I hail from a community with a strange
mix of cultures. Our community is a mixture of Rajasthan, Gujarat and South
India. So, when I am asked where I hail from, I have a complicated answer to
give.
I didn’t really experience an
identity crisis till last year when I went to one of the IPL matches held in
Mumbai. It was a match between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals…
I was a staunch supporter of the Mumbai
Indians as the match began. I guess, it was more because of the strong
influence of the crowd and the exuding passion from all sides. But, as the
second inning began my support for the Mumbai Indians shook. I was a little
confused. Being born and brought up in Rajasthan I could feel some internal
force constantly condemning me for not supporting the team.
By the time the match approached
its end my neighbors too could notice the confusion. The height of confusion
was hit when I yelled out Malinga’s name (then in the MI team) very
harmoniously with the crowd and suddenly started cheering for Shane Warne (the
then captain of RR) when he struck a 4 and a 6 on Malinga’s delivery!
I saw my friends staring back at
me in disbelief as if questioning my Cricket Integrity! I felt the pangs of
guilt. Yet, my Rajasthani pride did not let me accept it as a wrong doing. So,
I strongly retorted, “Guys I am here to support good cricket, OK! It’s Shane
Warne’s last match. Poor guy deserves some cheering, yaar.”
Malinga’s balling, Bhajjis deliveries
and Sachin’s sheer presence; I indeed was enjoying every bit of cricket ambience.
I almost forgot I was there to support a team or for that matter a state!
There were times when lineage,
tradition, position, caste and color of skin made a difference to your identity
and one flocked with identical birds. Santosh Desai in his book, “Mother Pious
Lady” has rightly pointed out that those were the times of limited choices –
limited money, limited resources, limited education. There was ‘something’
needed to create certainty and a benchmark. So, we created hierarchies basis
castes, origin and education. It was important then to know where you hailed
from, what was your stature in society and people judged you on that. An IAS in
those times would get a salute irrespective of whether he deserves it. Steven
D. Levitt in his book Freakonomics has very aptly identified that it’s our lack
of knowledge which makes us see people as superior to us.
Times are changing now. The
boundaries of culture and heritage are subliming. We are gradually becoming
more open to, as well as aware of different cultures. More so, with
commercialization and exposure to the MNC culture we all are becoming more like
each other. Our newest currency ‘information’ too is everywhere.
What do you think makes Shane
Warne? That he is an Australian or that he is a cricketer. I guess, none of
them. It’s his art of leading; of keeping his peers together; of identifying
their strengths and respecting them for it. That’s what makes him. And, I
emphasize here that this identity goes with him in and outside the field. It
has nothing to do with his profession, his years in cricket, his race or his
education.
In times to come all of us will
need to delve a little deeper into our own selves as, the parameters of
identity on which we have been thriving so far will become obsolete and
non-relevant. With every one possessing power of information, degrees, money
and resources we might land ourselves in a state of identity crises.
A future is approaching where
people will have identities other than their surnames, culture, education and
nationalities. And more and more of us will be asking each other this question
- What makes you?
Next time you appear for an interview
or as you perform in various stands of life, you might be judged on what’s your
unique identity. What makes you? So, rediscover yourself before the crises hits
you.