An open letter to Aravind Adiga...

Dear Mr. Adiga,

First, I would like to congratulate (albeit very late!) on your ENGLISH book “The White Tiger” which clearly, and rightly so, highlights the plight of the poor in our not-so-lovely country and the ever present rich-poor divide. Maybe you actually deserved to win the MAN Booker prize. Kudos!
But… I write to you in reference to your article in the 'Times of India' on the 17th of October titled “Kannadigas, stand up for Karnataka” which I read during my ‘early-morning-chores’ (If you know what I mean!). Reading it didn’t feel any different by the way. Lest you forget, here are the transcripts of it –

Culture, in the south of India, has always been a bulwark against money. Sadly, just when he needs it most as a defence, the Kannadiga sees his language and culture being eroded everywhere. I encounter this problem in Bangalore every day, where people routinely speak to me in Hindi. As a matter of principle, i insist on replying in Kannada, but the Kannadiga's self-esteem has dipped so low that many will talk only in Hindi to me.

Now, since when has talking in Hindi become a thing of low esteem?? Yes, you guessed it right I am a Hindi speaking Indian but I in no way have any kind of superiority complex about this, hence I don’t understand why should a Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Telegu etc speaking person have any kind of inferiority complex or vice versa!! Infact, why should anyone have any kind of complex in speaking, reading, writing or communicating in any language.

Here I would like to tell you that I do have problems sometimes but the problem is with the individuals not with their language. Yes, I have a problem when the Auto guy takes me for a ride and charges me 100 instead of 80. I have a problem with THAT INDIVIDUAL not his Language. If you have ever been to different parts of the country, such problems are prevalent everywhere. Doesn’t mean it’s the culture of the language at fault. Does it ?

Just to let you know what I (Hindi speaking, born and brought up in Mumbai, currently living in Bangalore and in a proud part of a Kannadiga extended family) understand from this. This essentially means that you want to enter politics, on the behest of being the saviour of the Kannadigas of the state where you will launch a Raj Thackerayesque tirade against North Indians or should I say Non Kannadigas? If you are so bothered about your people, then why don’t you stop worrying about the cash component of your profession and start writing in Kannada. Will you Mr. Adiga ?

It is sad, when people like you with access to the media and the power to entice emotions (just like you have done right now) become so irresponsible and start performing the ‘early morning chores’ straight from your mouth. Me not being able to talk in any other language is my sheer linguistic incompetence NOT an ego or an esteem issue against anyone anywhere, contrary to what you make it sound.

Let me refer to the para over the one quoted above –

The source of this crisis (Karnataka political crisis) is cash. It has been flooding into this state. Some of the new money is from the IT and real estate sector, but a large part comes from the mining interests in the north. This cash has not done much to improve the infrastructure in the state. What it has done is undermine the basic functioning of politics here; Bangalore is abuzz with rumours that hundreds of crores have been paid in bribes to the dissident MLAs.

Nobody could have put forward this thought more simply hence credit where its due!!.. But then can you please tell me how are these 2 things related to each other. What exactly are you bothered about??…The corrupt government or the Hindi speaking people ?? Or do you in anyway think BJP is in power because of the so called ‘Hindi’ influence in the state?? Or do you think all the pollution, lawlessness, screwed up infrastructure is because of the advent of the Hindi speaking clan ?? What are you trying to imply ??

Language or Culture, Mr. Adiga, is not the cause of any problem. Never was never will be!! It is the lack of good leaders that is the problem, irrespective, of the divided loyalties in a state or region or country, it is the narrow mindedness of people (sorry to say, like you) which is the problem, it is the lack of true perspective which is the real issue.

This amalgamation of different cultures is what makes us different to those people of the Harappa and Mohenjo Daro days. We evolve…We modernize !! That’s the human race. Haven’t you read ??

I agree to the fact that if you are living in Karnataka, then you are a Kannadiga…Similar to -- if you were to live in Mumbai then you would be a Mumbaikar. Ohh yes I am…A Mumbaikar (a proud one that too), a Kannadiga also and If I have to live in Bangalore for the rest of my life my offspring will grow up to be Kannadigas, whether they speak that language or not is not the point here just like the same I did when I was born in Mumbai to parents who migrated from UP. For a change, let the people of this country hear that echo of INDIANism rather than Kannadiga, Mumbaikar, bhaiyya, etc.

Every culture can be learnt without necessarily learning the language. Isn’t the Geeta, Quran all printed in 100000 different languages ?? Doesnt it not teach you the same thing or does the basis change with every language ?

Indian and yours faithfully,
AJ.