A couple of weeks back, I was
waiting in queue at the Dominos outlet in DLF, to place my order for lunch. Two
nicely dressed gentlemen from some foreign country were standing just behind
me. The customer in front of me was arguing with the store waiter at the
counter, about an order and some confusion in their billing. I was hungry and
was getting impatient, but watched on with the hope that the argument would end
soon. After just around 5 minutes of waiting, the man behind me shouted in an
irritated and bossy tone "What on earth is happening there? Could you just
move??" and mumbled in a lower voice, "Fucking Indians"!
His last statement incensed me
and my impatience boiled out into anger and I turned to him and said
"Maybe it’s time you showed some fucking respect"!! The guy was a
little shocked and taken aback that someone actually used the language back at
him and he said "Excuse Me?" and looked at me with surprise and
shock.
I replied back to him, "We
sell food here, not respect. So either be patient or walk off"
He was too taken aback to reply
and I didn’t wait for it either. I gestured to the counter and asked another
person to take the order at the other counter that was free. We both eventually
did eat there and walked out without any further exchanges, but what disturbed me
and still does, is the alarming lack of respect for Indians. We sell service
yes, but we do not have to sell our respect along with it. My reaction was not
just because of this one isolated incident. It was a collection of one whole
week of unpleasant happenings. Our labor is cheap and it is common knowledge
that countries abroad use our services to the fullest. But do we really monitor
the thin line between using our services to exploiting it?
I am still asking myself some
troubling questions. Why do we tolerate
disrespect? Why we do not make it clear that it is only our products/services
that are for sale and NOT our self esteem? What would actually happen if I went
to an alien country like America and shouted “F*****G Americans”? Would they
remain silent? No they wouldn’t. Why is it that we Indians alone bear this
disrespect?
We Indians are a warm bunch of
people, extremely proud of the work we do. We are immensely talented at what we
do and the world will fall flat on its face if we Indians stopped working for
others. The world knows it and yet, we are trodden upon by many. The reason is
that we tolerate disrespect and just move on. We do not retaliate enough.
Actually, we do not take enough efforts to keep our self esteem high! Would
these gentlemen shout again the same way anywhere else here on? I doubt it!
It’s time we took it upon
ourselves to change the way the world treats us. And it’s also time we realized
how people should not be treated and refrain from giving this treatment to
those working for or with us too!
World treats us the way we want them too. Politeness is mistaken as cowardice.
ReplyDeleteBut as I see If somebody from north would have said " Fucking South Indians" then what would have been your reaction is also worth speculating. You might have said " You don't have job or any other thing in your place so you have come here and still you abuse this place".
yeaah!! that is the reality. People really can stand any disrespect who so ever it is.
I think better treatment for Rage is not Rage, it must be a debate or discussion.
Though Rage here was defined but should not be used everywhere in order to answer jibes and comments.
That is my view.
Regarding selling services and not respect I would say Both are the needs of each other. Indians wont get job without them that is also hard reality. India's middle class Job industry is 70% dependent on outsourced jobs. So we should accept that too
@Kush, Hmmm maybe we need them too.. But the point here is not if we need them.. but it is that We DESERVE respect!
DeleteAs to north Indian debate, i'd have retaliated to anyone who had said that comment.. It is not who said it that's of issue here, but WHAT they said..
interesting issue that you brought in sometime Chennai gets most senseless beatings on this... even from neighboring states while my colleague utter this I had the same answer, being the safest of city in India everyone wishes to make money from here but forgets to respect it... No one blames your fanatic behavior towards hometown or whatever but Chennaites are polite and that the reason you are still alive. BTW you are not addressed to you.
DeleteThats right da..people often presume politeness being cowardice ..its quite common with the northies calling the entire south to be one and same irrespective of it being any of the four regions..Its time people realize that its their self esteem thats being exploited..Well written
ReplyDeleteThanks deeps :) Means a lot :)
DeleteI appreciate your courage of giving it back with the same tone and tenor Raghavan
ReplyDeleteThanks Pagu :)
DeleteI appreciate your guts Raghavan. Liked the way you responded to the firang. Most of us will fume inside and don't speak out..high time we do..
ReplyDeleteYes Shakthi... You ought to get back what you give :) The converse must also be true ;)
DeleteExcellent article and response bro!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Suresh :)
DeleteAm glad you concur :)
ReplyDeleteSo here is a diff perspective that I wish to add, couple of days ago after Sachin was announced as a recipient for Bharatha ratna I update my fb status as like Sachin don't deserve and guess the patriotic and fanatic fans reaction... most times I replied back in same lingo as "f***k**g" or "shut the f**k up" sometime "dumb a**" but minutes later I cool down myself and either edit or delete the comment, in fact I edited the post itself. Its sort of awkward that we are NOT POLITE TO OUR FRIENDS or acquaintances but polite to the strangers or superior (by race)
ReplyDelete