If everyone thinks that we, as Indians, have an identity crisis in Singapore, we ain’t seen nothing yet. Our identities, our loyalties, hell sometimes even our sanity, is tested when we meet our estranged (separated at birth MGR-style) brother, the doppelganger himself, the INDIA INDIAN.
In the security of sanitized Singapore, being Indian is very simple. We appreciate our ethnicity, proudly claim we rather wash than wipe (we’re probably the only race who does that) and yet assimilate into one collective identity when an event brings us together, like the Tiger Cup final.
Yet, when we face an Indian national, we become the fallen angels. We share heaps in common with them. The desire for hot food, similar culture, music, movies, but the fact is “yaar” and “la” can never be reconciled. The similarities stop at the above. Then comes the damning truth. The Indian diaspora is not only diverse in regards to language and geography, it’s also diverse in terms of viewpoint.
What’s worse however, is that the India Indian thinks the Singaporean Indians are nuts. They can’t understand the fact why we don’t find cricket exciting and instead crow that we’re champions of South East Asia. They can’t understand the fact we don’t understand Hindi and dispute the fact that Singapore is even a country!
How do we then interact with the Indian nationals in Singapore? In a recent event to celebrate the Tamil language, Prof S Jayakumar said that Singaporean Indians need to interact more with Indian immigrants.
This statement may have meant well, but it is damning evidence of what is happening in Singapore between these two groups of people. We may look the same and eat the same, but in regards to mentality we are poles apart. It gets even worse because discrimination is inherent in India. In North India, if you can’t speak Hindi, you’re a second class citizen. People don’t speak English to adapt to your needs, its because they take pity on you.
Its something which takes place on a smaller scale in Singapore. As a Tamil speaking majority(I say tamil speaking because not all tamil speakers are tamil), we tend to look after our interests than any other dialect group. And that I might add, is putting it mildly
Its time we stop that. We have a collective national identity, yet our ethnicity is fractured. We complain about our interests being overlooked, but are we really establishing a collective identity?
Its only if we stay united that we can make others understand about us. This includes India Indians. Its only then we will be able to adapt and allow them to assimilate. Its not hard really. Our grandfathers did it. As their progeny, why can’t we?
In the security of sanitized Singapore, being Indian is very simple. We appreciate our ethnicity, proudly claim we rather wash than wipe (we’re probably the only race who does that) and yet assimilate into one collective identity when an event brings us together, like the Tiger Cup final.
Yet, when we face an Indian national, we become the fallen angels. We share heaps in common with them. The desire for hot food, similar culture, music, movies, but the fact is “yaar” and “la” can never be reconciled. The similarities stop at the above. Then comes the damning truth. The Indian diaspora is not only diverse in regards to language and geography, it’s also diverse in terms of viewpoint.
What’s worse however, is that the India Indian thinks the Singaporean Indians are nuts. They can’t understand the fact why we don’t find cricket exciting and instead crow that we’re champions of South East Asia. They can’t understand the fact we don’t understand Hindi and dispute the fact that Singapore is even a country!
How do we then interact with the Indian nationals in Singapore? In a recent event to celebrate the Tamil language, Prof S Jayakumar said that Singaporean Indians need to interact more with Indian immigrants.
This statement may have meant well, but it is damning evidence of what is happening in Singapore between these two groups of people. We may look the same and eat the same, but in regards to mentality we are poles apart. It gets even worse because discrimination is inherent in India. In North India, if you can’t speak Hindi, you’re a second class citizen. People don’t speak English to adapt to your needs, its because they take pity on you.
Its something which takes place on a smaller scale in Singapore. As a Tamil speaking majority(I say tamil speaking because not all tamil speakers are tamil), we tend to look after our interests than any other dialect group. And that I might add, is putting it mildly
Its time we stop that. We have a collective national identity, yet our ethnicity is fractured. We complain about our interests being overlooked, but are we really establishing a collective identity?
Its only if we stay united that we can make others understand about us. This includes India Indians. Its only then we will be able to adapt and allow them to assimilate. Its not hard really. Our grandfathers did it. As their progeny, why can’t we?
