Disclaimer: This post is strictly not against the Tam Brahm cultures or ways – Just that I picked this up as an example being a Tam Brahm myself and knowing the culture at the back of my head. This is applicable to every other community in the country.
Please note that this post might also have quite a bit of Tamil(Brahmin style) – Translations given
Namakaram, Vaango, Enna panrel.. Inniku aathula enna samayal?
(Translate: Greetings, please come, what’s up, whats cooking at home today)
These are the words one normally hears in a typical Tam Brahm household. To be even more precise a household who are still living in reminisces of the 60’s. Those who think “God is God, rituals are bigger than god, and customs & culture– meant to be followed, the way it is convenient to them, yet claiming it to be the right way” (Ithu thaan vazhakkam). But looks like these days, business meetings and corporate environment hear such words too
Now here, we pause to talk about the kind of people who behave a certain way – just to ‘show off’ their community.
One fine morning at work, when I was engrossed on a presentation, I heard conversations that I would normally expect to hear at home or may be a wedding or even a temple. Looking up to see that, they were colleagues of mine, belonging to the same community.
In the past, I had always wondered, why do they punish me at school when I use vernacular languages, why was I pushed to talk only English all the time at college. Though I was convinced to do it to adapt to an international working environment, it came as a surprise to me when I heard such lingo. But then, where was international here? If I could talk the way I could talk to my athai and paati (aunt and grandmom) at home, why did I struggle to read and write Shakespeare?
As these thoughts ran through my mind I just realized – People did it for sheer ‘show-off’. Were these people true to the values of the community? Do they follow every ritual? Definitely NO, though they might claim to do. People who din talk the same way were shunned, made fun off or even singledout. For example, in Chennai,if someone spoke in Hindi – immediately they get snapped saying ‘Switch of that Zee Tv’! Am sure, same is the case in rest of India too. The evolution of these 'Mini communities in a multi cultural' environment are a huge bane to workspace. In many cases, where conversations are non-understandable, people are judged by language, huge mockery during meetings and moreover ganging up against other communities are a few of the visible disadvantages.
Greeting people like they were your Uncle/Aunt, using peculiar accent to talk at work environment, I feel is a major disgrace to the community. While usage of this language is completely permitted in a closed circuit, it is inappropriate to be using such lingo in a business meeting with vaango/pongo (tambrahm lingo).
Doing a deep dive of why they use it, obviously when they know English – Looks like bonding, mingling or at times even icing. Talking a particular way makes people judgemental towards you – positive and negative. Though mostly it is manipulated by the person to bring in a positive outcome(you know what I mean). Certain people use it as advantage to get where they want too.
These behaviours in fact brand people too ! These Marwaris are like that, these Bengalis like this, this Brahmins like this (no offence meant).
While most of other countries, international environments, never encounter these issues, mentions my friend from Australia. In fact, there are not permitted to ask you for your gender, community or even religious preferences. Leaves me with the question, “Then Why Us?"
Clueless, answerless and branded as ‘Talking Nonsense’(“Unnaku paithyam pudichurthu di”) by my mom – I still continue to question and will continue to question too!!
