A couple of weeks ago, an American national representing the company who sponsored our project at work asked me where in India I was from. Later on, he was telling me how he knew about the hatred between North Indians and South Indians. My response was "What!?!" He was telling me that people in India from North and South hated each other as much as they hated people from Pakistan. That was the first time I heard something like that!
But a quick search on the Internet about this issue gave me a much detailed insight. And yes, there is some coldness and indifference between the people from these two regions. They don't go well with each other for due to a variety of reasons like the Aryan and Dravidian divide, or the comparatively fair skin vs. dark skin or the food habits or languages they speak. We were those proud kids when we first learned of secular and diverse India during our primary and secondary school. I wonder what happened to all that cultural diversity lessons we learned. I wonder why we resort to silly reasons and superficial standards to judge and look down upon each other.
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| India from Google Maps at various zoom levels |
In my version of Google Maps, I could not find a wall between North and South of India at any of its zoom levels. Does your version have that wall, that divide? I guess not! It's all in your minds and hearts.
OMG! can't believe someone said that! It's sad that outsiders see us like that.
ReplyDeletea really touching post Vee. I have tweeted it.
RESTLESS
Dude, this post made me come here and comment :)
ReplyDeletereally nice.
Restless -
ReplyDeletePeople outside have all kind of premonitions about India. And it is said that we ourselves are so divided.
Srikanth -
Thank you very much for the comment. It means a lot to me, encouragement! :)
Why just the northees and the southees. We are regionalists, zonalists, communalists, sexists and what not! Roots of these problems are not that difficult to spot, either. And the 'democracy' in this country will ensure the sustenance of these divides to capture volatile sentiments and use them to their own advantage! Phew!
ReplyDeleteHow easy it is for us 'literates' to comment on the cyberspace!
You never felt there is an indifference? Really?!
ReplyDeleteI felt so many a times. But I believe studying in a culturally diversified college, and more importantly dominated by students from south (in number) never really made us realize the issue. And definitely as the above person said, the issue is not just between these two regions. In fact, we've built walls around us everywhere!
well said. liked the last paragraph
ReplyDeleteTalking about divide between north and south Indians? When there is divide between a Punjabi and a sharma, a sikh and jatt, its foolish idea of superiority complex we suffer from…
ReplyDeleteI liked ending of this post ‘It's all in your minds and hearts’
Varun (MangoMan) -
ReplyDeleteWell said! Every aspect of this is taken advantage of by politicians, and we continue to divide ourself with every possible reason.
I know, this e-medium has just become a platform for ranting on issues. and glad it also led to all the action in the middle-east recently. only a matter of time!
Bhavya -
I knew about that indifference, but I wasn't aware that it's so much as it is. may be, i should have titled my post "great indian maze" with walls being built everywhere possible. a maze at least has gaps in between its walls. but, do we have that ?
Satish -
Thank you! :)
Pallavi (Delhizen) -
True! Also, we even want to exhibit our air of superiority with our neighbours. such is our superiority complex!