Culture and Prejudice

I finally understand an important concept.

I love the different cultures of the different peoples of the world even as I am shocked by their prejudices!

I greatly admire the technology, adventurous spirit and movies of the west.., even as I am shocked by the hostility in the eyes of the “hick-town-whites”, their desire to focus on the poverty here and do nothing about it and general ignorance of and contempt for my civilization.

I greatly admire the magic of the Arabian Nights stories even as I am shocked by their desire to eliminate non-muslims.

I love the programmed efficiency of the tamils, the soft  words of the Bengalis, the clean organisedness of the Kannadigas, the simple devotion of the Kavads and so on and on and on.

Yet, I am shocked by the way my Kannadiga friends speak about Andhras, the exclusivity of the Tamils and the deliberately provocative superiority stance of the North Indians.

Individuals of various cultures and regions like me because of the effort I make to speak their language and to know about their culture and heritage. But this favour is not returned!

The majority tendency seems to be Ignore, Resent,  Dominate or Eliminate other peoples/ other tribes /other cultures.

Prejudice breeds prejudice and contempt breeds contempt. Many north Indians try to project their feelings of superiority as if there was defense inferiority in the south Indians. Most wrongly assume my culture of origin  and confide their prejudices freely to me.

Many people are confident that their culture is the best and that it is threatened or spoiled by interactions with other cultures. That is why the clannish Ignore/Dominate/Eliminate slogans.

I love other cultures, their food, their art, their music and literature etc, but I am cautious about the people of those cultures, cautious about how would they would view/treat/react to me and my people.

Update : I am amazed /shocked /disgusted that connect.in has classified this piece where they have.. A curse upon them!