The last 15 days have been an eye opener- in more ways than one. Traveling 640 miles from Chennai to Mumbai for a one-month internship has indeed been an experience! My first day of work for a news channel was uneventful but enlightening. Enlightening not because I learnt the nuances of how a news agency works and how they operate, but because I got a glimpse into the minds of a few Mumbai teens. On day one I met a few intern-colleagues, one of whom was a guy from Kerala, named Sijo. On introducing myself as coming from Chennai, imagine my surprise when one another intern asks me, “Oh so you must be knowing Sijo right?”
What else could I have done but gape, and explain that Kerala and Tamil Nadu are two different states and every person will not know every other person!
Why is it assumed that the languages Malayalam and Tamil are the same and that a Malayalee will understand Tamil perfectly and vice versa? Although many of the differences between Tamil and Malayalam evidence a pre-historic split between eastern and western dialects, the process of separation of the two into distinct languages was completed during the 13th and 14th century! And we are in the 21st century now!!
Thirdly, just because a person is from Chennai, does not automatically mean that he/she has visited every city and every temple existing in Tamil Nadu. So you can imagine my consternation when a fellow intern who was viewing photos of a beautiful temple in Coimbatore, turns around and asks me, “So you must have been there right?” And when I shot her a quizzical look and shook my head, she looked so disappointed!
What’s the deal here? Is there a rulebook stating that a person who’s from Chennai should have definitely visited Coimbatore? Is there anything giving credibility to Malayalam and Tamil being one and the same? There are thousands of people in Kerala and thousands more in Tamil Nadu! So how on earth will a person staying in Cochin know a girl staying in Chennai? Is there even remotely present an iota of common sense in these thoughts in people’s head?
I’m 19 years old and I know that people from Maharashtra and people from Gujarat are not one and the same! But why is it so hard for the teens here to understand that Kerala and Tamil Nadu is not the same. Neither are their languages the same, nor are they such small towns that everyone would know everyone else’s existence! Grow up!
The level of knowledge of an average Mumbai teen doesn’t seem over-the-top or even remotely interesting. Isn’t it better to be aware about these little things, rather than making sure your top matches your nail color or your earrings? Instead of making such a big racket about whether it is Mumbai or Bombay, isn’t it about time that some serious action is taken to make the youth here aware that there is a lot more to South India than just rigid and conservative thoughts and that South India is not just Chennai or Bangalore but there is a lot more to it than that!
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3 comments:
yes, there are something we dont know about South India, thats why we ask! And when we ask about someone in we know in Chennai its just a way to start a topic! Like 'Oh your from Chennai, I have a cousin there!' Maybe some people find it offensive, but personally I believe it's just a way to give a boost to the conversation! And about Mumbai teens caring about only their nail polish or what shoes they wear, i think it's the same everywhere! I know people who live in delhi who are fanatic about their dressing. Maybe in Bombay, the outside is important to us but the inside matters as well. Not every Mumbai teen, is as shallow as puddle water!
Not to be critical or something, this is just what I think.
You are right till some extent, there maybe a person next to me who cares about what bag they are carrying and not what work they do.
To end, I did just like to say that what you think is painfully true, but it is limited to a few individuals and not all...
Wel. Mumbai sure is a city on wich one can talk and tlk. but a lil paitence will give u better understnding of the cite and how the TEENS are here.. coz evryone has their own reasons for behaving in a particular in fashion...Furthermore the city makes its people in a way that may not please evryone..so... N also being inquisitive about someone who has come from out of the state is pretty common... No wonder u are asked alot of questions.. but any wich way.. I hope u njoy the rest of ur stay in mumbai coz it certainly has ALOT MORE TO OFFER!!!!
i love it!!!! u ve mirrored my experiences here in Delhi!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jus wat i wanted to come bak n tell u guys abt!!!! :D good writing thruout the blog...keep it goin:)
love,
iyer:)
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