WHAT..?
This is an article I have written in response to a heated debate held in Sydney, through the pages of a literary magazine, about Racism:
This is an article I have written in response to a heated debate held in Sydney, through the pages of a literary magazine, about Racism:
WHY..?
I couldn’t be reticent. Therefore, this is simply a reflection based on my personal experience living in Australia since my arrival in 1977, beseeching the response of some of the enthusiastic participants of the debate, who hailed from India.
I couldn’t be reticent. Therefore, this is simply a reflection based on my personal experience living in Australia since my arrival in 1977, beseeching the response of some of the enthusiastic participants of the debate, who hailed from India.
LET ‘MERIT’ RACE WITH ‘MIGHT’ AND WIN...
“Do not ask to have your life’s load lightened, but
for courage to endure.
Do not ask for fulfilment in all your life, but for patience to accept frustration.
Do not ask for perfection in all you do, but for the wisdom not to repeat mistakes.
And finally,
Do not ask for more before saying “Thank You” for what you have already received.”
-BRENDA SHORT
Dear Brenda Short, I do imbibe a few drops of elixir for my life’s sanctity from your sage words and am prompted to say a hearty ‘Thank you’ to Australia for welcoming and facilitating me to build an independent and secured life.
I felt my human spirit replenished yet again when I noticed the Kerala Nadam bestowing its lovely tribute to the late Leelamony by dedicating the latest issue of its literary publication. Notwithstanding, its vitality suddenly drained off when I saw a debate on racism that was incongruous with the context.
I have been however curious enough to read an inviting statement from the debate: “Australia is not completely devoid of racism and that though mostly concealed it is still alive and active in the minds of a few people....”
Several decades ago, being an immigrant starting to learn about this part of the world almost from a blank slate I began my life in Australia. Like anyone else in the olden days I had a broad range of issues to grapple with in order to adapt myself to the environment and get accustomed with the people living in this country. So much I have learnt from a new chapter of my life by keeping my inquisitive mind transparent and the passageway to it wide open. Setting out without further ado, I can readily gather that Australia, once a colossal murky island used for dumping the extradited culprits by British emperors, now a proud country of renaissance is determinedly continuing its endeavour to become a multicultural nation free of racism locally as well as globally. In every letter its national policy is spelt with high acumen in this respect.
‘A few people’ that’s referred to in the aforesaid statement are the remnants of once transgressed generation- progeny of a huge bunch of felonies with youthful street-culture that existed rampantly in the olden days mainly in the uncivilised working class suburbs. Those few people, now in isolation, perhaps give vents to their ungainly frustrations by typically divulging their inner demons just like the Shiva Sena fanatics do in Maharashtra, one of the Indian States. There are many lunatic sectarians who still continue demonstrations of their vacuous brainstorming nationally and globally. Should we care?
Kerala Nadam supposedly heralds the literary voice of Kerala. Ironically the voice took a sudden crackling twist and brought forth a journalistic debate on a rather sensitive issue even though its own readers have stealthily acquired natural immunity from their home-brewed contamination of infectious communal anarchy. More often than not we tend to question the other fellow citizens’ integrity while deliberately masking the abominable convictions of our own native land in this sensational topic. In anyone’s term it should simply spell: HYPOCRISY.
Abysmally, we are still struggling to escape from the slavery of false pride. We deny our moral responsibilities towards other fellow human beings and hence discreetly put the onus on the latter ones perhaps owing to our well assumed, self-centred, lofty expectations. Having become the citizens or the permanent residents of this nation, I reckon, we ought to pledge our sincere attachment to this country first. We can’t wipe our hands and walk away when adversities occur. We have abiding moral duties to accept our obligations, and necessarily show empathy and tolerance towards the misgivings of other compatriots. Irrespective of what we perceived, whether it’s right or wrong, as young Chris Alwin James opined, “We all have to get to know people and experience and appreciate different cultures; and that’s surely an experience that Australia offers.”
He couldn’t be clearer than what he put in a nutshell. Isn’t it time we all start getting into the crux of the point and move on?