16 comments:
Dear Thaigesh,
I am someone who has straddled both Indian Indian and Singapore Indian identities for almost all my life.
Let me put it this way. Trying to assimilate Indians into a collective whole will always fail because we are a very diverse group. An Indian Identity in Singapore has to celebrate diversity.
Indians find the idea of a Singaporean calling himself an 'Indian' as bizzare because 'Indian' is their national identity, their citizenship.
The problem with the NRI [non-resident Indian] identity is that we are not actually Indian; in the case of full blooded Singaporean Indians, our forefathers came to Singapore even before there was an India.
They came as Chettiars, Brahmins, Tamils, Malayalees, etc... their identification was by this isolated cultural identity.
Then of course CMIO classifications forced us all into one broad classification that we didn't understand because we don't have any 'experiences' that link us as a united cultural whole. After all, we still viewed ourselves as 'chettiar', 'devar', 'tamil', 'sindhi'; etc etc. [just some of the classificiations that are used]
Naturally there is distrust and unease and difficulty in integration.
And when you add in an Indian who has a wealth of national history and cultural assimilation to draw upon, the flaws of a common Indian Identity only come across very clearly.
Embrace diversity. Therein lies the true Indian.
deviousDiv
oooh...good post.just one minor point. Where do we ceylonese come in? Haw.
Wummy,
I am a Singaporean Tamil of Indian origins. Your question as to where "Ceylonese come in" is best answered by yourself and other Ceylonese. As for me I consider Ceylonese my brothers and sisters, just as I consider all other non Tamil speaking Indians as brothers and sisters.
I come terms with my own indentity crisis the same way an Englishman or Frenchman probably would. An Englishman is as English as he is as Europeon. A Frenchman is as French as he is Europoen. I am as Tamil as I am Indian. I have no problems with that.
Indians of all languages, religons, nationalities etc, etc would perhaps be more at ease with themselves and others if they see India like Europeons see Europe.
-JustTamil
Just tamil,
"Indians of all languages, religons, nationalities etc, etc would perhaps be more at ease with themselves and others if they see India like Europeons see Europe"
I have no doubt that your comments are well intentioned. But it's a tad naive using europeans to illustrate your point, no?; especially since the French and English generally can't stand each other. Haw. Many of them don't really take as much pride to be 'europeans' as you might like to believe.
Dear Just Tamil and Wummy,
Au contraire, Indians do see themselves as Europeans do, as 'Tamil and Indian' or 'Malayalee and Indian' etc.
And Wummy, most Indians really can't get along with each other. I know for a fact that the Maharashtrians in Bombay hate the Gujeratis, the Gujeratis hate the Marwadis, everyone hates the Malayalees and Tamils, and the Tamils and Malayalees think that each one is better than the other.
If India has stayed a unifed entity until today, it is purely by a miracle of god, and some excellent politicking.
And in Singapore? At least we are making an attempt to integrate.
Although you know what they say about the road to hell; its paved with good intentions. Ha ha ha
Sincerely,
deviousDiv
Dear Div and Wummy,
When I said "Indians of all languages, religons, nationalities etc, etc would perhaps be more at ease with themselves and others if they see India like Europeons see Europe" I never meant that will be no frictions, problems at all after that. I said "more at ease" not "completely at ease".
Wummy, you are quite right when you say "French and English generally can't stand each other". But Frenchmen don't get kidnapped and killed in England just because they are French and Englishmen don't get killed when they go to France just coz they are are French. But if you are Hindi speaking you can be kidnapped and killed in the North Eastern States in India just for being a Hindi speaking person. If you are Hindu you can be killed in Kashmir for being Hindu.
The EU set up has led to economic progress and a high standard of living for its citizens. Even ASEAN nations are trying to more towards this set up now.
That India has survived to this day is not so much of a miracle to me. It has survived largely because of its federal set up. Of course there will still be quarells and disagreements just as there still is in Europe. Disagreements will always be a part of life, even within people of the same language and religous groups. Even among family members.
Wummy, if you expect Indians or anyone else to live in perfect harmony ALWAYS, perhaps that would be a naive expectation.
We Indians number more than one billion today! We are a large part of humanity. Yes, we have problems. But we also largely do get along. Div may think it is a miraculous. I think it is pure pragmatism and common sense that led Indians to the federal set up.
