Same Difference...

Ever noticed...how when we're in a group we complete disregard the voice of any individual or for that matter even bother about if he's able to understand what ever is being said or not, isn't it? Common courtesy demands that communication should be in a medium that is understood well by all the parties involved but still it is not that rare to find a chap from Kochi staring blankly at his classmates as they share a joke in say Hindi etc.

The problem is more pronounced when you're a Hindi speaking lad whose grown up assuming that if anything, Hindi is one language ANY Indian can speak or at least comprehend. Worst case scenario, when all else fails one tends to bank on the legacy of the British, English to come to our rescue. So when a group of people around you suddenly break into something as alien as Tamil or Malyalam you are just stunned into silence trying hard to at least eliminate the possibility that it is YOU who is the subject of the discussion. But then there is only so much you can do if that doubt happens to be true!

Now abstracting this further for the sake of discussion to other so called differences we face like the ones concerning religion, region etc.

When the infamous "Shilpa Shetty Racism Episode" happened, the whole world cried discrimination but when we all had the option to choose when making friends at a new place, most of us started with the ones who came from the same place as we did. Tell me, how many of us haven't ever made a wisecrack at someone whose fat or someone who wore specs at school? The only reason why you didn't do it (if that's the case) would be because it happened to be you who was taunted or laughed at!

Sticking with "your kind" is not what bothers me but its the often internalized, almost subconscious act of rejecting all that is different that baffles me. This is aggravated by the so-called custodians of cultures / languages / faiths who staunchly believe that to keep their respective "clans" separate and "pure" from any kind of outside influence is the very reason why they were born. Intolerance for the "other kind" breeds from ignorance and the more we keep people from interacting through long lasting bonds like marriage, friendship even living in the same neighbourhood etc the more the divide would be widened.

Ugly acts of humanity like ethnic genocide, communal riots have ingrained fear in the minds of people and the easiest solution isn't much different from what "lower forms of life" like fishes and small animals do...move in similar crowds / live in similar crowds / work in similar crowds...basically keep ourselves consciously from interacting and therefore accepting anyone or any body who is different.

Those who call us a "melting pot" need to re-think if we all are indeed "melted" together or are we like a bowl of salad, just tossed together ?!?!