Diasporic Indian

Jawahara, Nice read that. Just wondering aloud, are women writers more conscious of their cultural identity and how it has been shaped than men writers? If yes, then why?Maybe its just me, but I seem to read more writings from women on this topic.

*busily takes notes* Thanks so much, bolta_aaina for your brilliant...errr...analysis of how all people of the diaspora are and how they should be. I was taking notes for the next time I head to the hollowed out volcanoe where we Diasporic People *cue scary, whiny music* gather to decide how to best torment the folks living in the lands of our origin. We must definitely invest on YES! WE ARE DIFFERENT buttons. I was thinking of something in a red, white and blue color scheme. Much better and less uncouth than just shouting it out everytime we see a desi person. My next article will focus on how you, Bolta_aaina (and others in your family, village, town or city wherever you live) feel about the world and your interactions with it, a view from the inside the talking mirror so to speak. I will not only tell you how you think and feel...but also, if god forbid you dissent...I will take pity on you and gently correct you. Sound fair?

P.S.: My roti making skills are abysmal. Now that I`ve cancelled the chocolate and cheese order I`lI bought a pack of ten to send you. There`s the DHL guy at the door now. Cheers.

P.P.S: I`m sure the women in your life appreciate being appreciated only for their roti making skills. Good for them.

khamkhwa,

hai hai, pakRi gayi na phir say? ab kisi ko munh dikhanay ke qaabil na rahi. vaq`ayee, dhanayvaad. *laal peelay wala ikon*

kaalchakra,

itna ban`ne ki bhi kya zaroorat hai?! aur kisi ne mujhe roka nahiN. meiN ne khud yahaN bhoot bangla banane ka faisla kiya!

i`m sticking with my mixed up, confused genders. everything else looks screwy to me!

Jawahara #35

Ma`am,

Since you find reading vernacular languages difficult in Roman script, so its better to address you in the language which you undestand well and ....may be appreciate.

You found my post of vintage, ancient variety..I agree. We are living in the 21st century..citizens of a super modern country.. we should always look into the future. Our past including our culture and heritages have no meaning for us when we look into the future.. they are at best to be forgoten and thrown in the nearest dustbin...I agree fully.

My Uncle is not a unique person. He represents a phenomenon. He is part of the hitherto unknown process so-called as diaspora. Not sure of himself, not sure of his identity, not sure of where he comes from,not sure of where he is standing. Well ,one may take on any number of identities one wishes, it is not a problem with him or her. But the problem is for others who are around him/her as they are not sure with whom they are dealing?

But terming yourself as diasporic, you are forcing an idenity on yourself which you only know what it means. It is immaterial for those whom you have left behind. OK ,livving in foreign lands you people would like be known differently from native Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladehis etc., then you have tell so. You have to tell very clearly and loudly that ``YES! WE ARE DIFFERENT``. But you guys dont say so for the reasons best known to you. I have no hesitation in telling it very loud and clear and when you guys visit your parent countries, you think more of yourself as Americans, Germans, Britishers or Canadians and sorry to say not at all as ``diaspora`` which you are so fond of claiming yourself.

Regarding the issue of foreign exchange, your statement smacked of(though it did not mean so) that we individually are interested in your foreign exchange. Now why do you send FE to India--to help the poor or needy--is it a charity, philanthrophy or simple ``daan`` or what. It is none. It is either personal help to one`s family or it is simply business. Higher interest rates, better returns in stock exchange or property or something.

Jawahara Behan, things can go and on and the debate will never end. If you want to send something to me , I would still prefer dry rotis than choclates....because it is the dry roti prepared by our mothers and sisters for us which is our identity, our roots, the gift of our motherland. Yes, I would prefer that.

Thanks. Have a Good Luck. Do keep on posting your experiences.

ana ji

arsa ho gaya kucch padhe ya likhe huye. agar ab bhi ek do lafz zehen mein hain tau woh khuda *ki* khudai aur us *ki* rahamat *ka* kamaal hi hai :)

aap invisible kyon hai? Kis ki zurrat jo aap ko aane se roke?


Ustaad Khamkhwa

Dhanyawaad. Chowk is fortunate to have a true master of the language :)

rsridhar:

Re: # 37

Thanks and yes you missed something.

I checked the list of these degree holders and found names of all of your family members along with some other Chowk`s resident Fundoo Hindu Jihadis. Bhagwan kee karpa say you are you are doing a nice job. Getting our degrees and returning to India to kill Muslims yaani kay hamaray hee logg plus Sikhs and Christians.

Just do us a favour. You have not paid the last semester tuition fee yet. Please pay it ASAP so that you are confirmed getting 72 active hoors in Swarg that will cater to your passive homese*tual desires.

