Are We The Most Racist Of Them All?

racism is found everywhere, in some places more than others, I don`t think we rank as the most racist though. Probably because we are a colonized race, and used for slave labor historically. I think the ``white man`` takes the cake for being the most racist. Historical events like the Holocaust and the institutionalization of slavery in the US, outweigh the burden of cast separation in South Asia.

Excellent article. I spent my early childhood in various parts of the country but have lived in Delhi from the ages of 7 to 17. A kaala Madrasi myself, I remember the shock I felt when some other 7 year old children of my age refused to play with me because I was too dark. And the how puzzled I was when, at 14, someone asked me what caste I was.

In college in Bangalore, I learnt very quickly about the slang ``CHOM``.

CHOM is quite a useful acronym - it refers to a concept in International Law called ``Common Heritage Of Mankind``. The intent was to refer to some people from the North as sort of a Dark Man`s Burden - they`re there, they`re illiterate, materialistic, misogynistic, uncultured and breeding like flies up north and we just have to cope with the drag on resources and peace they are.

CHOMs were people mainly from the North but it referred in the main to a state of mind. You could find South Indian or Marathi or Telugu choms, but you`d have to look.

My job places me in Delhi - the heart of CHOMLand as it`s called - and having lived in Bangalore and Calcutta and having visited Bombay and Madras frequently, I can say that the capital of Chom Land is the armpit of India.

While it`s got great food, excellent facilities, booming job opportunities, a vibrant cultural life and complete anonymity it`s also a highly communal, misogynistic, aggressive, casteist and racist hellhole.

What strikes me particularly about our dear capital, nestled lovingly in the lap of gentle Haryana, is that it`s marinated in the concept of Aukaat - Aukaat rules much of how Delhiites interact with each other - it`s an infernal calculus, derived, among other things, from the fairness of your skin, the accent with which you speak English, how much visible wealth you display, your job, the extent of your contacts and your caste. Aukaat describes how brutal / servile you can / should be to others and how servile / brutal they should / can be to you.

The South`s no land of milk and honey, either. Bangalore`s stifling and insular. Calcutta, close to dead, Madras ossified. And being one myself, I can state that Keralites or Malayalis are hypocritical, misogynistic and regard themselves as supercilious. Despite the MScs and PhDs that many of my female relatives hold, they`re still not treated as equals by their spouses.

And the acronym CHOM - racist, discriminatory, violent - of course. Some people claim it`s a defense mechanism or a ``reaction``. I`m not so sure.

Racism, colourism, sexism, communalism - all alive and well.

looking into the looking glass darkly eh

-- yes we are -- not among the mostest racists of the world -- just the average run of the mill racist, castetist, colorist, mocking the handicapist, ethnicists, languagist, religionist , regionalists, provencialist, bombist of crowde bazars, mobist, arsonist, stabbist, human barbecueist......of the world...not the world`s worst....just the moderately worst.....

chupp oye, kalie! gallan karda aye, shakal wekkhiye?