I'm a Bengali girl who was born in Chennai and has lived all her life there (barring one and a half years spent in Kolkata) so I guess I have a little bit of an identity crisis. Kolkata is definitely the more happening, cooler city among the two; plus I have loads of friends there who are possibly even crazier than I am, so it is great fun to visit. Chennai is the calmer city. It's cleaner and much more developed than Kolkata.
So this post is about how sick it makes me when the folks from Kolkata make fun of Chennai. Yes, it's just joking, I understand. But I spent about 12 days there recently and I had to endure mocking of so-called "Tamilian" accents for all 12 days, so pardon me if I get mad about it. If it wasn't my friends it was my neighbours; although my friends weren't as bad as the neighbours. I don't need to worry about them reading this because they'd probably be too busy partying to ever go through my blog (the neighbours).
I'm very proud to be Bengali, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love my culture and I'm ashamed I don't know more about it. (I can't write the language; I can read it, extremely slowly though). But what absolutely disgusts me is how lots of north-Indians think they are somehow higher up the evolutionary ladder than south-Indian people. Well excuse me, but Kerala is probably one of the most developed states in India and Tamil Nadu doesn't come far behind either.
So what if Tamilians have a Tamilian accent? Dude, the Bengali accent isn't heights of cool either! So shut up, all of you!!!
AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
P.S. - As I wrote this, in case you didn't realise, I was mightily ticked off.
TELL me about it, i don't have an identity crisis of any sort with regards to north and south at the least, but then those national level competitions have told me enough. not that i'm judging, but still.
ReplyDeleteat the horlicks wizkids finals at bangalore, 100 of us from all over the country stayed together for 4 days, at kolkata for bqc, we all stayed at the same hotel for 3 days, it was SO pissing off how all most north indians knew ONLY of chennai when we even spoke of being south indian. we were ALL madrasis, as colonial as this might sound, and if you couldn't speak in hindi, well god save you. i'm sure they're perfectly nice ppl, but i completely disliked the condescending air and the deliberate talking in hindi, as though we all couldn't understand.
wow, i sound vicious lol. hope you're having fun at australia :)
Hey
ReplyDeleteI pretty much have the same roots as you and I feel the same thing. Im in cincinnati now and all the north indians keep complaining about the south indians here when in fact the south indians have shown that they are way more productive. I dont understand this at all - the north indians complain that the south indians dont like Hindi - well they obviously wont - because they dont know the language and no one asked them about their opinion when hindi was made the national language.
In my opinion kolkata is an awesome place to live and it has been there for centuries since Job Charnock's time - but look at what Chennai has done in so little time - its been, I think only around less than a 100 years? (I might be wrong) but I do remember that in 1989 the place where I live was a wild forest with deer, aligators and other wild things. Now its developed. When my mashi came from kolkata she was asking me: "Are there places to eat non-veg food?" oh man!
Abhishek
Hey
ReplyDeleteI am a noth-indian,punjabi to be specific.@Abhishek -I dont think there is any competition or hostility.It is but obvious to talk in one's mother tongue.& hindi is the national lang. cuz max ppl spesk dat.every1 should have d right to speak d language they want.
-Ravneet
I have lived in Chennai & met some of d best ppl i know & made frnds for lyf.But not all days hav beeen gud.Few ppl hav steretypical image of north-indians & dont treat dem nicely.+ they talk in tamil all d time. I know how lonely I felt at that time not understandin a word.
So i just wanna say dat north-indian ppl r not arrogant just proud.
PS- they can be v.productive
umm, im kinda confused wht to say. I mean, im a complete Northie culturally n regionally,but i LOVE south India.
ReplyDeleteIf there was a place i had to be in,if not mumbai it would be chennai.
Anyway, i personally feel there are flaws on both sides. Its like, a vicious cycle. Northies dont like the 'non-hindi-speakin culture' in SI. Maybe, coz to an extent more than half our sub-continent converses officially in hindi. And , just by the way, NO language has been officially made the National language. Moreover, NI [literally] does not have a very educated lot all over.Therefore, they do not speak much in English. I mean,trust me, coz i've seen it.
hmm, comin to the other end, SI is the one w/ the more widespead 'educated' lot.They feel there isn't a need to learn hindi, jus like we[read:northies] dnt feel there is a need to learn Kannada or tamil or any other regional south indian language.As simple as that.
So, Northies consider themselves superior,for reasons i may never understand, n Southies try to prove them wrong by ill-treating them at times in their town. AND, here there are MANY [Most,actually] exceptions. So thts what i feel.
So, dude, STOP already! WE'RE ONE nation. Fraternity, like our constitution says.
Cheers to 'US' :D
i so agree with u shailya
ReplyDelete-Ravneet
asmita i nevr thot u took all dt seriously 2 write a blog abt it......
ReplyDeleteP.S-i m nt 2 busy partying 2 read ur blog....
Haha I didn't mean you man.. how the hell are you my neighbour idiot?!
ReplyDeleteNo it just gets on my nerves sometimes!