Btw, I would like to inform you that Pakistanis are not able to get admission into these programs, because too may applications are being received from rich fundoo Hindus.

;-)

Re: # 34

Your reply is full of sweetness. May be you are also fond of choclates like me...But beware of High sugar...diabetese..chlorostrol....the gifts of modern world to the mankind...

J - I didnt know this was an intro peice to your column but now the brevity of it makes sense. I wondered if you were planning to leave us thirsting for more... nice to see there will be more to follow. I especially liked the lines, ``I don’t have to conform the social rules and mores of any country. I’ve been scattered wide and cannot now gather myself to be constrained into a single identity.`` It captures the schizophrenia of the `diasporic indian` [i`m not exactly sure why i put that into quotes but they seemed to be called for] so very well.

Re: # 36
ana...
you still don`t know your muwannas from the muzakkar...khuda baRi rehmat wala hai is perfectly correct...the baRi is being used for rehmat and not khuda...;)

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kaalchakra:

your roman hindi/urdu response was rather cute, and i had to chuckle at one point `cause you did something i still do quite often in my urdu bolchaal. i still mix genders (must be somethin` freudian `bout that) khair. . .

either you want to say khuda bada rehmat wala hai, or khuda badi rehmat wali hai. or maybe you speak a dialect where `tis acceptable to say badi rehmat wala hai? i know i would have been corrected immediately by a seasoned urdu speaker for having committed such a faux pas. i know you don`t deserve my getting back at you for all the times that i`ve been corrected by others, aakhir aap ka kya qasoor hai, but heck, `twas fun!

p.s. this is an invisble post, `cause i`m not really here anymore but you know how to get a hold of me. :) *whispers*

Bolta_aaina #32, 33: I find reading Hindustani or whatever very tedious to read in Roman script. However, I found your very tear jerker Bollywood, 1950`s movie style interact quite well...(for the sake of politeness)...interesting. That word does cover a variety of intents. I`m sorry your uncle had adjustment problems with India but since this is your niji family ka maamla maybe you should talk to him about this. You seem quite upset with him. Bahut sensitive ho bhai. Here`s a kleenex (sorry I only have the amreekan-mecca style. kya karey?) Besides, I don`t think me or anyone I know go to India and blather on about cars and light sockets. Please! There are more interesting things to talk about than conveniences especially in an India that is on the cutting edge of many things. Well, at least parts of urban, metro India is.

If this was real life I would have been hoarse by now saying that this was not a slam on Indians or India. It`s about claiming a new identity. It`s the first article in what will be a series of articles about being a member of the Diaspora.

More than that, this was *my* take on my own diasporic identity. And...duh...yes, it`s different from the millions of identities out there. The whole point is that there is no monolithic diasporic identity, just as there is no monolithic Indian identity or Pakistani or Bangladesi identity. Sometimes we have similar experiences, sometimes we don`t. I don`t know how Diasporic Indian millionaires experience life nor do I know how the cab driver or motel owner lives his life. But there are similarities and differences and they all have (acknowldged or not) distinct diasporic identities which are separate from their Indian or x (insert country they live in here) identities.

Does the statement that India likes our foreign exchange mean that the IITs and IIM in India are crap? Anyone reading a newspaper, watching TV or has access to the Internet knows this. They are very much part of America`s economic progress as well just as they do contribute to India (damn...those foreign exchange dollars and euros, etc. again). Why that is a slam on anyone I fail to understand. Did I imply they were mutually exclusive facts? Heck, I didn`t even mention IIT and IIM in this article. In my world more than one fact can exist at the same time.

So, I am off now to cancel that shipment of cheese and chocolates for bolta_aaina. Time to make those dry rotis.

Bolta ji

Aap aur Veeresh bhai Jawahara behen ki ek chhoti se baat ko pakad kar baith gaye. Khair manaaiye, ki Khuda badi rahmat wala hai. Usne amrika ko mecca nahi banaya. Haan, aise an-ginat Hindustani zaroor banaaye jo amreeka mai bhi makki ki roti aur maa ki awaaz nahi bhoolte. Aise logon ki taadad bahut ziyada hai.

Sochein tau sahi, hum sab kyon yehan chowk par sir peedte hain. Isliye ki hum dur rahkar bhi watan ko apne dil ke bahut qarib rakhne par majboor hain.

Aur bhai, saare hindustaanio ko, chaahe woh hindustan mein hon ya amrika mein, IIM aur IITs par, Hindustan ki har acchi cheez par, naaz hai. Jawahara behen ko bhi. Aaap poochh kar tau dekhiye.