To understand my feelings on this topic, compare India to ASEAN, Sri Lanka and Europe.
Sri Lanka would have avoided the present war if it had adpoted the federal set up long time ago. ASEAN contries see that they can take on India and China as indivual small countries, so they are moving closer to intergration. Europeans after fighting two world wars have learnt to co-operate and compete at the same time.
The best solution for me is to " live and let live". A federal set up allows for that. When I say I am as Tamil as I am Indian, I mean I am rooted in my Tamilness but also appreciate the similarities I have with my no Tamil Indian brothers and sisters. I appreciate and celebrate these similarities. By so celebrating my own Tamil indenty does not get threatened coz my Tamil roots are deep enough. I can happily live and let live.
In my mind the biggest threat to Indian unity is when one language/ religous group tries to dominate/ impose itself onto others. No one can accept this. Of course people will retaliate. So the Hindi agenda is potentially destabilising. The Hindu agenda ( and I speak as a Hindu myself) is also potentially destabilising.
The best solution is to "live and let live". There will still be problems but far less problems. Therefore my admiration for the Europeon model. It is closes than the ASEAN model to reap the benefits of intergration but leaves more space than the Indian model for the billion plus Indians to live as themselves.
It seems I am not alone in my thinking that the europeon model is the best for The billion plus Indians. No less than Indian President Kalam himself expessed a similar opinion during his recent European trip.
An India like Europe will not slove all problems but will still allow Indians to live as themselves and also with each other.
Vaazhga Tamil! Jai Hind! Majulah Singapura!
I am at peace with myself and others. :-)
- JustTamil
Dear Just Tamil,
I think you missed the part where I said that India has survived today as a result of excellent politicking [Good political maneuveurs] and a miracle.
The federal system in India was set up by the British and carried on by the Indians as it accepted Diversity and gave each state relative autonomy. I will acknowledge that it is still this way even today.
For a country as large as India, a federal state is not a clever invention but rather a necessity.
Sri Lanka however is another story altogether. Or has the world forgotten how the Sinhala nationalism movement marginalised the Tamils in the sixties, degrading them into second class citizens?
Before that, the Tamils and the Sinhalese were able to co-exist quite fine.
The Sri Lankan conflict has little to do with the lack of a federal system, and neither is the setting up of one going to solve any of her problems.
Similar movements are rising in India right now. One cannot go to the North East because India tried too hard to integrate these states into a mass indian cultural identity that they rebelled the loss of their own identities.
Analysts have said over and again that states like Nagaland and Himachal Pradesh belong to Nepal, or at least separate from India.
Cracks have been developing in the fabric of the Indian nation since its formation in 1947.
Sometimes it takes little miracles from the oddest places, including the film industry [Lage Raho Munnabhai] to remind Indians of their history reaffirm their belief in National Cohesion. That is what I meant by grace of god.
Humara Bharat Mahan. Yeh Hum ko bhi pata hain. Lekin hamara bharat ma ki nainon se khoon ki aasohn girthe hain.
[My India is great. Even I know this. But my Mother India is crying tears of blood]
Oh... Singapore ROCKS.
deviousDiv
Dear Just Tamil,
I think you missed the part where I said that India has survived today as a result of excellent politicking [Good political maneuveurs] and a miracle.
The federal system in India was set up by the British and carried on by the Indians as it accepted Diversity and gave each state relative autonomy. I will acknowledge that it is still this way even today.
For a country as large as India, a federal state is not a clever invention but rather a necessity.
Sri Lanka however is another story altogether. Or has the world forgotten how the Sinhala nationalism movement marginalised the Tamils in the sixties, degrading them into second class citizens?
Before that, the Tamils and the Sinhalese were able to co-exist quite fine.
The Sri Lankan conflict has little to do with the lack of a federal system, and neither is the setting up of one going to solve any of her problems.
Similar movements are rising in India right now. One cannot go to the North East because India tried too hard to integrate these states into a mass indian cultural identity that they rebelled the loss of their own identities.
Analysts have said over and again that states like Nagaland and Himachal Pradesh belong to Nepal, or at least separate from India.
