Race, Caste and Prejudice

In India the police and the media were busy with British security guards who were accused of manhandling students and parents, and called them "bloody Indians" or “bloody Muslims” as they tried to enter a school. During the same period England cricketer of Indian origin Monty Panesar was called a "stupid Indian" by some spectators in Australia.
Both the news dominated the precious media space for more than a week and both were termed as racial abuses punishable under the law. Unfortunately the British bodyguards could feel the taste of Indian police while the spectators got away. But what I don’t understand is how these personal attacks on individuals have become a case of racism.
The Wikipedia describes racism as ‘a belief or doctrine where inherent biological differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, with a corollary that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others'
So when somebody calls us an Indian with a prefix or suffix, we feel that our race is inferior and so we have the right to feel offended. But does it apply if an Indian calls an American ‘bloody American’ or an Australian the same way. Will they also complain it as a racial abuse? Why a case of racial abuse not registered against an Indian spectator who discovered that the Pakistani cricketer Inzamam Ul Haq was a potato? Why such a complaint was not registered when Sunil Gavaskar was abused in Calcutta?
So it is legitimate that a lower race can abuse a lower race but not by a ‘superior race’. Who defined the inferiority and superiority of the race? By mere colour of skin? In that logic donkeys should be a superior race than horses.
Why did the Muslims felt offended when they were called by the name of their religion – of course with an objectionable prefix? But will this same feeling be there if those same Muslims abuse the bodyguards by saying ‘you bloody Christians’ or ‘gora’ or ‘angrez’. Will the same charges be applied in this scenario? A South Indian feels offended if you call him Madrasi while he is happy if you call him Tamilian. Both are same but the humans have certified and classified that the term Madrasi is objectionable while Tamilian is not.
So we have classified ourselves into various stages of prejudice, discrimination, segregation or subordination where unwritten rules are framed. To see that these unwritten rules are adhered to we have laws that deal with such discrimination. Take the case of Indian caste system, which is divided into social stratification. Basically it is a Hindu tradition and has nothing to do with religions that came to India at later stages. But today we have not only Hindus but Muslims, Sikhs and Christians too practice it. In order to protect the lower castes from the routine mud slinging by the upper castes and to retain their dignity, the government of India formed strict rules. If you speak any offensive terms against a lower caste, you are punishable under a non-bailable offence. That precisely means on a complaint of such a nature, you have to prove yourself innocent. No proof is required by the complainant to put you behind the bars. In other words, this law is more dangerous than POTA, a law that was designed for terrorists. It is a matter of debate and further musings that such laws are misused in urban centers while in rural areas such laws are hardly implemented.
The immediate name that pops up when we discuss racial discrimination is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a Christian American political activist and the most famous leader of the American civil rights movement. He fought for civil rights and equal rights and for which he was assassinated in 1968. Same is the case with our own Mahatma Gandhi and he also paid the same price. Both of them did not fight for superiorities. They fought for equalities.
Now consider this :
There are 3.22 Million Indians in America and every Indian in India dreams of reaching that dreamland legally or illegally, with or without racism, 38% of Doctors in America are Indians who service the superior white race leaving their inferior race back home to government health centers, money minting super specialty hospitals or the Almighty, 12% of Scientists in America are Indians who make that nation proud by achieving unachievable targets, 36% of NASA employees are Indians, 34% of MICROSOFT employees are Indians, 28% of IBM employees are Indians, 17% of INTEL employees are Indians and 13% of XEROX employees are Indians.
According to Mark Twain India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. So more than half of the world is ours and still we feel inferior by merely being called an Indian.
Everybody wants to go to heaven but no one is willing to die.

Binu Alex

Conviction By Ethical Standards

I always read Arundhati Roy’s pieces at one go. Normally it appears in Outlook Magazine and when my newspaper boy drops it on a Sunday morning, I start straight away. From the morning tea to the toilet seat to the breakfast table to the work place, the article follows me or I follow it. I have a special feeling reading what she writes. Her writings are laced with elements of truth and conviction or rather it is apparently visible. Except for a piece she wrote on Gujarat riots – which I vehemently opposed and disagreed with her views – all her articles have appealed me. The words are so carefully selected and arranged so beautifully that the reading is as smooth as a knife on butter. I may agree or disagree with her view is a different aspect altogether but I tend to agree with the quality of her pen or keypad.

The latest is her essay on Afsal Guru titled ‘Don’t Hang Afsal’ which appeared in Moulvi Vinod Mehta’s ‘Congress’ magazine Outlook. As usual Mr Mehta is fond of anti-establishment letters and so publishes them. I find there are more such letters than those supporting the article. Back in Gujarat I find many of my colleagues circulating emails, which asks for writing to President not to grant mercy to Afsal.

