Thursday, November 4, 2010

Fear Factor

Every year I get annual visits from cousins. One of them comes down with only four things on his mind.
1. Meet all relatives, but stay at a hotel.
2. Visit all major temples and donate lumpsums insisting a hundred times that his name should not be published.
3. Buy more land/ apartment/ house.
4. And instil the fear in you and family that the Hindus are at risk.

The fist exercise leaves everyone with three arches in face - two raised eyebrows and one unhappy mouth.

The second makes sure that all authorities know whose name should not be published

The third has left him lose count of property

And the fourth leaves me with a hoarse voice trying to argue. He is afraid that all non Hindus are having more children...gives some statistic that in Kerala the majority will non hindus in next ten years...that things will be bleak once it happens and so on. And my kids hang around hearing every bit of it. He can't digest I go to a nearby Church for the annual festival there nor that my dad is reading parts of Koran as part of his translation work.

I argue that he is employed by non hindus and lives with family in a non Hindu country with absolutely no problems. Then, he tries to say that people there are different. So, it is not religion that causes problems but just peoples' mindset, I argue.

By then the allotted 30 mins of his valuable time is over. He wraps up the conversation and gives couple of pics of his kids. And hugs my kids and wishes us well and steps out with a Jai Shri Ram! He has three more relatives to visit the same day.

Bye Bye, Cousin till next year.

35 comments:

  1. I don't know whether this is a true incident but there are such people.The last point about demographic changes is much talked about and supported by some statistics(how true I am not aware).But the point is that any legal imposition of family plannng/incentives should cover all and not only a few religions to prevent skewed demographic growth

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  2. Hmm something to ponder about you know. But is it something to go paranoid? May be considering the recent studies and projections, it does make you ponder.

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  3. Well, some people have some very typical habits. I don't know about you, but I get very uncomfortable when such logic is thrown at me. I hardly care if other religions are getting more propagated than Hinduism. And, as a Hindu, I will have only those many children that I can support and give a good upbringing to.

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  4. :) he he he well i got a relative like that , he travles all that way to sit for an hour or less maximum and then goes back all the way ..

    but then i think he does love me he took all that time to visit me :)

    Wish i had all that money to buy all that land

    and i agree to not having the name given when donating ..

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  5. 1. Plenty rich!
    2. Plenty rich!
    3. Plenty rich!
    4. Plenty paranoid!

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  6. Hmm...A very nice way of talking about NRI's. ;) Yeah, thats exactly the behavior and the mindset.

    But I personally do think the law should be same for all. The Hindu marriage act is another thing that they need to remake as just "The marriage act". :)

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  7. interesting people all around us..hai na! but I can relate to him at one point - not disclosing name..I am a social phobic too and don't enjoy attention!

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  8. At least a few number of people of every religion have the same fear about their religion

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  9. K Parthasarathi
    Good point.

    Insignia
    Nothing to ponder about. It's plain paranoia.

    Rachna
    Best decision.

    Bikramjit
    But he tells the temple authorities an hundred times over not to publish his name thereby making them remember him forever:P

    RGB
    That is plenty of it.

    Jyothi
    You may know more of this kind:)

    Neha
    But his effort to be nameless makes him famous.

    Tomz
    I never understand them. If you have a worthy religion, it will survive just like the products in global market.

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  10. Breathe easy. No more of his gyaan until next year. But seriously, what a guy?!

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  11. Gymnast
    Weird but with the silver lining acceptable.

    Destiny's Child
    Yeah. Respite till next year.

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  12. Looks like we have a common cousin...lolz !

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  13. Relatives- fair weather companions!!!

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  14. Kavitha
    Pls accept my sympathies

    Anil Kurup
    Especially if you have been theirs!

    A New Beginning
    Yes and examples can't be taken as rules. No community is to be feared.

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  15. Been a long time there hey Lama! :)

    Very funny post though it does touch some very serious issues people have, nicely written

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  16. Been busy and so less blog reading... Glad you liked the post.

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  17. Lol. Its fantastic.. and such people do exist.. I have a member in my family who also feels that only hindus are following the slogan "hum do humare do" and rest of the population is expanding its ratio.. I dont know how does it matter as today's youth is sensitive and sensible and respects humanity.. And rest there are people of all kinds..
    On Land and donations i feel your rich relative is really investing his money and creating his goodwill judiciously :)) :D

    Loved the post.. :D

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  18. I may sound repetitive....but I know of a similar person!!

    Loved the post!!

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  19. wow! How come you dont play the casette with his recorded gyaan the next time he comes visiting! he sure should know what he sounds like!

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  20. We live in a weird world! very very weird!!!
    It is a cool post, indeed!

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  21. Shesha Chaturvedi
    Thank God that the majority doesn't think like cousin.

    Jaunty Anima
    Alas! The species is too well scattered.

    Soumyaranjan Dash
    Welcome here. And you score full marks. Weird.

    Sujata
    Good idea.

    $$
    weirdos exist:D

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  22. Most NRk's esp the 'gelf'kind do seem like they want to buy up the few sparse sq ft that are available in this little strip of land :) . It's kind of OK that he insists on anonymity though. Far better that than having your name inscribed in bold letters on every tube light, bucket and garden hose you've donated to the temple (true story this!)

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  23. Dreamer
    Certainly. Names on every pillar and tile will be ridiculous.

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  24. Ha ha !

    Pride n Prejudice..?
    And the Richie Rich of a cousin ! :D

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  25. Hey...any ways...visits once in a while are good..

    wats up...? hope everything is fine..

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  26. ugh.. suffering from an excess of such creaturs in my life too.. and it gets pretty annoying. Still remember a particular dialogue from a very indignant chap..."You can't trust those people. One guy was actually trying to convince me that our MRamayana cant happen like that. Imagine ? When I'm TRYING TO CONVERT HIM, he's busy trying to prove I'm wrong !!!"

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  27. ha ha ha.. such people bring in much needed entertainment in our lives. The paranoia in itself is amusing :D

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  28. Tulika
    Can't have a better analysis. Pride & Prejudice, it is.

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  29. Hindus are at risk.
    tell him read the government of India report on Muslims and he will understand and know the real situation.
    point no.2 ask him mother land is important or religion.
    ask him does he know from where Word Hindu came ?

    like your narration

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  30. Hey, I am not able to view your latest post! It says page not available. :)

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  31. Being Promoda
    His visits are looked forward just to have some fun of his fears:)

    Pythoroshan
    Don't know why God sprinkles enough of this kind, maybe he enjoys the conversation they have.

    Swantantra
    Thanks. Great comment

    Shruthi
    You are sane to see the lighter side

    sm
    He knows it and still goes on with this perception. Can't really understand 'why"

    Jyothi
    I deleted the post:P

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  32. except for the last point..to me he seems to be an excellent person..

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