Your experience is well taken. I am a north Indian serving in armed forces and I am not a brahmin but am a Hindu. I came to Chennai in Jul 2004. I also faced lot of problems in renting a house.You were looking to buy a house, here I am talking abt renting. The objections ranged from eating egg (which I anyway decided not to) to being the percieved image of Military person having liquor in house to the almost ludicrous one of one gentleman going in so far as matching our horoscope with his to rent us his house.
But being here ,I have accepted it. This is part of our culture, perceptions and ofcourse in the case of Chennai of exposure.
So I do not think this is new. People do not want to come out of their comfort Zone and the world should be as what their perceptions are. Unfortunately it is not so. Having said this, I can also say I got lot of affection from people here, understood a bit of their culture, traditions,customs and I think I can justify to myself why majority of people felt that way.
I was asked to learn Tamil by many people when we had difficulty communicating.We were almost reduced to the prehistoric ancestry of using sign language.But these things are ther
I share the views expressed in the article. yes, if we want Muslims to join the mainstream, we need to change our mindsets too. I would welcome any muslim in my neibourhood NOT as a muslim, but as a person.
Hello Sir, I agree with your argument on discrimination if it was for all the other communities...,
If such treatment is only for Muslims (i strongly believe) you cant straight away say it as discrimination. Its probably because of the effect of the collective mindset of the people who think that majority of Muslim blood is violent & fundamentalist & intolerant & religiously blind.
Public Psychology: One day I was thinking why larger sections of Hindus admire Buddhists & jains and why for some Hindu temple only Hindus, Buddhists & jains are allowed? I tried to analyze the history of India, 10th century onwards & felt the anger in myself on learning the injustice done to the Indian Civilization for nearly 800 years which was worse than that of British. I could see only blood. I also analyzed the current scenarios.. even though I myself do not support prejudice in such matters, Im convinced to some extent with the justification for the peoples psychology.
Im sure it takes another 25-50 years to neutralize such psychology assuming that India will be free of terrorists & many other particular types of anti-humans, & anti-nationals..
Currently i am in Denmark.Finding a 2 room apartment is as big a problem as in Bombay.However several restrictions apply here too. They need non-smokers and someone who doesnt have pets, irrespective of their nationality. Its only fair that all the residents living in the building or locality are non-smokers and dont have any pets. In your case, isnt it fair that other localites want someone who is like them & doesnt eat non-veg food. For one second imagine yourself in their position. For you pork is not allowed (if I am right) and imagine a society where 100 muslim families are residing. Now some other family comes and says that they eat pork 5 times a day and they would like to 'make' their dishes outside, in the middle of the society garden.How would u feel, knowing that some horrendous act is taking in front of your eyes. can you see the point here?
It is really regrettable that this situation has arisen - this is because none of the governments in the power seat have been strict about laws - if all the citizens of India had to follow a uniform law and were told to practice their religion in their own places of worship and homes then discrimination would not become the norm of the day.
Next to blame are the religious leaders - they instigate or put wrong ideas into the masses. As a Christian I am grateful that I have been brought up to respect others sentiments, religion, status and to learn to adjust to society in general - however, we also face domination, discrimination etc which, as long as the arm of the law does not curtail will get worse in the future.
May God give us leaders and a government who is just, dedicated and caring.