Cracks have been developing in the fabric of the Indian nation since its formation in 1947.
Sometimes it takes little miracles from the oddest places, including the film industry [Lage Raho Munnabhai] to remind Indians of their history reaffirm their belief in National Cohesion. That is what I meant by grace of god.
Humara Bharat Mahan. Yeh Hum ko bhi pata hain. Lekin hamara bharat ma ki nainon se khoon ki aasohn girthe hain.
[My India is great. Even I know this. But my Mother India is crying tears of blood]
Oh... Singapore ROCKS.
deviousDiv
Div,
apologies for not interpreting "excellent politiking" correctly.
I read many of your posts. On the whole I find myself agreeing with you most times, I think coz we have similar values.
In this case too I share your veiws except for one thing. You sound ( I don't know if you indeed are ) pessimistic when you say Mother India is bleeding.
I am not as pessimistic. Some pain and some bleeding may be inevitable when we change for the better. But in the end I have confidence India will emerge from this 'bleeding' as a stronger union.
The three main risks I see for India are :
1) Rise in regionalism. But I believe regional aspirations for autonomy in most caes is only to the extent of safe guarding their own economic and cultural interests and not more than that. The fact is the rise of China is now forcing Indians to stay together. How else to counter China's rise? It is for this reason that even ASEAN wants to intergrate faster. This strategic implications of China's rise does not escape most politicians, power brokers, intellectual in any India state. For example the Dravidian political parties who at birth advocated seperatism have now given up on this demand. Most Indians do understand the need to stay together in todays world.
2) I have always considered the Hindi agenda and the Hindu agenda to be potential destablisers in a plural society like India. But I think the rise of Globalism ( and with it the use of English as the connecting langauge) and the rise of regionalism will effectively counter these two destablisers.
3) The third threat is lop sided economic development. For now development is taking place more in the southen and western states. In 2005, per capita income in South India was Rs 13629 wheres in North India it was only Rs 8433. Litercy was 74% in the south , whereas was only 59% in the north. Whereas some south who have felt oppressed and discrimanted by notherners before may rejoice at this data, level headed Indians will relize this lop sided is not at at welcome or healthy. It is definately destabilsing and bad for all Indians. Recently PM Singh spoke of this situation in parliament. I have confidence when the disparity grows and get more and more noticed the north will catch up. Competetion is a strong force.
Perhaps you feel I am overly opmistic. Maybe I am. But my confidence stems from my own world view. I see myself as one rooted in my Tamilness. Still I really enjoy, appreciate my Indianess. I do not see a conflict between the two. In fact I see the two indentities complementing each other nicely. I don't want to loose either indendity. I really wish India to stay together. Are most Indians like me? What do you think, Div?
About Singapore, yeah it rocks. But I feel it will rock even more if we Singporeons move one step futher from racial tolerence to racial appreciation. You only tolerate something that you don't like. But in almost National Education matreial I see this phrase " racial tolerance" again and again. Do Singporeans only tolerate each other or do we appreciate each other? I for one honestly appreciate our diversity. It really is fun if you think about it. Variety really is the spice of life.
-JustTamil
Dear JustTamil,
Au contraire, I have great hope in the future of India, and I know for sure that India's growth will exceed expectations!
I would like to address the three concerns you have about Indian cohesion.
1. Regionalism: strangely this has been a threat since the inception of India as an independent country. There have been powerful regional movements in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland [still ongoing] etc etc. But strangely, this has not destabilised the country. Indian identity is more than equal to the task to withstanding a regional movement. So as I see it, with the sole exception of Kashmir, Regionalism is not going to hold India back.
2) 'Hindi' politics and Hindu Nationalism: This is very dangerous indeed! I totally am in agreement with your views about how organisations like the RSS, Shiv Sena and Sangh Parivaar can destabilise the Indian nation. However, I also agree that the powers of globalisation is a powerful destabilising influence on the Hindu Nationalist movement. The fact that young Indians view organisations like the RSS as 'un-hip' and boring is an indication that these organisations are no longer relevant in a Modern India.
