Without delving into the details of convoluted histories of racism, this article is an impersonal view that looks into the present crises driven by the condemnable, bitter and ugly faces of racism, which recently has conspicuous presence in national and international media as “curry bushing”.  It has become a popular jargon with the recent spate of violence in Australia that has spread its ugly tentacles  to South Africa and other parts of the world.

Emigrant Indians in Australia are accused of being as “herd mentality”.  Even in countries with a more lenient view towards emigrants such as Malaysia, Russia, etc have shown an unbelievably indifferent attitude towards Indians.  But why not the same barrage of hatred towards people of other Asiatic origin?  We, Indians, are accused of being confined to our own people and culture even in distant lands. That’s true if the cultural baggage we Indians inherently develop can not be left behind us as we geographically displace. There is no point in getting assimilated in a cultural melting point of a broader society where such mean and parochial view does not hold utmost importance.

The time has come for self introspection.  I would not analyze from the perspective of international communities (may be later) but from our own demulsified societies.  It is well known that people in the centre (or capital) are in more advantageous position than those who live in the periphery.  They reap the benefits of all national developmental and social upliftment policies.  This gradually results in the development of a superior feeling. And, in acute cases, into “megalomaniac,” originating from misconstrued sense of being superior to others.

A few narratives from my friends and colleagues’ experience here in Delhi will evince how retrograde views the mainstream society has inculcated towards the people of other regions, especially of the Northeast. Though Delhi claims to be a cosmopolitan society,  I have failed to see any trace of cosmopolitanism among most Delhites.  The non-natives (I mean neither brown nor black skinned) are subjected to constant humiliation and distrust.  I have been in Delhi for more than a decade and painstakingly failed to connive native’s view towards their own Northeastern counterpart as an inherent, integral part of India.  Recently the topic sprang up when a few old friends and I gathered together in a social occasion.  They narrated many such incidents and strangely both the well educated and illiterates are involved.  A friend said, “…being in a multinational company of repute, I am wonderstruck at my colleague’s remark who boast of being in a significant position. His colleague’s remark was “you people from Assam, Manipur, Nepal and China are same in looks”. And when he tried to explain physiognomical differences of Northeastern people his colleague did not bother to listen and commented sarcastically, “No matter wherever you come from, Assam, Manipur or Nagaland, you all have same physical characteristics.”  Had it been a comment from someone illiterate and mischievous from amidst the urban village (similar to a remote village in far flung areas where education is a distant reality), I would not refer here as an example of discussion.  Now, if we analyze the background and history of these people we will find most of them are highly educated and of effluent family.  Why then such meanness in their mind? Does the lexicon of mainstream India revolve around Kashmir in the north; Bihar, Bengal and Orissa in the east;  Gujarat and Rajasthan in the west; and Kerala in the south?  In Delhi where undoubtedly the best educational institutions from schools to universities exist,  geographical ignorance and cultural diversities about India would in no case be convincible and acceptable.  Is this because of their feeling of superiority (which I term as damnably fallible) being in the capital of India?  Or simply oblivious to the world outside of their own.  Being posited in the centre without any comprehensible sense of their being is worth comparable to barbarics in no-no hinterlands.

This is not a berate from someone who holds a distrust or a diabolical view of Indian society,  but to remind people of an India wherein a confluence of multicultural and multiethnic society has flourished from the Harappan or Indus valley civilization.

Indian civilization is regarded as one of the oldest in the world. Naturally, culture and traditions are deeply rooted in the minds of people. Indian societies are mostly patriarchal in nature and people depends by and large on agriculture for their livelihood. Age-old beliefs and rituals are still predominantly practiced.

Discussion on sex, in Indian society, is still regarded as a taboo, leave aside talking aloud about homosexuality. Heterosexuality in its various forms still is a popular choice of the people. So, homosexuality or same-sex relationship is seen as an alien practice and regard it as an object of contempt and ignominy. Even Indian law prohibits the practice of same-sex relationship and criminalizes it under section 377. Gays/Lesbians still have a difficult time in a liberal and democratic country like India.

The biggest mystery that remains unanswered till today is how one’s sexual orientation is formulated. Even science has failed to deliver a proper explanation to it. Some believe that it is biological and not chosen. While others believe that it depends on one’s upbringing and the environment they grow up with. There may be other factors too such as prenatal hormone exposure, where hormones play a role in determining sexual orientation as they do with sex differentiation; and prenatal stress on the mother also play a role in the sexual orientation of an individual.

But, as same-sex relationship has its presence amidst a considerable number of people world-wide, definitely rejecting it or condemning those who practice it outrightly would be illogical and insensible. It is evident from the historical records that homosexual practice existed in ancient India. However, it is only in past few decades that its widespread practice could be seen all over the world. Recognizing the sexual orientation of these people various countries have legalized homosexuality. In India though homosexuality is criminalized by the Indian penal code a considerable number of people practice it. Being the largest democracy of the world, the discrimination on the basis of one’s sex and gender can never be approved of. We have to rethink our views on this minority community. We have to accept change. Recent gay parades in different cities of India and large-scale participation of people demanding acceptance from people and law show how deeply rooted homosexuality is in India. Even communist China known for strict adherence to moral tradition has decriminalized homosexuality in 1997. So India as an aspirant of global reckoning force should defiantly shed such parochial view which categorizes homosexuals as “the other”.

Indian females have always been vulnerable in the male dominated society of India. Even the most fragile & delicate state of female is not forgiven for being a girl child. It’s in news these days that poor people have been selling their girl child for money, due to poverty. The one thing surprises me the most is, that why are they selling girl child only & why not their male child………..I hope these people realize that without girl child their families can never be extended. I don’t say that these people are not poverty stricken but what I am trying to put across is selling their girl child is not going to help them out. The mental state of such people, who believe in male child & think the girl child to be curse, is not sadistic but disturbed & imbalanced.

We are any how at all time low with the girl child ratio. It has been reported that in north & northwest region of India the girl child in comparison to male is much less than what it was in 2001 as per the census & the decrease is continuous.

Selling a girl child is not the only problem is “Infant feticide” of girl child. The evil has multiplied due to the new techniques of detecting the sex of the fetus inside the womb itself & aborting female fetus. Do these people ever realize this act of theirs increases problems for them & them only? If everyone starts doing this, neither they will be able to get a bride for their son’s nor can their son’s will be able to carry forward their families name.

You will be surprised to know “declining sex ratios was not down to poverty as in both rural and urban sites, there were significantly fewer girls in richer families.” It has been found that neglect in poorer areas with less access to public health facilities affected survival rates, but declining ratios in better-served urban areas was down to parental choices about the number and sex of offspring.

What people need to realize is that both the sex is important to extend a family. Unisex people cannot extend a clan/family/name. Nature has justified each one’s presence on this earth in some way or the other which no one or noting can compensate.

A girl child is no more a burden …………..Government also provides support for females in every possible way. The one thing that government lacks is taking stricter action against people who do such heinous crimes & support & help in the act. Such people should be treated equal with those criminals who are accused with 1st degree cold blooded murder.

“Please welcome US in your lives. We are 50% of your lives. Either of us is incomplete without the other.”