Today's Pune Mirror carried a story on how an author has got into trouble for using the "G" word .... "Ghati" that is sometimes used to describe people from the Sahyadri Ghats or Maharashtrians. Apparently, some activist has filed a case that this is a serious threat to communal harmony!!!
Fortunately, at least in this case, police sources have said that the case against the first-time author, Murzban Shroff, will likely be dropped. Thank God! We all know what happened to that poor Bangalore techie who spent 50 days in jail in a case of mistaken identity for apparently posting a derogatory image that hurt some communities.
Will we ever learn?!
For years, we have been calling our various communities by their pet names... Sardars and Mallus and Gults and Tams and Bhaiyas and Gujjus and Ghatis and Bongs and Bawas.... our popular culture, including films, are filled with humorous references to the quirks of various states / communities... whether it is the English / Hindi accents of various groups or the miserliness of the Sindhis or the Sardar with the Patiala peg and tandoori chicken or the Bong with a cigarette in one hand and a point of view on every topic on the other..... we have always taken it in good spirit and added a new joke or riposte to the collection.
These terms are not racist, never meant to be derogatory. These are our nick-names for our brothers and sisters. Just like specific individuals become Pappu or Motu or Pinky or Laddoo, groups of people that originate from a particular state or ethnic background become known by a representative name. Does it mean that they are necessarily homogenous... of course, not! Not every Sindhi is miserly nor is every Tam an intellectual/nerd... every Mallu does not use 'gogonut' oil to shine his hair and every Gujju lady does not carry a dabba of thepla in her hand-bag.... but it would be fun to think that they did.
India is what it is because of its diversity and more importantly, willingness to accept and respect this diversity. Let us not give up our unique heritage and strength.