What I could decipher just as an overview of all the comments written by various writers was a sort of ‘racist slur’ clearly aiming at some white Australians. As I attempted to scan through the contemporary social fabrics of other nations including that of our own nation of origin I couldn’t help translating the whole debate into a mere gossip in the window. Those so-called white people’s hospitality towards nonwhites is being laconically described as bland and un-welcome. To me it looks like a talk about an investment in which we lost our shirts. Isn’t it going to be an augmented reality to the onlookers?
Which silvery shores we are intending to make our headway to for our next heavenly destination, I wonder!
If you chisel the lumpy crusts off the conglomerated human population settled on these shores of this little continent, there you will find appearing the oblivious underlay of socially common and predominantly sustainable mono-cultural behaviour of individuals. With a typical tribal affiliation they will be found to have clustered inseparably within their comfort zones. There are invisible barbed wire fences too erected between different community groups forging on all the unwanted social inhibitions. Delusive grandiose has prompted to create ornate human dimensions in order to secure undue advantage. Such rigid confinements in effect sever the body of mankind making it fragmental and socially enervated. You can call it as racism, or tribalism, or feudalism, or whatever you like to name.
If we look back to the reality the question verily will arise as to why we have left all our beloved kith and kin to settle in a new continent of entirely different culture and lingo for the sake of financial freedom having given up the seemingly divine social freedom that we claim to have enjoyed in our country of origin. Before we migrated to this country did we bother to be aware of these potentially adverse situation and supposedly unsettling experiences, which we now denounce and are fraught with? Sure we haven’t suddenly reached an island without a cause or reason. We all talk about our great experience, knowledge and wisdom but without the actual size and scale of its dimension. We discuss in full volume about the ethnicity but we are disinclined to modify our culture to embrace gainfully with that of others. The reason being our dogmatic perceptions and religious beliefs are never redeemable. We fear to redefine or attune with our moral views even in this rapidly changing clime and conditions. On the contrary our traditional practice or customary rituals are often found to have turned to be absurd to the Western culture. We set our domain within the four walls of our home. We write assays by quoting others’ sage opinions on racial discriminations but paradoxically we don’t even go to attend our own community meetings and mass celebrations. Therefore, in effect, we utterly fail to be socially interactive even with the very oriental communities, let alone with that of the occidental counterparts. The situation being so, how on earth will we be able to reorient and blend our oriental culture with that of completely different occidental one?
Contrary to what we speak here about, the governments in our country of origin still want the citizens to fill up the names of their respective castes and sub-castes in addition to respective religion in most of its formal submissions. I do not know what form of discrimination this practice implies.
When we advertise seeking suitable alliance for our sons or daughters in a marriage bureau we stipulate the caste and sub-caste of the required partners in order to match strictly with that of ours. Seldom, we go for mixed marriages. More often than not, we have our family names (surnames) named after our respective castes. I am as yet to know what this practice implies.
I am glad that Thomas Jacob has shared some sensible thoughts about the causes of systemic imposition of social hierarchy levels by the imperialistic and feudalistic activists and the subsequent changes in human behaviour. He rightly identifies the egocentric prejudice as the root cause of the malicious behaviour of the so-called racists.
Whatever the case may be, the human race needs equity. This can be achieved only through mutual acceptance of humanity. For this to happen we need to have better understanding about each other. As an educator Dr. Ann Benjamin stated, education is the key to attaining a prolific outcome in bringing up the egalitarian feeling in our conscience. Education is not merely for academic knowledge but for the intellectual and spiritual knowledge, which has to be taught right from Kindergarten, she clarifies.
Twelve years on, I vividly remember an indigenous woman carrying the flame representing Australia, the host nation, to light the Olympic cauldron at a park named after her- Cathy Freeman Park- in Sydney. Days later when she finished her gold-medal run of 400metre race the whole nation seemed to have lost a couple of heartbeats. In irresistible jubilation the deafening voice of the crowd rose up in the stadium. Punching hands in the air they chanted: “Aussie.., Aussie.., Oi, Oi...” Filled with patriotism the enchanting voice of millions resonated in the heart of a proud nation for a long while...
