room wondering what might have happened today.

“is there something bothering you today, honey” her mother sits down next her and slowly shuffles her daughter’s hair.
“Mama, u remember u told me one day long time back that its ok to trust others? And that I should be happy if I could do that?” she puts her head on her mother’s lap, her mother always smells so fresh to her.

“Yes, I do. But what makes you remember that suddenly? Anything happened”? her mother gets concerned now…her daughter is no more a 6 year old child!
“you know my friend from the collage? Udai?” she asks in a trailing voice.
“Yes, he was not getting any job for a long time, though he did brilliantly in studies. Are you talking about him?” her mother tries to hide her emotions with a calm voice.
“Yes. I gave his resume to my Boss and requested her to see if she could help. That was 6 months back. And you know, Udai actually got the job. I was so happy for him. He also came to me and thanked me so much…I was actually feeling embarrassed.” the daughter stops to take breathe.

Moments pass as if hours…her mother too scared to ask any questions, and the daughter too hurt to express her thoughts. At last she breaks silence.

“Today my boss called me at her office. She told me that Udai has been talking about me. All kinds of things…things which are not very good to hear, and which are not true. Others in the office has come and told this to my Boss. She wanted to know why is Udai doing this.” She stops again, perhaps to make herself believe what she was saying.
“I didn’t know what to say. I was so shocked. Then my boss gave me an advice – never to trust people unless and until I am absolutely sure!”

She sits up now on the bed and looks straight into her mother’s eyes. “I am confused. Was I wrong helping my friend, or it would be right if I don’t trust anyone henceforth?”


“Oh!” her mother thinks to her herself, visibly relaxed, but thoroughly pained seeing how much her daughter was hurt with the incident.

“Listen honey!” she hugs her dear daughter warmly as if trying to protect her from all the adversities of the out-side world. She is 21 years old, but her mother knew her daughter is still too naïve for the world.

“you are 21 years now. And you are working. You know I have always wanted you to take your own decisions and take full responsibilities of them. But let me tell you something from my own experience. We don’t live for the future or the past. We live only for the present and we dream for the future while living in the present. So, at the end of each day what we want is a nice peaceful sleep, so that our dreams for the future are always bright.” She gathers her thoughts together and continues “So, on any day if you find that you are unable to get a peaceful sleep or your dreams are breaking up, wake up and think what you have done that day. Is there something that you did that day which you knew in your heart you should not have done? A wrong act? A wrong decision?” she stops again for a moment.

“And that is what you should be worried about. Are you true to yourself? If yes, don’t worry what others say about you or what they think; because they are not the ones who are going to dream your dreams.”

The daughter looks at her mother for a long moment and gives her a bear hug. She makes up her mind – whatever happens she will never stop dreaming.

Dabba! Or…

I was waiting for my Volvo Bus one Sunday afternoon. And it came. I wanted to go to Kundanahalli and asked for the ticket. With a smile the conductor told me “nehi jayega. Pls get down at Graphite India”. Why? I was lost…oh! Yes, the over-bridge is being constructed and roads are closed!!!

The conductor looks at me and understands what I was thinking. He offers help “graphite India se Dabba le lena…”

Dabba? What is that? He smiles at his own joke; “auto rickshaw” he confirms with a twinkle in his eyes…


Hmmn… I guess a Volvo bus conductor can call an auto rickshaw a dabba!!!