None of us here on this blog can claim to be from some discriminated class/religion whatever. Just the ability to write (and have the time) to write in fluent English means you are one of the top 5% in opportunity in the world.
I like to identify with Shudra/Dalits, and can justify bcos my genetic inheritance has a large component of ASI. Then equally well I id with African Americans in when in the US. That said will I invite a US gang banger into my house. Or a Sri Lankan gangster. I knew a few when I was young. Now I cant deal with that type of young people as in guests to my backwater. On the streets a many chats/words and thats it.
Anyway, all this caste/religion is academic to the commenters in this blog. But still good.
As they say a picture is a worth a thousand words, the Bauls of Bengal.
Whats with the guy (whose voice I love) with an Afro. Where the heck did he get an Afro. The whole crowd looks like our generic Sri Lankan.
Hopefully some recall my comment everyone is Sri Lankan Dalit/Shudra. Kabir obviously has to deny Pakistani Christians look like Sri Lankans, and said they looked like Punjabis. Maybe Punjabis look like Sri Lankans, for sure the eat and drink like Sri Lankans.
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sbarrkum
I am 3/4ths Sri Lankan (Jaffna) Tamil, 1/8th Sinhalese and 1/8th Irish; a proper mutt.
Maternal: Grandfather a Govt Surveyor married my grandmother of Sinhalese/Irish descent from the deep south, in the early 1900’s. They lived in the deep South, are generally considered Sinhalese and look Eurasian (common among upper class Sinhalese). They were Anglicans (Church of England), became Evangelical Christians (AOG) in 1940's, and built the first Evangelical church in the South.
Paternal: Sri Lanka (Jaffna Tamil). Paternal ancestors converted to Catholicism during Portuguese rule (1500's), went back to being Hindu and then became Methodists (and Anglicans) around 1850 (ggfather). They were Administrators and translators to the British, poets and writers in Tamil and English. Grandfathers sister was the first female Tamil novelist of modern times
I was brought up as an Evangelical even attending Bible study till about the age of 13. Agnostic and later atheist.
I studied in Sinhala, did a Bachelor in Chemistry and Physics in Sri Lanka. Then did Oceanography graduate stuff and research in the US.
I am about 60 years old, no kids, widower. Sri Lankan citizen (no dual) and been back in SL since 2012. Live in small village near a National Park, run a very small budget guest house and try to do some agriculture that can survive the Elephants, monkeys and wild boar incursions.
I am not really anonymous, a little digging and you can find my identity.
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I wasn’t denying that Pakistani Christians look like Sri Lankans. I don’t know a lot of Sri Lankans (except that one of my dad’s cousins was married to one and has a half Sri Lankan half Pakistani son, though since the kid was raised in Karachi, he’s basically Pakistani).
But they don’t “look like” Punjabis. They ARE Punjabis. They were mostly Dalit Hindus who converted to Christianity. So they are of native Punjabi stock.
Maybe Punjabis look like Sri Lankans. On some level all people from the Indian subcontinent look kind of alike. Certainly White people think so.
Punjabis are known for their eating and drinking and for bhangra 🙂
sbarrkum
Some days back you commented on young Sri Lankan now taking on the Raavana mantle. The movie Kaala released today. Its on the same issue.
I need to find a way to cut comments after a week; for my threads at least.
LOL, Z! Just don’t post about caste. You get everyone all hot and bothered 🙂
I just read ur “poor Brahmin” tag on Facebook; caste is essential to understanding the Subcontinent.
In one go it saved Hinduism from Islam (Zoroastrianism collapsed) but on the other hand made it very vulnerable as well.. endlessly fascinating
I thought you would find it interesting.
But it seems to be a topic that gets people on BP upset. Perhaps we don’t need to discuss it all the time 🙂
I think most of it is a defense mechanism to ward off criticism. Its something which we would like to go away, but since powerless to do much about it we try to “soften the blow”
“In one go it saved Hinduism from Islam (Zoroastrianism collapsed)”
Zack, I think you hit on a right note. The narrow domestic walls also called caste demarcation of society might have been the secret behind Hinduism survival against the onslaught of Islam and Christianity. Zoroastrianism was squished like a mushroom by the religion of peace in Iran. Apologies if the last sentence is not PC. I want to be an equal opportunity basher.
Another benefit of Indian caste system I realized is it gives a person a strong identity at birth. An American youngster as late as in his or her thirties goes through what is called identity crisis. A Hindu according to me never suffers from identity crisis.
I may lack self-respect as a Sudra but never suffer from identity crisis as my place in society and my sub-caste are clearly spelled out.
you can close comments on a post. it’s easy.
i set it default now to close after 2 weeks.
I’m not that smart tbh
Some one should review that movie Kaala and the controversy surrounding it on BP. I am too lazy to look it up myself.
hoipolloi, Saurav
Just read a review of Kaala. Interesting re Ravana.
I doubt I would watch it though. Tamil movies seem to have lot of (non realistic) needless violence. I get to watch snippets of Tamil while travelling in buses to the North. They are loud and quite annoying to be honest. For sure I am getting old.
As he sits brooding after a particularly humiliating confrontation with his nemesis, Hari Dada is asked by his granddaughter who Kaala is. He is Ravana, he replies. She asks: So Ram will kill him, won’t he? Valmiki has written it, so he has to kill Ravana, he asserts airily.
https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/kaala-movie-review-rajinikanth-enough-said-3-stars-out-of-5-1864232
sbarrkum
Two more links
https://theprint.in/opinion/kaala-is-not-just-about-rajinikanth-it-is-about-land-fascism-ramayana-the-dalit-gaze/68907/
https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/kaala-is-not-a-rajinikanth-movie-a-dalit-bahujan-reading-of-the-caste-politics-in-pa-ranjiths-film-4505063.html
As i have said Sinhalese and Tamil politics are not that different after all.
Thanks Saurav
Liked the firstpost review better.
A quote
the very year when Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar converted into Buddhism along with his lakhs of followers, thus discarding the irreformable so-called Sanatana Dharma.
What terms would I use to find more of the kinds of performances in the embedded video from 1:05 onwards?
Search on YouTube
Bauls
jaisalmer
gypsy india
Gypsy Roots – Lachto Drom (Safe Journey)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3zQl3d0HFE