In a lift one person, an old 70-75 year or so, looks at the other, smiles and thinks – New guy in the building! Looks educated ‘I can talk to him’. He asks – What is your name?
Other person responds – Pravin
Old man – Pravin what?
2nd person – Pravin is my name.
2nd person looks at the old man with a question mark on face, what does that mean?
Old man – I mean your last name?
2nd – I call myself KRD Pravin and my friends call me KRD (at times KRD P).
Old man stares with a complete blank (!) and question on face?
2nd person continues – Does not it sound like JRD (Tata)? One step ahead, that is in alphabet “K” comes just after “J” right? Smile!
Old man – what does KRD mean?
2nd person – KRD stands for my last name and father’s name.
2nd person smiles and the old man insists on an answer.
Old man – Ok! But what is your last name?
2nd person (possibly getting the hint of apparent insistence now) – so you wanted to know my last name and not the name, is that right?
Old man completely taken aback by such question, because he was only interested in the last name. What goes on in the mind of old man is – ok lad looks educated, but does not have manners, arrogant!
Perhaps the old man is thinking – “I have a suitable girl for him in my mind?” Wait without knowing if 2nd person is married or not, how can one think like that? Anyways jokes apart.
This is the reality, of few discussions (elevator talks). People are more interested in what someone’s ancestors did than what this young lad is doing? This is the problem of our caste system.
I writing a series (on and off) of blogs on – against – the caste system of India (include black skin for other parts of the world). This is another installment in the series.
One of my school friends (this is not a fiction he was indeed like this) used to make friends based on last name, he at times used to ask “what are you people? (that is you belong to what/which caste?)” If the other person does not fall in “his choice of category” he wont make friends with them. His selected types were – Hindus (in religion), Vaishya, Brahman and Kshatriyas (in caste). In the language of Indian quota system – he wont make friends with SC, ST or OBCs. I was surprised but well I made a note of this!
I think we all were forest dwellers, once farmers. A blacksmith and mason is nothing but present day engineer. The more we developed the more we regressed actually! Even before the baby is born – he/she is black/white/sub-continent dweller. The day a baby is born we tag him/her as Christian/Hindu/Sikh/Muslim etc. Next tag is more clarification – You are a Shwetambar Jain, Or Saryuparayan Bramhan etc.
What is this – why we do differentiate on caste? In India there are temples where even Hindus (shudra/Dalits/Untouchables) can not go. All over India this is widespread.
Dalits give ‘donation’ to enter temple 2013 – The Hindu
Dalits told to keep distance from temple 2013 – Times of India
Dalits enter TN temple first time in 100 yrs – Times of India
Below two news are almost same difference is the year. News from The Hindu newspaper site (by far the most respected and authentic newspaper in India)
Dalits enter temple amid tight police security 2013
Dalits enter temples with police protection 2009
Thy God is different than mine!
When the creator is different there certainly is comparison – whose God is better?
Meri Kamiz teri kamiz se safed hai
मेरी कमीज़ तेरी कमीज़ से सफ़ेद है
My shirt is brighter (better) than your shirt
As if God is a trifling shirt or trouser! Who (which) can be better or worse.
Related blogs –
5 Comments
roop narain · August 14, 2013 at 5:39 pm
This is unfortunate reality of Present India & country by & large is getting disintegrated gradually.Wish our respective Indians & people representatives realise this and work to reunite as Indians.We must not be known by our last name but by our first name.
KRD Pravin · August 14, 2013 at 5:47 pm
Dear Uncleji, true as we see it happening daily.
One of my Engineering friend (Vijayant Thakur) told me once during earliy 2000’s – “what do you think? Wont we fight if there is no concept of secularism (I am not supporting Congress here though).” He continued – “we would fight on caste system and region and so on”… these things are largely for getting political mileage.
I have heard about a Indian American professor and scientist, his father removed his last name from the certificates. Anyways…
It is more about mindset, right?
rummuser · August 14, 2013 at 7:03 pm
My last name is what was my father’s first name. My siblings, nephews and some nieces still use that as our family name. That name does not signify any caste or religion. My family is full of members from other language, religion and nationality groups. In fact, there is even one same sex marriage within it.
So, what is the big deal? Don’t moan and groan about it. Go and find someone who does not care a fig for your last name or your caste or religion and produce a family like mine. There are persons like that every where and it just takes some courage to find them.
You cannot have a cake and eat it too. Be the change you want.
KRD PravinK · August 16, 2013 at 12:52 pm
You are fortune that you are
1. a born Brahmin (what you follow and what you not is of no consequence)
2. You and your family is known with you father’s name
When I am saying you – it does not necessarily mean you per se! When I say – “what you follow and what you dont is of no consequence” because we Indians dont bother what you are by your action but what you are by your ancestry. No one questions you that you being a Brahmin are eating non-veg, but people would question you if you are a Brahmin or not! Getting my drift?
I am not moaning and groan, I am fighting my fight from wherever I can start. You see this fight is here on my blog.
As far as marriage – specially same sex marriage – is concerned, I am of the opinion that if two people decide to be together (include having sex) it is none of anyone’s business to bother them. Individuals are free to live the way they want to live. A rider is – freedom of others should not be compromised.
I think – Having a cake and eating it too has to wait!
Is religion another organized crime? | Business to the Buddha · September 29, 2013 at 10:28 am
[…] where people are offered money to convert. No doubt, the churches have given opportunity to the underprivileged to go to school, have good healthcare service and some […]