Please do not top-post. (This is what I'm doing right now).
On Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 03:51:07PM +0530, Zainab Bawa wrote:
> I have spoken to some long time resident friends here and they have, from
> their experiences, stated that certain areas in the city are discriminatory.
> One of my Tamil Brahmin friends was compelled to buy a flat in Bangalore
> because the Brahmins would not give her a place (she was a single woman in
> her mid-30s) and the non-Brahmins would not give her a place because her
> name was a give-away - that she was a Brahmin woman. She in fact suggested
> that areas like BTM and Kormangala, because of the student population, are
> better bets.
> Again, I should clarify that what I am saying does not imply that Muslim
> families are very outgoing and accept anyone - I have never tried renting a
> place in Shivajinagar or parts of Frazer Town such as Mosque Road. Surely,
> Muslim families would come with their own biases. When I was trying to rent
> places in Tilaknagar and Byrasandra areas three years ago, the broker kept
> showing me places owned by Muslim families. He would say that because I am
> Muslim, I would be secure in a Muslim home. In fact, I would have felt more
> insecure there because they would perhaps pry on me constantly and be
> devastated by my forward going nature.
>
> Also, the veg/non-veg discrimination is also meted out by Hindus. When I
> uttered my name on the phone this morning as Mrs. Chandrakiran, the fellow
> on the other line said, "tell me more about yourself. You are veg only
> nah?"
>
> It is my hunch for now, but the nature of property ownership in Bangalore is
> only compounding these biases in the city - something to add to my Ph.D
> thesis research portfolio! I refuse to accept that Bangalore is a
> cosmopolitan city. It is very much rooted in the biases of caste that are
> prominent in South India and in family traditions. The cosmopolitanism of
> this city is highly cosmetic.
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 3:12 PM, Sruthi Krishnan <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > In Chennai, the 'vegetarians-only' is a euphemism for saying 'brahmins
> > only'. It is sophistication you see, the caste system is abolished, so we
> > search for other markers. Whether you wear a bindi, have a mangalsutra or
> > whether you eat meat.
> > There are many I have met here who say we are educated, we don't follow the
> > caste system. "See, I let my maid into my kitchen." There are many who
> > don't
> > and prefer not to discuss it. This is the middle-class version of
> > communalism and casteism. There are no shouting from the streets crying out
> > against women going to pubs. Rather it is insidious, slips into
> > conversations and other remarks.
> > The market funda does not correct the system here. I get enough Brahmin
> > responses to my rental ads and so, why do I need to let it out to someone
> > else? There is also the proud declaration you get to hear "I don't mind a
> > lower rent. But brahmins only."
> > In Mumbai, it is communal. I knew a couple -- a muslim boy and a
> > 'konkanastha brahmin' girl. The trouble they had in getting an apartment is
> > just insane. She used to instantly find acceptance and the boy's name
> > equalled a shut door. They moved to the US finally.
> >
> > Zainab, I'll ping some friends in Bangalore and see what they say.
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Zainab Bawa
> Ph.D. Student and Independent Researcher
>
> Between Places ...
> http://wbfs.wordpress.com
--
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org";>leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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