Writes Dumi Rai
Last weekend I was invited to my friend Birthday party. He lives some miles away from me in the heart of Siliguri. The party was a show in itself. Bright and lively. People dressed rich flocked in and out. I checked myself in the mirror. Smelled myself fearing the worst. I then realize that sometime being with the best simply makes us self-conscious without any reason to be. I knew I needed to do something. But what? I don't move and sing like Michael Jackson. Or act like Amir Khan. Or even the ultimatum I can't even perform comedy like Kapil Sharma. So, I decided to do what suited the best for a 22 year man like me. Watch the crowd, specially the beautiful ladies. And this is one thing I knew I could do right.
It had been only sometime, when I sense someone watching me. I turned to see Aavnay standing next to me. So which one attracts you? He said looking at the crowd. That girl in the red top and the blue ... I paused. What was the thing even called? Skirt, he completed my incomplete sentence. I smiled.
“Drink?” He offered me one. “No”, I said. He then gulped the drink meant for me at one shot. “So have fun, I need to attend the guest.” Then he was gone. And I was back again to where I had left behind. The DJ playing really nice number and with the liquor flowing everywhere, the guests were indeed having a great time.
“I will drop you home. Let me at least do this,” Aavnay grunted. His eyes had that shade of red and he smelled alcohol. I smelled myself. I still smelled the cologne. The perfume did really worked as it claimed to in the ads. Except one sad lie, no girls came running to me. Not even one. But that's OK. I can live with it.
As we were coming out of his building, I could see an old man opening the main gate. Maybe in his 50's. “Bahadur, Mein bahar jaa raha hu.” “Thik hain Saab,” came the polite reply. I watch the silhouette until it faded in the dark.
“Bahadur,” I whispered to myself.
“Do you know what "Bahadur" literally mean?”
“It is a title. An honor conferred upon an individual.”
“And who has beautify this legendary title better than us.”
Among the Gorkhas, we are proud of this title which symbolizes bravery and courage. Believe it or not, but our ancestors had a "Bahadur" in between their names. Maybe some of us still do. We are one community who are regarded as very brave and equally loyal. The Gorkha regiment under the Indian Army speaks legends about us. Also the Gorkha soldiers serving in the other foreign countries have carved a name for themselves. Gallant acts of courage has made us a respectable community. And hence the title being conferred upon us.
But ironically, we are using the same title to humiliate our community, our brothers and ultimately the sacrifices of those brave souls who redeemed us. We are depriving them of their honor. And to add to the woes, if we were not enough, even other communities have chosen to share our stupid task of humiliating ourselves. For god's sake , stop using that name.
Call the watchman a watchman. Or the servant with his name. I say so because he didn't fight battles or is sacrificing himself for a greater cause. He isn't any brave soldier neither an honored freedom fighter. He is just a common man like us who's trying to survive. And I say that he is not worthy a contender for the title. If he was, so are we. Why not call yourself a Bhahadur? No. Why? Because that would be a mockery to your high profile. Ironically the very honor that appreciates us globally is considered discreetly inappropriate for us. Why? We misused the title. We made it cheap like some fabricated gold ornaments that can be found for some twenty or thirty rupees in the markets stalls. They Shine brightly but are worthless.
And to great astonishment, you would find "Bahadur" who are not Gorkhas. Kudos to us, we have finally made "Bahadur" a successful brand name of which everyone are so fancy about. For instance, watch a movie and you will find the actor calling for a watchman Bahadur. Great, isn't it?
We were a poor community once. Our ancestors had been brought in this land as workers for the Tea plantations. We bowed our head low and folded our hand into a "Namaste" to every Britishers. And when they left the country, we bowed to the rich Indians. But, now the time has changed and the coin has been flipped. We are no longer cow herds or servants. We are a proud community which boast of many great personalities and legends.
We are no longer that simpleton who don’t know how to read and write. We are no longer those Innocent mass who had never seen a computer all their life. We are no longer those unlucky few who are still a servant in someone's rich man house. We're the new face of change. We are the smart bureaucratic class who know how to read and write and even brag like the west. We no longer wear tattered clothes. We work in big international companies. We have a rich taste, wear rich clothes. Drive premium cars. We no longer have to bow down to anyone anymore. We have transformed from a naive and poor community into respectable citizens.
We have respected people of our community expertise in every field. Be it arts, technology, medicines, science etc. Be it dancing or singing beautifully in the reality show that are aired in the television we have achieved it all. And we all love it absolutely.
But when would we love ourselves? Not the success or the riches that we have accumulated. But the true virtue of being who we are. When would we embrace our traditions and our culture? When would we quit impersonating being someone else and be completely honest with our Identity?
Maybe today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the next spring.
But promise me, no matter whenever you decide to. Please begin by honoring the title "Bahadur".
I'm a proud Bahadur. Are you?