3. Lop sided economic development is perhaps the most dangerous factor, as your figures show, there is a disproportionate growth in the south and the western states, but the northern states and central states are lagging behind, stretched thin by an ever expanding population, and the HIV epidemic. One must also take into consideration that lop-sided also extends to the widening gap between the rich and the poor as well, and the hapless middle class trapped in the middle whose spending power seems to stagger under the weight of rising costs of living.
All that said, India is a unique experience, and VS Naipaul captured her essence very beautifully when he titled his famous book on India "A Million Mutinies Now".
Do I have pride in the country from whence I came from? Yes I do. Do I believe that she will reach great heights. Most definitely I do.
Now on to the matter of Racial Tolerance. I am in total agreement about the 'tolerance=putting up with someone you might not necessarily like' point of view.
Beautifully stated arguement if I may say so!
But then again, as I have come to observe with my many friends in Singapore from various racial groups, any government initiatives will pale in the face of actual social cohesion. With friends, its no longer tolerance, but appreciation!
Ultimately, when our government understands that social cohesion cannot be micro managed, Singapore would have made it as a cosmopolitan city.
deviousDiv
PS: That is one ponderously long response innt? What can I say, I am a long-winded old wind bag!
Anonymous,
'Wummy, if you expect Indians or anyone else to live in perfect harmony ALWAYS, perhaps that would be a naive expectation.'
I do not expect that and i never implicitly or explicitly stated that was my opinion.Haw.
I just find this 'Europe as a model' concept laughable.The formation of the EU has obviously benefitted the countries which belong to this setup economically. But i don't believe this has in any way halped people of diverse backgrounds put aside differences which vary across a broad spectrum ranging from etnicity to religion.
And are you absolutely certain being French won't get you killed in England.Haw.That's a bold claim.It's probably less likely to occur in relative comparison to being a Hindu in kashmir.But that's as far as i'd go.
But my point is that i disagree with your superficial portrayal of prejudices in Europe and how you seem to have come to the conclusion that everyone gets along with everyone else.It's a simple case of how one being so hung up with the one issue, India in this case, that objectivity is abandoned.
Stop analysing Europe in macroscopic terms, and have a look at it domestically, and you'd find a multitude of complexed social differences.In Catalonia in Spain, the native Catalans regard their region to be an independant nation.National pride goes out of the window. In Glasgow, protestant-catholic differences still exist as defined by the hatred between the respective Glaswegian football clubs, Rangers and Celtic, which transcends mere footballing rivalry.And yes...people do get killed.These are just little examples to illustrate my point. You can do more research pertaining to this and the rest of Europe on your own if you want.
As far as Singapore is concerned, the relatively small size of our 'lovely' nation and the 'cleverly' instilled siege mentality of us against the world when we split from Malaysia probably has made it much easier for the government to try and integrate everyone.But it is still work in progress. Haw.
Dear Just-tamil,
Well the EU itself is being held together under the weight of a collective pompous belief in European Superiority! ha ha ha
Will it work in the long run? Let us not forget that the two bloodiest wars ever fought [WW1 and WW2] originated from Europe!
And Wummy... what's a Haw? Is it the twin of Hee? Then why do you seperate them? Why not just call them a Hee Haw?
deviousDiv
I think you guys have gone way off tangent here.
Perhaps, Div would like to come up with a Europe-India comparative soon to highlight the necessary.
Frankly, if I don't see why your comments affect a Singaporean me, I just don't care. [personal opinion]/
Hi,
Div, Europeon intergration really began after both World Wars. The Council of Europe was formed in 1949. The EEC was form in 1957 and its sucessor the EU only in 1992.
In any case my point is for a billion plus Indians with both strong bonds and individal differences the best political arrangement is a loose federation. So that we they can reap the benefits of togetherness and yet not compromise thier individualities. A complete disintergration ( Balkanization ) of forced intergration ( a hindi or Hindu agenda) would be both inferior arrangements.
Ah-neh. I am Singaporen too. Singapore is my home for me and my children too and therefore I am deeply committed to this country. I mean it when I say I would die for this country , coz this is where my family is.
However my commitment do Singapore does not make me disinterested in the happenings and success of India. There are many reasons, I offer you a few below.
