The Uncouth and The English Speaking

on September 9, 2009

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Kartikey Sehgal

“I am talking about the poor people who are in touch with their country, their philosophy, Krishna and Ganapati; the people who told a model with half her chest exposed to cover it with a shawl so she could participate in the Ganapati festival freely. The ‘Slumdog’ variety wouldn’t do so; they would molest her”.

Are the men who celebrate Ganapati on the streets uncouth? Is there a system to civility? 

Rich people dance at discos and other city spots that attract money. Such places are enclosed and its activities are not for the poor man. The people attending these places may not dance on the streets during the Ganapati festival. Compare them with the economically poorer people. They can’t afford discos. But they see the same films as the rich people. They like the same songs; the same actors; music and dance. Festivals are an occasion for them to let their disco-desires out of the system and feel privileged.

You may call them uncouth and wild but despite the frequency of festivals in India, they don’t have as many night-outs as the richer people. The noise pollution, the immersion of clay and mud and plastic in water is not an year-round affair. The activists, or concerned citizens should not single them out for environment destruction.

Do uncouthness and incivility require a definition? You could set a benchmark. Do the poor people trouble or threaten the non-worshippers? The women? Do they treat you well? They do. And immediately let me inform you that they are not obliged to do so; this is not a one way examination. Should you show any disgust to their appearance, colour, language or dancing, then they are not obliged to be polite to you. You may have uncomfortable thoughts about the elephant-God or the people but remember that they are celebrating a culture, a system than has been prevalent in India since (at-least) 5 century A.D. If you indulge yourself in thoughts of ‘separateness’, then you must also bear in mind that you assume a secondary status to them. If you are separate/distinct, then they are the first citizens. You have the control of the English-media that makes you feel better or superior; that condemns water pollution during immersions, that wonders when we will steer towards quieter festivals, that asks if the festival dances are vulgar (night club dances are not?).

If the English-speaking individuals of the poorer sections start a newspaper then they may complain that:

  • You don’t celebrate your festivals; you feel that ‘Indianness’ is loud.
  • You are western-minded; you take western imitation as education.
  • You see no vulgarity in English movies; you complain about street dances but feel comfortable in disco dance steps.
  • Your feeling of being educated, separate, different, peace-minded is actually your subconscious condemnation of the local language and people.

Crime happens during festivals; crime is prevalent widely in the poorer areas of India; the towns that celebrate their festivals loudly. There is more crime in the 80 percent economically poorer India than in the 20 percent rich India. Maybe.
If (when) the rich come to majority—80 percent richer Indians and 20 percent poor Indians—then most crime will occur in the richer areas of the nation. Maybe.
Crime may be seen in relation to poverty and not the poor people. If eight out of ten people are poor then it is likely that the higher number of criminals would be from the eight people who are poor. The solution to this is not aversion to the chappal clad religious Indians. The solution is—you may have read it—giving them opportunities in education. And education doesn’t mean aversion to customs and traditions and philosophy but knowing the same in a new language. It means correcting your English-speaking friends when they talk of Indians as superstitious and backward.

“Festivals have been commercialized”, I was informed by a friend. The newspapers say that Indians don’t know the reason they immerse Ganapti idol into the sea. Yet, the media and the people won’t ask for the inclusion of Indian philosophy in schools. Sanskrit is not even an optional language and people make fun of Pundits in weddings. ‘What is he muttering?’ However, the poor people take greater care to ensure that their children are rooted to Indian philosophy through Gods.

Note that I am not talking about the ‘Slumdog’* kids. They didn’t have a family to keep them rooted. Those kids didn’t know anything about themselves or their country and they were exposed to crime and abuse; not a good combination. Such kids would also celebrate festivals but not out of any understanding or regard for their country. I am talking about the poor people who are in touch with their country, their philosophy, Krishna and Ganapati; the people who told a model with half her chest exposed to cover it with a shawl so she could participate in the Ganapati festival freely. The ‘Slumdog’ variety wouldn’t do so; they would molest her. The Indian poor people would assist her. I am talking about the Indian poor people and their children.

A five year old from a poor family is exposed to Hindi film songs and bhajans and geets pertaining to Krishna and other deities. It is important to note that he is also exposed to songs of Krishna and Ganapati along with other film and pop songs. However, many rich people are not exposed to philosophy, under the pretext of liberalism; ‘Indian scriptures are not for us’. So we shouldn’t complain that the people on the streets, the poor people, are dancing to Kambhakht Ishq or Bheege Honth Tere during festival celebrations.

You don’t appreciate them when they recite the Gayatri Mantra or the different devotional songs. You feel that those songs are somehow allowed or ‘okay’. You judge them and decide for them because you can speak the English language and feel that you are better placed to take decisions. So you pass them by the road and if they sing devotional songs then you walk on, without feeling any relation to them but if they sing and dance to film songs then you decide that the people are hypocrites or uncultured. If those poor people spoke in English then they would give you a fitting reply whenever you judged them. Why shouldn’t they stop you on the streets and ask you to join them or at least offer you some eatery? You are one with them and if anybody has moved away from the Indian way, it is you and not them.

I attended several pandals during the Ganapati celebrations. I was welcomed everywhere. They let me make photographs and they let me near the idol without asking me (or anybody) my religious affiliation (that doesn’t make sense in India; an example of ‘Hinduism’ as a ‘way of life). They knew that the two foreign girls were not Hindus. They would have seen the cross, a definite religious symbol. They welcomed and explained to them about the process of the celebrations. Perhaps they were happy to have two white skinned pretty girls among them but they didn’t do anything to discourage them or feel inferior about their self. I was stopped and given prasad when I folded my hands before any idol.

They were pleasant towards me because I didn’t find them disgusting, and I didn’t have to please them. Some day, I may argue with them. But not with the air of an English speaking cultured Indian.

*The children in the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

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