As expected, remarks from my folder found their way into national
debate and discussion on the Tv. Had I just stuck to a mundane
description on the process of the census, or perhaps as Daisy
conjectured, on the finery of the lady that was doing all the writing,
challenging the dress code of Rochelle at similar duties, the day would
have gone off without event. But what is a day then if not worth
invoking curiosity.
Yes, if ever the census were to come back to me and asked for my
caste, I would only give to them what I have already said - Indian ! So
what seems to be the problem with that. Is this an opposition to the
desire of the authorities to know my caste ? No. Is this a denial to
the authorities from determining through a count the caste break up of
our countrymen ? No. Then why the anxiety and discourse ? No one is
stopping you from finding out what the caste factor is. Certainly not
me. Neither have I given any indication in writing or suggestion that
this process should not be conducted. Please do go ahead and do it. I
am merely saying what my answer will be if I am ever asked what my
caste is. Thats it. All that follows after is the commercialization of
the medium of media. Media is never going to be interested in the
issue. Their only interest is how can an issue be exploited for revenue
and TRP benefits. And the reason why they keep being defensive about it
by continuously denying it, merely exposes the hurt that they feel of
its truth. I have said it earlier, I shall say it again. Media will
baulk at running an issue for more than a couple of days. The interest
factor, in the eye of the client, diminishes. Alarm bells sound in the
editorial conferences early morning and strategies start getting
devised on how to capture interest again through another fresh issue.
Fatima, the lovely, sincere and devoted fan club member from South
Africa, quickly draws my attention to what Barkha Dutt has to comment
on my remark. Incidentally it was she that I had said NOT INTERESTED to
in the previous post. She writes in -
BDU
Amitabh Bachchan says ‘ my caste is indian’. That’s ideal but given how caste impacts life in India, should we avoid a countabout 4 hours ago via web
No baby !! Who in heavens name is asking you to stop the count. Please do go ahead. I am merely saying that if you will ask me my caste I will say
Indian. Where lies the problem. Is there any indication in my entire
blogwrite ( ha ! my own fresh invention ) that I do not wish for you to
count them. NO .. !! Then why a specific program designed on Tv around
it ? Economics !! OOps sorry, had already indicated that earlier.
And apart from the
idealism that Barkha thrusts on me, I genuinely would never be able to
signify what my caste is. I gave reason for it too in my blogwrite (
jeez ! I just love myself for this ). Father from UP married to Mother
a sikh, son married to Bengali, another son married to Sindhi,
grandaughter married to Punjabi, grandson married to Mangalorean. What
should my caste be then ?
One smart FmXt
commented, ya sir, but these are regions not different castes. You are
so right sonny they are indeed regions. But for one who can only
identify regions and nothing else, what do you expect ?
Okay.. !! Lets play for a while. Let us give them all imaginary castes.
So lets say my Father
from UP is a Kaayast, he marries a Sikh who let us assume is a
Kshatriya and they have two sons. What does the sons caste become ? A
Kaayast- Kshatri. Fine. Now Kaayast - Kshatri marries a bengali who
lets say is a brahmin. They have two children. What do they become ?
Kaayast- Kshatri- Brahmins ?
Now one kid marries a
punjabi from Delhi, and they have two of their own. What do they become
? Kaayast- Kshatri- Brahmin - Punj ( I never asked Shweta’s husband
what his caste was so I have put the nearest equivalent ! ) And what
shall become the caste of Abhishek and Aishwarya’s child … a
Kaayast-Kshatri-Brahmin- Tulu ( I never asked what Aishwarya’s caste
is, so am putting down the closest equivalent, the language of her
region !! )
See … I genuinely would
not be able to tell you what my caste is ! And if you were to still
insist on the caste confabulation that I have just described, the
census would be wrong. Because one individual would end up holding four
castes. Would that not corrupt this tremendous exercise that the
country is undertaking ? I mean, lets be candid about the whole matter.