Australia now in my view is fairer and an open sanctuary for better life for millions of people from various regions of the world. Ironically though, in the history books it was placed as a remotely situated continental island with murky prison-cells. So, let us now use our yardsticks to truly measure its enormous progress and the status.
Do not ask for fulfilment in all your life, but for patience to accept frustration.
Do not ask for perfection in all you do, but for the wisdom not to repeat mistakes.
And finally,
Do not ask for more before saying “Thank You” for what you have already received.”
-BRENDA SHORT
Dear Brenda Short, I do imbibe a few drops of elixir for my life’s sanctity from your sage words and am prompted to say a hearty ‘Thank you’ to Australia for welcoming and facilitating me to build an independent and secured life.
I felt my human spirit replenished yet again when I noticed the Kerala Nadam bestowing its lovely tribute to the late Leelamony by dedicating the latest issue of its literary publication. Notwithstanding, its vitality suddenly drained off when I saw a debate on racism that was incongruous with the context.
I have been however curious enough to read an inviting statement from the debate: “Australia is not completely devoid of racism and that though mostly concealed it is still alive and active in the minds of a few people....”
Several decades ago, being an immigrant starting to learn about this part of the world almost from a blank slate I began my life in Australia. Like anyone else in the olden days I had a broad range of issues to grapple with in order to adapt myself to the environment and get accustomed with the people living in this country. So much I have learnt from a new chapter of my life by keeping my inquisitive mind transparent and the passageway to it wide open. Setting out without further ado, I can readily gather that Australia, once a colossal murky island used for dumping the extradited culprits by British emperors, now a proud country of renaissance is determinedly continuing its endeavour to become a multicultural nation free of racism locally as well as globally. In every letter its national policy is spelt with high acumen in this respect.
‘A few people’ that’s referred to in the aforesaid statement are the remnants of once transgressed generation- progeny of a huge bunch of felonies with youthful street-culture that existed rampantly in the olden days mainly in the uncivilised working class suburbs. Those few people, now in isolation, perhaps give vents to their ungainly frustrations by typically divulging their inner demons just like the Shiva Sena fanatics do in Maharashtra, one of the Indian States. There are many lunatic sectarians who still continue demonstrations of their vacuous brainstorming nationally and globally. Should we care?
Kerala Nadam supposedly heralds the literary voice of Kerala. Ironically the voice took a sudden crackling twist and brought forth a journalistic debate on a rather sensitive issue even though its own readers have stealthily acquired natural immunity from their home-brewed contamination of infectious communal anarchy. More often than not we tend to question the other fellow citizens’ integrity while deliberately masking the abominable convictions of our own native land in this sensational topic. In anyone’s term it should simply spell: HYPOCRISY.
Abysmally, we are still struggling to escape from the slavery of false pride. We deny our moral responsibilities towards other fellow human beings and hence discreetly put the onus on the latter ones perhaps owing to our well assumed, self-centred, lofty expectations. Having become the citizens or the permanent residents of this nation, I reckon, we ought to pledge our sincere attachment to this country first. We can’t wipe our hands and walk away when adversities occur. We have abiding moral duties to accept our obligations, and necessarily show empathy and tolerance towards the misgivings of other compatriots. Irrespective of what we perceived, whether it’s right or wrong, as young Chris Alwin James opined, “We all have to get to know people and experience and appreciate different cultures; and that’s surely an experience that Australia offers.”
He couldn’t be clearer than what he put in a nutshell. Isn’t it time we all start getting into the crux of the point and move on?
What I could decipher just as an overview of all the comments written by various writers was a sort of ‘racist slur’ clearly aiming at some white Australians. As I attempted to scan through the contemporary social fabrics of other nations including that of our own nation of origin I couldn’t help translating the whole debate into a mere gossip in the window. Those so-called white people’s hospitality towards nonwhites is being laconically described as bland and un-welcome. To me it looks like a talk about an investment in which we lost our shirts. Isn’t it going to be an augmented reality to the onlookers?