The only source of information for a common citizen is through media and media has played a partisan role in almost all the cases in the country. Trial by media is the mantra and gradually deception turns into honesty, truth becomes causality and honesty turns into desperation. Arundhati Roy is also using the same process-using Outlook but unlike in other media outlets – whose cub reporters and inexperienced glamour girls – present the matter in a more emotional and personal way without evidence, this one is an essay that is full of substantial proof. That is the reason people write letters attacking Ms Roy personally but do not dispute on what she has written. I have recently noticed that young and good looking girls with jeans and Loreal curls are roaming around police stations chasing constables to find out what they can produce for their every day show which starts with Crime but suffixed with any sundry word. It could be Crime Reporter, Crime File, Crime Clerk, Crime Commissioner, Crime Crime Crime. They are the people assigned to cover courts as well. When arguments for high profile cases continue they have to frequently come out and give a live byte and get back to the courtroom. Courts – especially SC – strictly ban mobile phones. At the end of the day each one of them comes to a conclusion, which may or may not be relevant to the case. But this is what general people listen to or read next morning. They take it for granted especially during sensitive issues like parliament attack and a neighboring enemy country is involved. Every one quotes from the newspaper or news channels to substantiate their point of view. “Paper mein aya tha na?” they immediately shoot back. Being a journalist myself I cannot argue further because that will jeopardize my credibility. They have taken it for granted unlike in civilized societies. Take the case of America where Mr Bush bombarded victory signs in Iraq saying how America has stopped terrorism by attacking two sovereign nations. But unlike here people did not take that for granted and the results are here to see.
I have been following many of these cases and sitting miles away from the scene if I still am not convinced about a pre-diwali Ansal Plaza shoot out, a pre-Clinton Sikh massacre, a pre-election Akshardham attack. The investigating agencies or the government of the day never tried to clear my doubts. But Ms Roy gives enough proof to believe otherwise. With so much resources at its disposal, the government can’t do anything to bring out the truth, it takes a writer’s courage and investigation to give me an iota of truth convincingly.
I have gone through many literary ‘greats’ who termed her as a one novel wonder. Many said she has wasted her talent in mixing activism with literature. Many went further saying she has vested interests and is sponsored by anti-national forces. Now let me ask these so-called literary ‘greats’ how they have helped the society by their writings. Their books are exorbitantly priced and heavily jargoned that people like me can neither afford to buy it nor understand it. But most of them are literary success stories. They earn huge money as the books go into reprints one after the other. Who benefited from this sale of books? Only the publisher and the author. So how can Ms Roy be one novel wonder? She used her celebrity status to disseminate information, which hitherto was unknown to you and me and at a price of Rs 15.

ba

Air or Land

Traveling by air under scrutiny from Central Industrial Security Force men have never been easy for me. After a couple of bad experiences, I have given up using an aircraft for my assignments – wherever it may be within India. Instead I use train.
There are very solid and logical reasons for that. I work for Radio and radio equipments include a host of accessories, which looks like weapons if you are in front of an X-ray machine. Take for example a security man asking me to open the mic I was carrying. I said I need a screwdriver to do that. He even asked why I was carrying two when only one was sufficient. He asked me whether I am a singer. ‘No’, I replied. You must be an announcer, sorry anchor. Nope, I am carrying this mic to get other’s voices and not to announce myself. He was not too happy with the answer and took me to a corner and asked me to open the other equipments bag. I did and he had never seen a digital recorder or for that matter long set of cables that I carried. He called his boss and very hesitantly they let me off only to be recalled before I reached a coffee shop. They asked me which profession I was and I said I am in the worst possible profession – Journalism. They suggested I should change my plans to carry my handbag as a cabin luggage. I said I would cancel my tickets than risking the equipments to merciless baggage handlers. They were apparently satisfied at my observation about the baggage handlers and allowed me to sip the hot cappuccino, which turned itself to a tasty cold coffee. This happened in 2004. Now it is worse. Not only are the checks tighter but even the shaving creams, toothpastes and after shave lotions are not allowed. Any traveler has to find out a shop at the destination to buy these things first.
Now I have a camera, a tripod, couple of additional bi-directional mics and more cables to carry. I also need to brush, shave and take a shower. Air travel prohibits me from doing all these basic needs. Moreover, the air congestion at Mumbai and Delhi– two of the primary sources from where my reporting outside my home originates and ends – makes me sick of waiting for aircrafts, which never arrives. Many a times, aircrafts hover around Mumbai and Delhi airports for hours. I enjoy it if I am inside the craft during the day and that too if I have a window seat. I hate during the night with the same seat and vice versa when I have an aisle one. It is a free Google Earth preview, which in any case is far better than when viewed from your monitor.
So I had long made up my mind to use Indian Railways instead. The timings are impeccable and there are no rail congestions. There is no CISF to check my mics and cables and I can also use the lavatory even when the train starts or stops. The coach attendant never cares to show me how I should the oxygen mask or the emergency exit doors. The kitchen– also called as pantry car - staff does not provide me boiled plastic foiled food and instead gives me a variety of menus to choose from. In the meantime a host of other kitchen guys passes through with lot many snack varieties. I also need not switch off my mobile. I hear no announcement from the train driver except a long hoot which intimates me better be in than out. The surprise package is that the time taken to travel to Mumbai from Ahmedabad was the same as the aircraft I flew a few months later. So then why should I settle for something inferior and much harassed?

And the most important factor is the financial aspect. Though the airlines claim they fly you free, the taxes and other levies are almost double to the train travel. I have very little to spare for those taxes.


Binu Alex