Those that are propagating this count by caste, are anxious and perhaps
rightly so, in determining a number in order to facilitate the quota
protection of such groups in the various schemes of the Government -
education, grants, institutions, etc. But .. come on, how do you place
an Indian that carries 4 castes !!! Do we divide the numbers. If so
what would be the criteria of division and what the percentage.
Lets go back to the son.
He was Kaayast-Kshatri. His son became, Kaayast-Kshatri-Brahmin. Lets
just stop here. Playing fair let us assume that at Kaayast-Kshatri
level the division was 50-50. Fifty from the Mother and fifty from the
Father. Incidentally this too would raise a debate, and many homes do
go into severe domestic problems with this topic.
“He has my looks and
your brain !! and many such arguable discourses, which have ended up
with objects of some value, being flung at respective parties involved.
So just lets leave it at that.
Yes, so where were we … ahhh .. 50 50. Fifty for the father and fifty for the mother. Right !
Now come to their off
spring, the Kaayast-Kshatri-Brahmin. Further dilution of the caste.
Playing fair it would be 33 and one third, three times. Right .. ?
Assuming that at the 50-50 level we were dividing the Kaayast to 50 and
the Kshatri to 50, we find as we procreate the 50 reduces to 33 and one
third three times. Answer me this now my lovelies.
Would any caste accept,
first, his caste to be divided into half. And then worse, be reduced
further to 33 and a third !!! NEVER … The country would burn !!
Which is why, ladies and
gentlemen of the honored jury, it is not possible for me to say
anything other than that my caste is Indian. Comprende vous !!
When I talk of my
Father and his beliefs it is not without cause and considered action.
He was born in a Kaayast family, but his beliefs never compelled him to
make use of it. He was I believe a Srivastav in the caste sense, but
never ever used it to signify his surname.
“Bachchan” was his non de plume, his takhallus
as they would say in Urdu and he brought that into use as his surname.
And I am the first generation first Bachchan. The first one to bear
that surname. A surname in India has depicted caste, the clever ploy by
British colonialists to help govern the nation by bringing in division.
My Father initiated a fresh and new peedhi, a new generation.
I am most proud to be carrying his legacy forward. A legacy that does
not believe in a caste to describe a human. Is it not enough that I am
a human !!
End of chapter. End of discussion.
Cricket now ! And in its usual
fashion the media goes for the jugular. Who to blame for this defeat.
And who should be scapegoated.
I am appalled at the way MS Dhoni
has been targeted. A week ago he was the apple of your eye. And within
seconds, in a show smacking of frivolity, you have through deliberate
and unjustifiable cut - paste technology, made him into the creator of
all that ails Indian Cricket. This is most unjust and unfair. It is
easy to sit behind closed air-conditioned doors and draw up plans on
how cricket needs to be played. But get on to the pitch and feel the
pain and agony and stress and pressures of a game before you draw
conclusions.
To lay blame on after match partying
and its consequences is just such undigestible bumph. And picking words
spoken completely out of context from the person concerned and then
turning them into statement is smart television, not judicious analysis.
Yes we are all very disappointed
with the outcome of the T20 championships, but don’t destroy the spirit
of these magnificent athletes. From the early hours of the morning ad nauseum, the
electronic has only crucified the team and done nothing else. Don’t
kill their morale for God’s sake. If I was heading a channel, I would
repeatedly keep showing in my broadcast, the glorious victory of the
year when we won the World Championships, rather than dwell on our
players in their weaker moments.
Come on Dhoni !! You can do it. I have faith in you and your wonderful band of brothers in the team. Regroup, regain and WIN !!!
I wanted to put before you a few
words of wisdom from my Father. But it is a long and time consuming
blog today. Will put it up some other time. For now its back to caste
and an editorial page article today -
My love as ever … and thank you for bearing with me for so long ..
Amitabh Bachchan
