National... ity vs. ism

The once a month haircut is a must for me. If I missed it, alarm will strike - in the form of cold, headache, fever... it was the last two ones this time.

So I headed to Nakajima san, at his 100+ year old barber shop near my apartment, where the famed yesteryear foreign baseball players in Japan had their haircuts done by his father Nakajima and his grandfather Nakajima. The one good thing in waiting at this barber shop is that I can quickly read through a set of Time magazines. Normally I would sleep during the cut - but this time I decided to continue reading. And I realized that his chair has the accessories that takes care of your reading too.

And there was one interview with Pat Buchanan. The founder of the American cause is worried about the Mexicans coming in and establishing a new culture. He says America is losing out in these areas. The new people stick on to their language, their culture ... nothing American. The childhood Americanism that he knew is missing. The same language, the same thoughts, the same culture, though different races, and the same faith. Well this is the idea of his American Cause movement also.

A little silly. If he could go back a couple of childhoods - his, his fathers, then a couple more grand fathers - I am sure he could look around and see one another Pat Buchanan being butchered. For using the same language against Europeans that entered the country. They also brought a new language, a new faith, a new culture, called themselves Americans. Not stopped there - they termed the original Americans as Indians.

This is simply resonating with similar cries everywhere. RSS has been crying so wide and wild that Indian culture has been losing to foreign culture since 400 years back. They do not want to stop at their childhood when a new secular India was born. Europe is also defining what is Europe and who should be allowed to join EU. And all these people blames Japan for being racist during the war and extending informal preference to Japanese even now.

What does nationality mean. Does it mean a set of rites, customs, culture, celebrations? For Indians, anyway we do not share any much commonality on any of these items across North to South - nor across East to West. We all have this different. And we are getting the nationality also sub-divided in India.

When I say I do not celebrate Onam - some frown. Well, it is not exactly religious festival - it is a national festival of Kerala. So what? What makes a national festival. Am I supposed to celebrate? In Assam you should have a ID card to vote. An Indian national, but not an Assam national yet:) Yesterday Karnataka CM has approved a whopping 60K crore [1 crore = 10 million] rupees investment projects. Pre condition - employment preference to Karnataka nationals. And the local Kannada and Rajkumar fans groups will tell you what cannot make you a Kannadiga! You should share their feelings on Kaveri, on Kannada films, on digging up roads to build stage and might have to bow to the yellow-red "Karnataka National Flag" also!

When I read in newspapers that Govt of India summoned the Dutch ambassador on the NW flight issue and asked for a written explanation - I had a sigh of relief. A meaning for my Nationality. What I want is a guardian who will provide me a social security. Give me freedom up to and until it bothers another person. Give me backing in having my rights. Give me a ground to exercise my responsibilities. It is that feeling of "chodikkaanum parayaanum aalundu" that I want. Not a set of rites, cultures, languages and a stupid patriotism that bases on hatred towards others. I am proud of my nationality. I don't want any nationalism.