India is already divided on so many lines; caste, creed, religion. The British did it. Now our own rulers are doing it. Laloo’s face flushes with pride whenever he discusses “MY (Muslims & Yadavs) Equation”. Why should we lag behind? We, the generation X, keep on inventing new means to divide it further. We create new yardsticks, day in and day out. Some decide whether you are human and not some insect, on the basis of eating joints, some on the basis of how you speak English, whether your accent is closer to Americans or not. For some your status is elevated instantly if you can use spoon and fork deftly. For some you are near to God if you are acquainted with and use all the “in things.” It is EXPECTED from literates that they will reduce the regional, religion, lingual, ethnical and others gaps. But what is happening is something else.
One of my cousins was narrating an office incident (he and his friend were working in Motorola at that time). In his office people pestered a fellow so much about his accent that he started stammering. I forgot to mention his friend was from Laloo’s state and is a professional from one of the world’s premier institutes. But all this don’t matter. How he speaks takes precedence over everything.
I remember one more incident. It involved my sister. She was in New Delhi’s United Nations office for an interview. There she met a famous writer’s cousin. He conversed with her for about 45 minutes but could not make out from her accent to which place she belonged to.
Suddenly he exclaimed, “ I detect traces of —— accent. You belong to —-place.”
My sister replied, “Yes.”
Then came the preaching part, “See you must pay attention to your accent. Otherwise people will detect your place of origin.”
Ah! If only he knew the character of my city and its people! Throwing every caution to wind, whether she will get THAT UNITED NATIONS prestigious project, my sister countered,
“I don’t want to hide to which place I belong to. And why should I bother cultivating another accent?”
Mr. ….. was speechless for few seconds, stared at her unblinkingly and admitted,
“I too carried an accent, with lots of practice I improved.”
My sister did not answer, “I have more important work to do in life”.
We thought they would never take her in that project. But they DID.
