வியாழன், அக்டோபர் 07, 2010

Yen Jaathi manidha jaathi

Hi friends:
Whenever you join MVC the main occupation in first year was to figure out what jaathi you belonged to. In my case it took an interesting turn because nobody could figure out what caste I belonged to. My father was a professor in Vet college,Tirupati so some people thought I was telugu, some others thought may be I was Srilankan but my last name made no sense. As the guessing game was going on. One of our great professors actually had the gall to send a senior to me as a messenger. He wanted me to stop being friends with gujili because she was christian. my blood boils even to this day when i think of this. But this was the truth of our College being caste obsessed. I just wanted to scream we all belong only to one caste,the human caste. If any of you had a similar experience please share.
GFK

13 கருத்துகள்:

  1. So GFK - I am really curious who was this aasiriyar? I didn't know about this or if I did I can't remember. Was it Jollu/rima oris from LPM? Wow, chennai natchatthirangale, this is one thing I do not miss about our college!! We have different versions of jaathi here too in the U.S. but I guess it is not so blatant. Yikes!
    Gujili

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  2. Hi Guji li you got the aasiriyar right he is our one and only chapathi
    GFK

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  3. Hi Deepa Being at Chennai a Metro city it's shame that still our college is showing partiality on caste that too from the great scholars.But in our state where currency and caste is the backbone for the political parties to win the elections overnight changes in the mindset is impossible.Atleast as an individual let's not bother about the caste of others..
    Sorry konjam discussion serious aayiducha? Namammala mathiri middle class yellarukkum to come up in the life, some sort of short cut is required in this country.Caste is one of the cushion for that.If you are too honest you will be trested like a puppet here.

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  4. Yeah that is why some of us left the country.middle forward class naa no reservation so better to go to a different country,I guess.But there is a silver lining the next generation like my son has no caste since he is a mix let us hope that is the way out...
    GFK

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  5. I was little worried that i spoilt the moods of our superstars after i wrote about the oor links,because of the discussions going serious. But i always had a disliking for the caste partialities. It is not just in india, i encounter more open tribal(caste) partialities here in saudi arabia, Americans working here dont mingle much, think they are above everyone... A white vet from Zimbabwe was so racial, would find fault in everything the indian vets and workers do...
    When i was working in Unikay Hatcheries, Madurai, I showed the group photo of our friends Gujili, wilson, karups and me to our Manager, he is a christian. He asked me the names, when i told wilson's name, he told me that he looks like nadar, then he could not figure out the caste of gujili and asked me, i told him i dont know. "atheppadi theriyaathu, anju varusham kooda padichavunga ennaa jaathinnu theriyaama ennatha neenga college padicheenga" was the reply from him, i told him she is my friend "why should i bother about her caste and all, in chennai i dont know the caste of my neighbour till i ws grown up, only when they give marriage invitations i know their caste...." In south Tamilnadu, i notice if you say which village you are from, people figure out your caste....
    karaiyan.
    karaiyan...

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  6. Dear Karayan:
    You always speak the truth so you cannot spoil anybody's mood because truth shall always triumph as our national motto says.
    GFK

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  7. Dear Karayan,
    Though sometimes discussions are little serious nobody will take them into heart as we are friends
    Boss enhirs Bhaskara stylil
    "NANPAENDA"
    Still to enhance our country feeling I am forwarding this msg I got some time back

    AN AMERICAN VISITED INDIA AND WENT BACK TO AMERICA
    WHERE HE MET HIS INDIAN FRIEND WHO ASKED HIM

    HOW DID U FIND MY COUNTRY ?

    THE AMERICAN SAID IT IS A GREAT COUNTRY
    WITH SOLID ANCIENT HISTORY
    AND IMMENSELY RICH WITH NATURAL RESOURCES.

    THE INDIAN FRIEND THEN ASKED ….
    HOW DID U FIND INDIANS …….??

    INDIANS??

    WHO INDIANS??

    I DIDN'T FIND OR MET A SINGLE INDIAN
    THERE IN INDIA…….

    WHAT NONSENSE??

    WHO ELSE COULD U MET IN INDIA THEN……??

    THE AMERICAN SAID ……..
    IN KASHMIR I MET A KASHMIRI–
    IN PUNJAB A PUNJABI—–

    IN BIHAR,MAHARASTRA, RAJASTHAN, BENGAL,TAMILNADU,KERALA
    BIHARI,MARATHI, MARWADI, BENGALI,TAMILIAN, MALAYALI………

    THEN I MET
    A MUSLIM,
    A HINDU
    A CHRISTIAN,
    A JAIN,
    A BUDDHIST

    AND MANY MANY MANY MORE

    BUT NOT A SINGLE INDIAN DID I MEET

    …………………………………………………………...

    THINK HOW SERIOUS THIS JOKE IS……………..

    THE DAY WOULD NOT BE FAR OFF WHEN INDEED WE WOULD
    BECOME A COLLECTION OF NATION STATES AS SOME
    REGIONAL ANTI-NATIONAL POLITICIANS WANT ...

    FIGHT BACK -

    ALWAYS SAY I AM INDIAN
    JAI HIND

    Chocks

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  8. Dear Chocka,
    Thanks. This should have been in the main content, and i must say it is the best comment of the blog.... eventhough we say tamilian, malayali, punjabi, etc we are at heart indians...i am sure any number of politicians can not destroy this, i dont think india will disintegrate into smaller countries as happened with USSR.
    Boss unga kittarunthu innum neraya ethir paakurom boss.....
    karaiyan.

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  9. I am happy that we are having the whole gamut of discussions on this blog, fun ones, serious ones and all different kinds.
    Bring it on...
    Gujili

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  10. Hey Karayan,
    Regarding unikay hatcheries - great memories for me. However when you mention the boss of the company - is this the dude whose house all of us went to at Coimbatore? Wasn't the guys' name James or something? Anyway, here I am totally unaware of all these speculations about my mystery caste!. I suppose ignorance is bliss. Once again, glad that it is not prevalent here. However, there are different treatments for different skin color no matter how "fair" one is considered in India, it is all a different skin here. I don't get phased out by it here too much and folks are a lot more subtle about it.I live in a kukgraamam here in NE PA where diversity is appreciated and our University is always looking to hire more people with different skin colors so I suppose one becomes a novelty here if they are non-white!
    Gujili

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  11. Dear Gujili,
    The owner or Managing Director was James Gnanaoliviu,in his house we stayed, but the person in-charge of Madurai was M.P.Rajan, he asked me is she a Nadar, i said "i dont know",then he said "she must be a nadar, by looking at her face i can figure out her caste", for this also i replied "i dont know" then came his remark"atheppadi theriyaathu, anju varusham kooda padichavunga ennaa jaathinnu theriyaama ennatha neenga college padicheenga". YOu were lucky to work in chennai after we finished our training under Dr.J.S.Moses( the retired microbiology professor, who offered you a lift in his bajaj kawasaki......)
    karaiyan

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  12. Oh yes I remember.. I was lucky to work in Chennai. Life for 3 months in Unikay was just a nice relaxation before heading out to the velinaadu. Yes I do remember Dr. Moses offering a ride; I don't recall if I took it or not. Is he still alive? Does any one know is chapathi is still alive? I am just curious.
    Gujili

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  13. Hi All,
    I am sure nothing will be serious in this blog.Shear frakness is most wanted here.Don't worry.Continue posting as you like.
    BHAI.

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