Indianness (again!!)

[Guest guest]

panditaindrani ji,

 

Thank you. The thread actually started unwinding from a post of mine in the Indology list

which elicited a musing from Prof John Oliver Perry. While I was still scratching my head

you have stated my embryonic thoughts in a fashion that I cannot improve upon....

 

I am copying your post to Indology.

 

M. S. Chandramouli

 

 

-

Joperry2 (AT) aol (DOT) com

INDOLOGY ; indictraditions

Sunday, May 13, 2001 12:01 AM

[Y-Indology] Indianness (again!!)

In a message dated 5/10/01 7:03:36 PM W. Europe Daylight Time,

INDOLOGY writes M. S. Chandramouli<< Just as a Punjabiand a

Tamilian can have important differences in their cultural attitudes but still

be subsumed in a general Indianness that is whollyaccurate (depending on the

quality of the generalisation) >>I have yet to hear of a generalization (or

see the required "quality") that is "wholly accurate" about all Indians. The

best definition of what is required to be an Indian is probably that of the

State of India, which, even so, has great difficulties applying its laws

concerning Indian citizenship. (Just ask the legal experts who specialize in

this area). I would like to be enlightened, but expect that to understand what

is required to be an Indian requires being an Indian-- a view which, from my

perspective, seems rather racist, or, if race is not the issue, then find the

right word for me. (Of course, in some minds/traditions the only way to have

and know the true Indianness is to belong to a particular caste-- or varna.

But surely no one wants to make that claim here and now.)Thanx.ATB

panditaindrani <i_rampersad>Sat May 19, 2001 4:13amRe:

Indianness (again!!)

--- pallavi & madhu <pjhaveri@m...> wrote:> India is a geographical entity. So

there are sure> limitations of "Indianness".Indrani: Thanks for the kind words

pallavi & madhu.Does the limitation of "Indianness" exclude people whoare

"ethnic Indians" in other parts of the world? India is a geographcial and

political entity. So thatan "Indian" born in INdia is not the same as an"ethnic

Indian" like me born in another part of theglobe, having Indian origins, and

culturally definingmyself as "Indian" in external and internal attitudes.An

"Indian" does not only mean a person with an Indianpassport or having been born

in that geographicalentity. (There is this HIndu friend of mine who ismarried to

a Pakistani. Once the latter wascriticizing India and I objected (quite

friendly)mischieveously telling him that he was Pakistani. Hetold me that he

was talking as an Indian since that iswhat they were before Pakistan was

created). So is a person born in India, but having no allegianceto the land or

its cultural values, more Indian thansomeone like me who can call india

everything exceptjanmabhumi?Scholars have been able to identify that core body

ofvalues that define "Indian culture" and i think thatpractitioners of this

culture are manifesting an"Indianness" regardles of their country of

origin,race, religion, language etc. I remember being at the first GOPIO

conference in newyork city in the late 80's. I was wearing a sari whenthis

Indian woman (from India) comes up to me toprotest (quietly) that I was wearing

her dress (INdiandress) and that I was really not "INdian". I told hera thing or

two.If it is one thing that i have neverallowed anyone to do for me in the

multi-culturalsetting of the Caribbean has been to define me. Idefine myself.

My Indianness is strengthened by my Hindu worldview. > But Hinduism,( even

though deeply rooted in India),> can be a point to associate with.> India can

be "Punya Bhumi (Holy land ) to people> like you. > It can also be Dharma Bhumi

( Land of your Dharma)> for you. > And land of pilgrimage. Teerth Bhumi.> > Your

land of birth (Janma Bhumi) and Karma Bhumi is> Trinidad. It is only a Hindu (of

course a generalization here)who can have this spiritual bonding with India

inthese terms. This love, respect and bonding with Indiatranscend Durant's view

as quoted by you. It is alsomy ancetral motherland. Well,t here is matri bhumi

soperhaps i shall call this pitri bhumi?Yes, my janma bhumi is trinidad but my

karma bhumi isnot only trinidad but extends to the whole world(Vasudhaiva

kutumbakam). My first base is trinidad,but it does not end there. That is what

my indiannessteaches me.We have over one million people of indian origin inthe

Caribbean and our "indianness" (degrees to whichwe continue to manifest the

external and internalvalues of the antecedent culture of ourancestors)varies

from place to place, and iscontingent upon factors as religion, degrees

offreedom to "be" and so on.The same thing applies to people of indian origin

inother parts of the world. Yes, we have taken our"Indianness" with us around

the globe. (Krnvantuvishwam aryam : Make the world arya ): We arespreading that

arya culture or indian culture aroundthe globe as mandated by the indigenous

culture ofindia. Is that not Indianness? I think it is.