Aaapki shaan mein gustaakhi muaf karein.

Post 32 continued for Jawahara--

Aur tumney bhi tau chhati peet kar apni foreign exchange ki duhai dey hi daali. Kehna kya chahti ho?? Ki hum tumharey tukdon par paltey hain?? Nahi behan Nahi. Tum abhi itni badi nahin huveen ki humey khila sakho aur hum abhi itney gaye-guzrey nahi huvey ki tumhari kamai ka khana padey.

Haan tumharey hatoon ki paki do sukhi rotiyan bhi hamarey liye amrit sey bad kar hain par tumhari kamai ki cheese aur choclates humarey liye zehar sey bhi badtar hain.

Chalta Hoon.

Jawahara Behan --Diaspora or Sar-phoda.

Please bear with me for writing in Hindustani(which now means Hindi+Urdu+HUinglish).

Jab bhi koi hindustani yane ki Non NRI , apney modern Mecca i.e. USA sey Hajj kar key lotta hai to aamm logon ko do batein batata hai-- ek tau yeh ki amrika main logon key bajai karain(cars) zyada dikhti hain sadkon par aur doosre yeh ki har kar ek alag model ki hoti hai. Usi tarah, jab bhi koi NRI aata hai tau woh bhi hamain alag alag model ka dikhta hai.

Mere ek mamu-jaan badi dhoo-dham key saath tees baras modern Mecca main guzarney kee baad hindustan padharey. Ladning kartey hi as usual light nahin, phone nahi, paani nahi, sadak nahi, yeh nahi, woh nahi etc. etc. Aaney key baad ghar doodhna shuru kiya. Sabney socha ki phoren-return hain --koi badi haveli koi badiya mahal lengey. Par bheecharey bahut chakkar laganey key baad ek 2400 Sq.Foot Plot x 1800 Sq.Foot Covered area main settle huey. Settle honey key baad apna Jaddoi Pitara khola. Usmey sey tarah tarah key gizmos both electrical and electronic nikaley. Phir pata chala aadhey tau yehan isliye nahi chal saktey because of voltage difference--aur aadhey isliye nahi chal saktey because of electrical socket mismatch. Hindustan main electrical sockets round hotain hain aur amrika main flat. Bahut pareshan hoowey-kya karain?? Phir kisi ney unhey china-made adaptors aur voltage-regulators la key diye tau classical Bush-style main boley ``oh China is progressing very fast--Iska agar kuch nahin kiya tau ek din USA ko pichey chod dega.``.

Khair--phir unhoney ney apni Library jamai. Usmey pachason Books theen. Tarah-tarah ki. Science, History, Politics, Astronomy etc. etc. Library arrange kartey hi declare kar diya ki na tau main kisi sey books leta hoon aur na hi kisi ko deta hoon. Meaning padney key liye kitaab mat maangna.

Philosphical discussions kisi bhi subject par kara lo. Is author kau quote karangey us author kau quote karangey--kabhi kabhi discussion key beech sey uth kar bhagtey huey library jaingey aur koi kitab ley key aayengey aur usmey sey verbatim quote karangeey. Koi agar poochey ga ki woh tau us writer key khayalat hain aap is barey main kya sochtey hai tau phir whirling and furling. Yehan-wehan idhar udhar. Aap kuch kahengey tau unko reference chahiye. Khud bolengey tau reference dengey-jo aap ko nahi chaiyey. Anpeny ghar main discussions karangey--doosrey key ghar main nahin--kyonki wehan unki pet Library nahi hai.

IIT/IIM Grads key barey main kahengey ki na jaaney in main kaun sey surkhab key par lagey hotain hain ki duniya inkey peechey bhagti hai. Jab bataya jayega ki IITs/IIMs aney course ka standard bahut high rakhtain hain -almost world ki best universities jaisa--tau remark hoga ``pata nahin bhai``.

Aur aeysi hi tarah tarah ki batain. Maaf karna behan, tali do hatton sey bajti hai. Agar hum aapko kehan ki ``Thanks for coming and Thank You for going`` tau galti kahin na kahin aapki bhi hai.

Khuda Hafiz-- Allah Tala aapko salamat rekhey.

Jawahara,
With so much of my family scattered all over the world, there seems very little one can say to comfort you. I know my sisters and nieces and cousins struggle against the blanket identity any country exerts to make sure all its citizens conform. We go back to the old, old question, what is identity?
Fighting your individual battle to remain who you are, the multiple-personed `you` is really the good fight. Perhaps there will soon be a third visible Jawahara, the `Bonn` identity!!
It would take more than a Ludlum to sanctify that one!
Revathy