Sunday, February 12, 2006
With due respect to the elderly couple.Today I was asked a question which left me stupefied! Well, I was not in an interview, but was talking to one of my good friend’s parents. Suddenly, out of the blue, I was asked “Are you Iyer or Iyengar?”
For a minute, I didn’t know what to answer! First thing that stuck me – “why should I be one among the two?”
I had to decide soon if I wanted more questions on this or should I stop it then n there… just said, I am not a Tamilian but actually a Teluguite (I really don’t know if the same thing exists in Telugu families!)…
Next question followed… “so what in Telugu?”… All I know is that I am a Naidu… so just said that and wish I had asked for something else… just kept quiet and so more questions followed…
I was given a list of Naidu sub-castes and asked which one was mine!!! I didn’t know if I should be stunned or should I laugh it off!! Sometime in my life – yeah – my mom did mention to me where I belong! – but these things are so inconsequential to me that it never stays in my mind – I had to tell them I don’t know about these things and then I felt much more comfortable.
One other good friend insists that I know completely about the system before I hate it… and I still stand by my view that this is one subject I never want to explore!
I respect your opinion of deciding not to learn anything about this. But trust me, it is very interesting to know, just like that. It may not be useful to you in anyway.
Hi Ragini,
i have been following your blog for quite sometime.I respect your views however with a small change.You may think it is insignificant to know what you belong to but it has been happening for so many years and it will happen in future as well.Just because if somebody is going to ask your caste it no way degrades anybody in any way.It is just a facet of life. Like what school you belong to,what grade you belong to? If we can bring a common platform for all such things then may be your answer will be accepted....things tend to move on and on and on....
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So nice of u for not revealing what caste or sub-caste or sub sub sub-caste u r from. At least, let this generation pass off without caste or creed and make way for new generatioN!
BTW, I think they were asking it for specific reasons (read: Matrimony)
interesting to see that the last comment was made by a person named "Radhakrishnan Nair"...... Now what is Nair in it?????
Compared to people from Tamil Nadu, people from other states seem to, predominantly, have the caste name as their surname (nair, rao, reddy, naidu,...).
Growing up in Madras, I and all my friends had initials or father's name as surname, so caste was never known until someone specifically asked for it, which, as far as I can tell, no one seemed to care about.
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