1) Economic : As it is the Indian economy is already the fourth biggest economy in India. I have friends ( chinese included ) who now work and do business in India. I myself have had a few private equity investments in India which have proven to be very very sucessful. I have friends who have not gone into pritave equity ( u need better local knowledge for private equity investments ) but have taken sucessful property investments. Of course it is a lot easier to invest, study or work in India if you know the place better. In time to come when living standards in India go up, it is very possible for SIngaporeons ( especially Singapore Indians )to retire confortably in India. As it is there are many North American Indians ( even those who have spent 40 years in teh west ) to do that now. My point is there are good econimic reasons for me to be interested in India. It is for this reason I think even our Singapore political leaders encourage us to stay connected to India.
2) Cultural and Social. - I am proud that we are a multi racial multie relgious country. I appreciate our leaders trying to make Indian, Hindu , Tamil ( I stie these 3 as these are personally relevant to me ). surive in Singapore. But still with the numbers of Indians, Hindus, Tamils in Singapore can it really survive in this globalising world? A few hundred thousand people is not alot you know? I think it may be different if you are a few million in south east Asia and 75% majotiry in Singapore. For us .. we cannot even support a Tamil Murasu without the foriegn workers. We just don't have the numbers. But will Indian culture, Hinduism, Tamil language surive in the world? I would think so. A billion plus Indians, nearly a billion Hindus, more than 70 million Tamil ( that makes it the fifteen or seventeen most widely spoken language in the world. That ppolpulation is about the popolaution of countries like France, Italy, UK ). I am a Singapoen Tamil ( but the chinese lady at the kindergarten near my house says my kid cannot study Tamil coz there aren't enough students who want to study Tamil). I know I need Tamil Nadu to succeed and survive in the long run for my own culture and language to survive in the long run.
3) Security. I was in two minds whether to put this point down. But the latest post at your blog by this malaysian Indian student about the malaysian minsisters racist comments made me think I am not that unrealistic after all in this point. For now I am consider that we live in an enlightened society where racism is not that big an issue ( but still an issue, if not why the need to even issue guidelines for employment ads? ). I really consider myself lucky. I am proud of my country. I will die for my country and my countrymen. Still can I lie and tell you I don't have problems as the minority? Can I hide the fact since my kindergarten days till today I have enountered racism in some small way at least? it is different when you are the minority. there is always this insecurity. it is real. History has though us that. Look at Burma. The ecomic sucess of the Inndians, especially the Tamils was awsome. But one change of government. All the achievements, property was taken away. Do you know some say even today there are about 2 million Tamils in Burma. Do you hear of them? If you seek info, you will see that there are suffering. When the burmese became "nationalistic" the Indians who had Indian contacts would at least run back to India. Those who had no contacts.. they are still there in Burma. or Myanmar. Try and find out about them. I think you know what I am saying. It is different when you are a small minority. If I were 75% majority with a few million in Singapore and more millions in SEA I would feel alot more secure. There is a difference isn't there? I pray to God that my fears are unreal. I know that they are not that real, for two reasons : the current politcal leadership and the gepolitcal situation of SEA. Not that real but not completely unreal either. I emphasise again, I am committed to Singapore, with my education and expereince I am now in a posotion to migrate to any country in the world but I will not coz I love this country. I will die for this country, if attacked by outisiders but what should I do if I find myself in the situation of Burmese Indians? Who or what do I die for then?
I hope such fears are unfounded. I hope myself, my children, grandchildren, etc, etc can call this country ours for ever. But to be logical the future can always change. No one can be sure. But the past is for sure. No one can change that. My historical links to India. Tamil Nadu is forever. I remain interested in my past, my heritage as I remain interested in present and future.
I am not saying that you should be interested in India like me. I am sure you have your own opinions. I respect tham. But you mention you just don't see why all these affect a Singaporeon. I am just trying to shed light on why it affects a Singaporeon like me.
Vazhga Tamil! Jai Hind! Majulah Singapura!
Eh! The Malays wash our ahems* also lah! Those toilet paper all recycled one! Not nice, not nice!
Water the best lah!
- The Malay Minah.
Malay Minah..
Something you dont see everyday juxtaposed..
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