I have these strong mental images which have an amazingly powerful impact on me. One pretty glance, one meaningful smile, an evil smirk! I never forget them. They are etched for life. To connect with a person from across the room through a simple eye contact. Body language.. says it all for me. It's a confirmation.. a form of reinforcement of the sign that I have been waiting for.
All these emotions form a world which clearly distinguishes the "Sacred" from the "Profane" in our mundane lives. I thrive on them..
The last week has been one of the most festive weeks of my life.. and definitely on par with my sister's wedding 5 years ago. An unforgettable experience.. a very big event of your life. Why? Why is it such a big deal? Is it actually such a big deal? People get married all the time! Well at least most of them do and some more than once ;) :p Then why the hype?
It generates a feeling of euphoria, the kind that can be overwhelming. It helps you reconnect with your people. What the famous Socio-Anthropologist William Graham Sumner defines as Ethnocentrism is not such a bad thing after all..
He says we all have the core attachment which defines and shapes our identity.. the "In-group" feeling and it is clearly distinguished from the "Out-group" feeling. The Us vs the Them!
The extreme version of "We" feeling is seen in our day to day lives.. especially for us Indians. It's ironic that such an extreme feeling is also a very accepted and an ingrained feeling for most of us. Even though I have a very rational and not such a dogmatic view of Caste, (I am not as anti-caste as I was before I took up anthropology as a subject) I don't see Caste as such a bad thing.
What's wrong if a few people are proud of their lineage? What's wrong if people find security and strength being with people who have more things in common. Caste actually represents similarities. In a Patriarchal society like ours.. (Patriarchal in every way! No two ways about it.. Mind you!) It's just easier for a girl to move lock stock and barrel and start her life with a new set of people when their way of life is familiar to her's. That's it. That's the whole point!
What's insanely worrying is when there is not only an "We" feeling but there is an "anti-them" feeling as well. I obviously see no sense at all when caste is used as a pretext to ruin marriages. Khap Panchayats and their diktats! Can someone SANE explain the principle behind the concept of "Honour Killings!?"
Anyway getting back to the mental images, when the whole family was super busy in prepping for the wedding.. me being me.. I decided to drift away for a bit and go visit the very famous Tadbund Hanuman Mandir on Hanuman Jayanti.. the one day when it is the most crowded. Well it's the most festive that day too.. so why not!
I knew it would take me more than an hour in the queue and my poor bro saw no logic in me standing there when I could play my "Asst Commissioner" card n walk straight in.. :p
The point is, I find it so fascinating that such a huge crowd can be so orderly and put up with all kind of inconvenience just to visit the temple on that day. Walk in the next day and the temple is so empty.. why not come in the next day? I admire the faith of the common man. I have a great respect for US Indians. My true In-group feeling! :)
The visit though was worth all the effort. The temple was lit up and decorated so beautifully that one glimpse of god was actually enough! A bunch of kids were playing on the stage within the temple premises.. Little kids on tablas and sitars all just added to the grandeur.
And yes the moon outside almost seemed like it was drawn using a compass.Picture Perfect Setting!
So I walk out after the darshan and as usual there is the huge line of people begging for alms.. it's a common sight in all religious places isn't it? Yes it is.. In fact you would notice their absence am sure!
But the one image that is going to stay with me was that of an infant.. a little baby girl in rags on the road with nobody around her.. People walked past her like she didn't exist while the baby was in high spirits amused by the sights and sounds.
All those Skewed sex-ratios and facts n figures of health, poverty in India pop up in my head thanks to my insane prep.. but wait What do I do about it? I do nothing like everybody else..
I'm so lost. I'm confused.. and I'm sure this post shows that. Random Rant with no clarity what so ever!
It's fine for now.. I'm still a dependent with no income.. but later? Will I be able to do something for that child? Is my education going to help? The question is not Can I.. the question is "Will I be any different!?"