Via gyasa.org
Last weekend I was invited to my friend Birthday party. He lives some miles away from me in the heart of Siliguri. The party was a show in itself. Bright and lively. People dressed rich flocked in and out. I checked myself in the mirror. Smelled myself fearing the worst. I then realize that sometime being with the best simply makes us self-conscious without any reason to be. I knew I needed to do something. But what? I don't move and sing like Michael Jackson. Or act like Amir Khan. Or even the ultimatum I can't even perform comedy like Kapil Sharma. So, I decided to do what suited the best for a 22 year man like me. Watch the crowd, specially the beautiful ladies. And this is one thing I knew I could do right.
It had been only sometime, when I sense someone watching me. I turned to see Aavnay standing next to me. So which one attracts you? He said looking at the crowd. That girl in the red top and the blue ... I paused. What was the thing even called? Skirt, he completed my incomplete sentence. I smiled.
“Drink?” He offered me one. “No”, I said. He then gulped the drink meant for me at one shot. “So have fun, I need to attend the guest.” Then he was gone. And I was back again to where I had left behind. The DJ playing really nice number and with the liquor flowing everywhere, the guests were indeed having a great time.
“I will drop you home. Let me at least do this,” Aavnay grunted. His eyes had that shade of red and he smelled alcohol. I smelled myself. I still smelled the cologne. The perfume did really worked as it claimed to in the ads. Except one sad lie, no girls came running to me. Not even one. But that's OK. I can live with it.
As we were coming out of his building, I could see an old man opening the main gate. Maybe in his 50's. “Bahadur, Mein bahar jaa raha hu.” “Thik hain Saab,” came the polite reply. I watch the silhouette until it faded in the dark.
“Bahadur,” I whispered to myself.
“Do you know what "Bahadur" literally mean?”
“It is a title. An honor conferred upon an individual.”
“And who has beautify this legendary title better than us.”
Among the Gorkhas, we are proud of this title which symbolizes bravery and courage. Believe it or not, but our ancestors had a "Bahadur" in between their names. Maybe some of us still do. We are one community who are regarded as very brave and equally loyal. The Gorkha regiment under the Indian Army speaks legends about us. Also the Gorkha soldiers serving in the other foreign countries have carved a name for themselves. Gallant acts of courage has made us a respectable community. And hence the title being conferred upon us.
But ironically, we are using the same title to humiliate our community, our brothers and ultimately the sacrifices of those brave souls who redeemed us. We are depriving them of their honor. And to add to the woes, if we were not enough, even other communities have chosen to share our stupid task of humiliating ourselves. For god's sake , stop using that name.
Call the watchman a watchman. Or the servant with his name. I say so because he didn't fight battles or is sacrificing himself for a greater cause. He isn't any brave soldier neither an honored freedom fighter. He is just a common man like us who's trying to survive. And I say that he is not worthy a contender for the title. If he was, so are we. Why not call yourself a Bhahadur? No. Why? Because that would be a mockery to your high profile. Ironically the very honor that appreciates us globally is considered discreetly inappropriate for us. Why? We misused the title. We made it cheap like some fabricated gold ornaments that can be found for some twenty or thirty rupees in the markets stalls. They Shine brightly but are worthless.
And to great astonishment, you would find "Bahadur" who are not Gorkhas. Kudos to us, we have finally made "Bahadur" a successful brand name of which everyone are so fancy about. For instance, watch a movie and you will find the actor calling for a watchman Bahadur. Great, isn't it?
We were a poor community once. Our ancestors had been brought in this land as workers for the Tea plantations. We bowed our head low and folded our hand into a "Namaste" to every Britishers. And when they left the country, we bowed to the rich Indians. But, now the time has changed and the coin has been flipped. We are no longer cow herds or servants. We are a proud community which boast of many great personalities and legends.
We are no longer that simpleton who don’t know how to read and write. We are no longer those Innocent mass who had never seen a computer all their life. We are no longer those unlucky few who are still a servant in someone's rich man house. We're the new face of change. We are the smart bureaucratic class who know how to read and write and even brag like the west. We no longer wear tattered clothes. We work in big international companies. We have a rich taste, wear rich clothes. Drive premium cars. We no longer have to bow down to anyone anymore. We have transformed from a naive and poor community into respectable citizens.
We have respected people of our community expertise in every field. Be it arts, technology, medicines, science etc. Be it dancing or singing beautifully in the reality show that are aired in the television we have achieved it all. And we all love it absolutely.
But when would we love ourselves? Not the success or the riches that we have accumulated. But the true virtue of being who we are. When would we embrace our traditions and our culture? When would we quit impersonating being someone else and be completely honest with our Identity?
Maybe today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the next spring.
But promise me, no matter whenever you decide to. Please begin by honoring the title "Bahadur".
I'm a proud Bahadur. Are you?
Via gyasa.org
+Avinash+Gurung+at+the+Gorkha+Rangamanch+Bhavan+in+Darjeeling+on+Saturday;+Bimal+and+Asha+Gurung+in+the+audience.+Pictures+by+Suman+Tamang.jpg)
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