Poda…

Have you ever been in a room where people are speaking some language, which you just don’t understand ??? Then, Read on. Else, you have been really lucky!!

They come, they talk, they laugh and of course they just don’t give a damn to your existence. You are like that unwanted stuff that is hampering their “very important conversation ” that is so important that it can only be spoken in their regional language.

This is not something which is faced not just by me but many of the people who are not from down-south face it. Some face it, some ignore it and some move ahead to some other group. They all just start hanging out with other non-southies, but some like me perish for not forcefully joining a “group”. A south-indian working up in the north might also be feeling the same, condition being, he should be alone. if, he finds even one like him. he can make a group with that too.

Going to a place where people speak a different language than what you do, is not at all new for me. From a person who has been brought up in Jamshedpur and then going to the odia speaking-Odisha was very much new for me. But, what i loved was that, people over there actually helped me to learn it, as well as make me be a part of their own group. By the time, i boarded the train to come to bangalore, i can proudly speak Odia.

Miss that.

I am sure, all of that is never going to happen over here. I have tried. Tried out many things.

From telling them directly, “Dude, English please” (i’ve lost count of how many times I might have used this line), to even trying out some words or the others just so to start the learning process.Nothing works. Ironically, one of the first words i learnt was “poda” which means “Go away!!” .

Empathy is that one thing i had been trying to inculcate in me. But sometimes, you just can’t clap from one hand. Right ??

The culture that we like to portray is of “unity in diversity” (at least, that’s how ideally we all “think”), but do we care enough to let others understand our varied cultures?? Cultural diversity doesn’t just come into play while celebrating festivals, it is more than that. It is what you portray of a culture that people Look up to.

If your message is to let people know that the acceptance is only for people who know your language, then Congratulations your message has been registered!!!!!!