I saw the movie on Thackeray recently and saw my old buried anger and emotions rise. The word Mumbai, marathi, and Shiv Sena rile me up like a swastika riles up a Jew. I have managed to not bring up this with my friends - Marathi or not because is topic is like vegetarianism. There are no correct and wrong answers, only strong emotions on both sides.
My experience in Mumbai was not at all bitter when I grew up in Dahisar, one of the better suburbs of Mumbai. Although I would be teased by my North Indian friends with “andu gundu Thanda Paani” I never felt bad about it and we would always find something to tease the gujju kids and then the Punjabi kids. I went to a creche ran by a amazing Marathi family and within no time I spoke Marathi as good as Tamil or Hindi. But that changed when I moved to Thane, the Shiv Sena bastion that promised to spread hatred towards non-Marathis. First time in my life I was identified as a non Marathi person and treated as one. All the Marathi I had learnt was purposefully forgotten. Here is how girls in my new class formed lunch groups:
1. The Elite Marathi girls: Girls from well to do Marathi background who are good in academics.
2. Average Marathi Girls group: Replace well to do with average and good in studies to average in studies.
3. Elite Gujju group: Replace Marathi to Gujarati in group one.
4. The non- Marathi leftovers.
You can guess where I belonged :)
And then that remained until I classified myself as a “Tamil Girl” and every time I was questioned, my new identity strengthened.
Today after moving to Chennai, then Bangalore and now in Toronto, I have relaxed that identity to some extent and through my journey I have met Marathis who don’t have a divisive attitude. But I am not able to identify as a Mumbai girl. I describe myself as a south Indian who studied in Mumbai...
And as I refuse to call Mumbai my home, I think which place in India will I call my home and even before my question ends, my answer is in front of me - “Ambasamudram”. I was born in Ambasamudram. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth, with picturesque temples, easy access to the ever so famous Thirunelveli Halva, and Panneer (Rose Soda). I have always had beautiful memories from Ambasamudram with my grand parents. I prefer to carry these memories with me rather than the cold, dry memories from growing alone as “that Tamil girl”.
My experience in Mumbai was not at all bitter when I grew up in Dahisar, one of the better suburbs of Mumbai. Although I would be teased by my North Indian friends with “andu gundu Thanda Paani” I never felt bad about it and we would always find something to tease the gujju kids and then the Punjabi kids. I went to a creche ran by a amazing Marathi family and within no time I spoke Marathi as good as Tamil or Hindi. But that changed when I moved to Thane, the Shiv Sena bastion that promised to spread hatred towards non-Marathis. First time in my life I was identified as a non Marathi person and treated as one. All the Marathi I had learnt was purposefully forgotten. Here is how girls in my new class formed lunch groups:
1. The Elite Marathi girls: Girls from well to do Marathi background who are good in academics.
2. Average Marathi Girls group: Replace well to do with average and good in studies to average in studies.
3. Elite Gujju group: Replace Marathi to Gujarati in group one.
4. The non- Marathi leftovers.
You can guess where I belonged :)
And then that remained until I classified myself as a “Tamil Girl” and every time I was questioned, my new identity strengthened.
Today after moving to Chennai, then Bangalore and now in Toronto, I have relaxed that identity to some extent and through my journey I have met Marathis who don’t have a divisive attitude. But I am not able to identify as a Mumbai girl. I describe myself as a south Indian who studied in Mumbai...
And as I refuse to call Mumbai my home, I think which place in India will I call my home and even before my question ends, my answer is in front of me - “Ambasamudram”. I was born in Ambasamudram. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth, with picturesque temples, easy access to the ever so famous Thirunelveli Halva, and Panneer (Rose Soda). I have always had beautiful memories from Ambasamudram with my grand parents. I prefer to carry these memories with me rather than the cold, dry memories from growing alone as “that Tamil girl”.
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