Which silvery shores we are intending to make our headway to for our next heavenly destination, I wonder!
If you chisel the lumpy crusts off the conglomerated human population settled on these shores of this little continent, there you will find appearing the oblivious underlay of socially common and predominantly sustainable mono-cultural behaviour of individuals. With a typical tribal affiliation they will be found to have clustered inseparably within their comfort zones. There are invisible barbed wire fences too erected between different community groups forging on all the unwanted social inhibitions. Delusive grandiose has prompted to create ornate human dimensions in order to secure undue advantage. Such rigid confinements in effect sever the body of mankind making it fragmental and socially enervated. You can call it as racism, or tribalism, or feudalism, or whatever you like to name.
If we look back to the reality the question verily will arise as to why we have left all our beloved kith and kin to settle in a new continent of entirely different culture and lingo for the sake of financial freedom having given up the seemingly divine social freedom that we claim to have enjoyed in our country of origin. Before we migrated to this country did we bother to be aware of these potentially adverse situation and supposedly unsettling experiences, which we now denounce and are fraught with? Sure we haven’t suddenly reached an island without a cause or reason. We all talk about our great experience, knowledge and wisdom but without the actual size and scale of its dimension. We discuss in full volume about the ethnicity but we are disinclined to modify our culture to embrace gainfully with that of others. The reason being our dogmatic perceptions and religious beliefs are never redeemable. We fear to redefine or attune with our moral views even in this rapidly changing clime and conditions. On the contrary our traditional practice or customary rituals are often found to have turned to be absurd to the Western culture. We set our domain within the four walls of our home. We write assays by quoting others’ sage opinions on racial discriminations but paradoxically we don’t even go to attend our own community meetings and mass celebrations. Therefore, in effect, we utterly fail to be socially interactive even with the very oriental communities, let alone with that of the occidental counterparts. The situation being so, how on earth will we be able to reorient and blend our oriental culture with that of completely different occidental one?
Contrary to what we speak here about, the governments in our country of origin still want the citizens to fill up the names of their respective castes and sub-castes in addition to respective religion in most of its formal submissions. I do not know what form of discrimination this practice implies.
When we advertise seeking suitable alliance for our sons or daughters in a marriage bureau we stipulate the caste and sub-caste of the required partners in order to match strictly with that of ours. Seldom, we go for mixed marriages. More often than not, we have our family names (surnames) named after our respective castes. I am as yet to know what this practice implies.
I am glad that Thomas Jacob has shared some sensible thoughts about the causes of systemic imposition of social hierarchy levels by the imperialistic and feudalistic activists and the subsequent changes in human behaviour. He rightly identifies the egocentric prejudice as the root cause of the malicious behaviour of the so-called racists.
Whatever the case may be, the human race needs equity. This can be achieved only through mutual acceptance of humanity. For this to happen we need to have better understanding about each other. As an educator Dr. Ann Benjamin stated, education is the key to attaining a prolific outcome in bringing up the egalitarian feeling in our conscience. Education is not merely for academic knowledge but for the intellectual and spiritual knowledge, which has to be taught right from Kindergarten, she clarifies.
Twelve years on, I vividly remember an indigenous woman carrying the flame representing Australia, the host nation, to light the Olympic cauldron at a park named after her- Cathy Freeman Park- in Sydney. Days later when she finished her gold-medal run of 400metre race the whole nation seemed to have lost a couple of heartbeats. In irresistible jubilation the deafening voice of the crowd rose up in the stadium. Punching hands in the air they chanted: “Aussie.., Aussie.., Oi, Oi...” Filled with patriotism the enchanting voice of millions resonated in the heart of a proud nation for a long while...
Australia now in my view is fairer and an open sanctuary for better life for millions of people from various regions of the world. Ironically though, in the history books it was placed as a remotely situated continental island with murky prison-cells. So, let us now use our yardsticks to truly measure its enormous progress and the status.
