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04/14/2011

And you, what's your little name?

Today we celebrate in India Ambedkar’s birthday (you can google it ; to sum-up he was an untouchable who fought to suppress the cast system and finally converted to Buddhism when he understood it would not happen within Hinduism ; he later on participated to wirtting the Indian Constitution).

 

Talking about him to a colleague, I heard for the first time that “Ambedkar was a backward”. A what?? Translating in my language, it is just SO insulting!!

Nice to imagine the father seeing his baby for the first time: “you will be a backward my son”…

 

But that’s not all, the backwards have other nice pet names!

 

Actually, in India, there are the casts and the other (also called Lower castes).

The Lower castes are divided in 3 :

 

·         The « Scheduled Castes » (15% of the population) – the dictionary translates « Scheduled Castes » by «privileged classes » (maybe it’s some kind of humour ??). They used to be the untouchables – who call themselves « Dalit » (depressed) and were called by gandhians « Harijan » (children of God – and other people, there are children of whom, mind you?).

 

·         The « Scheduled Tribes » or « Adivasi » (which means aboriginals): people living in the jungle.

 

·         The « Backward Classes » (50% of the population) : « This category includes in it castes who belong to Sudra Varna and also former untouchables who converted from Hinduism to other religions. This category also includes in it nomads and tribes who made a living from criminal acts. »

 

Sometimes these three categories are defined together as Backward Classes.

 

Today,” untouchability or discriminating a person based on his caste is legally forbidden.”

No comment…

 

Source : http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

04/09/2011

Gandhi revival!

While the Middle-East is in chaos, an Indian man lies down on a place in the center of Delhi.

He started a hunger strike on April 6th. He is rebelling against corruption!!

In India, there is a law (Lokpal Bill) “that has been kept in the freezer for 43 years” by all the governments (I hope this doesn’t surprise anyone!). Apparently now he had enough…

 

India,Gandhi,Anna Hazare,corruption,Lokpal bill, hunger strike

India,Gandhi,Anna Hazare,corruption,Lokpal bill, hunger strike

 

Let’s see what happens next!

 

Sources:

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/lokpal-bill-government-vs-anna-hazare/148415-3.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12968151

http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2011/04/07/01003-20110407ARTFIG00740-inde-mouvement-populaire-contre-la-corruption.php

04/06/2011

I also have something to say about cricket!!

I am always bewildered by cricket.

To sit in front of the TV for 8 hours watching guys (not even fit and good looking) throwing a ball and pretending to run, I don’t get it…

 

And when sport becomes an excuse for a stupid nationalist attitude, I just hate it (and I hate it for any sport as a matter of fact). So many people told me about the "importance" of the semi-finale Pakistan-India. But you don't understand? Pakistan-India!! Obviously I don't. Are we talking about Cricket or about the squabble (war) that has been on since Independence?

 

So, India has won the Cricket World Cup, after 28 years. Of course we are happy for them!! They finally win something!! ;)

 

I had to watch parts of the game (at least 3 hours). I could not understand a thing. Even more bewildering than the game, the comments. Since nothing is happening, they have nothing to say. But they are quite good because they still manage to rant on for 8 hours!!

 

BUT I did not completely waste my time. I was lucky enough to watch the team players’ thanking: Yuvraj Singh, man of the tournament: "(This is) for Sachin, for everyone else in the team. I want to dedicate this to my Guru Ram Singh and Guru Ajit Singh and my parents and friends." No kidding?? He thanks his gurus first??!

 

And then there was the captain, man of the match, MS Dhoni. During the night following the game he shaved his head and devoted his hairs to Lord Balaji as he had promised him.

 

To conclude, when someone asks you if with the development of India, religion is receding, you know what to answer!!

 

Sources: http://www.4to40.com/newsat4/index.asp?p=Player_of_the_Tournament_Yuvraj_Singh&k=Guru_Ram_Singh

http://www.newsi18.com/en/sports-news/crikcet-news/ms-dhoni-shaved-his-head-to-get-bald-after-world-cup-victory/19618/00/