Friday, July 08, 2005
Identities and emotions
I was reading an interesting take on the old debate in another semi - Indian blog. The blogger Buchu had written emotionally about the London bombings and a visitor commented, basically "37 dead - no big deal, think of the hundreds who die every so often in India". Buchu replied with passion and criticised the common cynical and glib Indian habit of dismmissing most things or reading a selfish motive into them http://baghaescup.blogspot.com/ I agree with her whole heartedly - but it did bring up a few nagging quetions.
Why does the deaths in the West seem more shocking? Why is the idea of western tourists dying on holiday more of a tragedy , to me , than say that of the hundreds who die of floods and accidents and hunger in India. And in this context isn't the no big deal response a more appropriate response to the death of foreigners? Actually Indian tragedy is certainly not less of a tragedy but it is less of a news. Its just that to Indians the vast group of fellow Indians are not "real". "They are not us". Hence their suffering has no meaning for us. Which is why the India Shining campaign appealed so much - the BJP would have won only "we" don't vote. That would mean acting, doing something based on our convictions , whoever heard of such a thing!
I think it is not that Westerners are more precious in my mind... its just that I am inured to Indian deaths. Its a slim difference but is there. And I am ashamed. I remember many years ago discussing post revolution Poland with a Polish friend. And she described how things are harder with democracy. How the old couple who were her neighbours went through garbage at night looking for food, something that never happened when the communists were in power. She herself was young and like me an expat enjoying the fruits of globalisation. And I remember empathising whole heartedly, truly how sad, I said and then catching myself - what about the street kids at home? Its not that I don't feel terrible when I see them, but do I have right to feel sad about Polish poverty?
And I do feel self conscious empathising with pain or expressing it - because I know the Westerner also probably thinks its inappropriate coming from me. I remember, living in Greece and there it is quite common to poison stray cats and dogs . Coming as I do from a Calcutta family with 13 cats - the beraal baari in the paara - we used to wake up and find kittens left at our door - I was shocked when my Brit boss told me that her pet cat had been accidentally poisoned. And I spontaneously went - oh , how can they do such a terrible thing?!!! And she, blue stocking Thatcher clone raised her thin eyebrows and looked at me a little quizzically. I shut up immediately. How appropriate is it for an Indian to talk about cruelty to animals when we as a society are cruel and callous towards our children on the streets?
Why does the deaths in the West seem more shocking? Why is the idea of western tourists dying on holiday more of a tragedy , to me , than say that of the hundreds who die of floods and accidents and hunger in India. And in this context isn't the no big deal response a more appropriate response to the death of foreigners? Actually Indian tragedy is certainly not less of a tragedy but it is less of a news. Its just that to Indians the vast group of fellow Indians are not "real". "They are not us". Hence their suffering has no meaning for us. Which is why the India Shining campaign appealed so much - the BJP would have won only "we" don't vote. That would mean acting, doing something based on our convictions , whoever heard of such a thing!
I think it is not that Westerners are more precious in my mind... its just that I am inured to Indian deaths. Its a slim difference but is there. And I am ashamed. I remember many years ago discussing post revolution Poland with a Polish friend. And she described how things are harder with democracy. How the old couple who were her neighbours went through garbage at night looking for food, something that never happened when the communists were in power. She herself was young and like me an expat enjoying the fruits of globalisation. And I remember empathising whole heartedly, truly how sad, I said and then catching myself - what about the street kids at home? Its not that I don't feel terrible when I see them, but do I have right to feel sad about Polish poverty?
And I do feel self conscious empathising with pain or expressing it - because I know the Westerner also probably thinks its inappropriate coming from me. I remember, living in Greece and there it is quite common to poison stray cats and dogs . Coming as I do from a Calcutta family with 13 cats - the beraal baari in the paara - we used to wake up and find kittens left at our door - I was shocked when my Brit boss told me that her pet cat had been accidentally poisoned. And I spontaneously went - oh , how can they do such a terrible thing?!!! And she, blue stocking Thatcher clone raised her thin eyebrows and looked at me a little quizzically. I shut up immediately. How appropriate is it for an Indian to talk about cruelty to animals when we as a society are cruel and callous towards our children on the streets?
