About 6 years ago, I had hard time to talk to an elderly man (no more in the world) in Nepal. When I first time met with him, I noticed that he was not so happy to meet me. I was introduced to him by his son in law in his home. As we talked to each other in Nepali, I sensed that the man wanted me to talk to in English in spite of Nepali (leave out Hindi) why, because for him, I was a foreigner, so a foreigner should talk in English and not in the local language.
My friend, in whose home I was talking, knows Hindi and always appreciated it. He said, “We watch Hindi movies and other programs on TV everyday.” But I was really interested to know, why my friend’s father in law was upset with me.
I was very gentle with this elderly man. But in our conversation, he turned out to be very offensive with me. As our conversation moved little, the man opened himself this way. “The Indians are very proud people. They are racist. They behave very rudely. They think that they are the only people and others are like animal.” When I heard from him these words, I was so sad, saw myself so down.
Now, I understood his argument. I just followed him and kept on listening to him. He came more openly, “I was also born in India, I am from Darjeeling. I had good education. I am retired from an officer’s post. and He continued saying, “ As I traveled to different places in India, people in trains, offices, bus stands and hotels taunted me, with “Bahadur”. “They did not respect me, because my Hindi was not so good and I had Mongolian features.”
“Oh, my” I said. Now the cat was out of the sack. Now nothing was hidden. In a few minutes, the man, poured out himself. Now, I could understand his anger on an Indian. His anger was right. He was right, and as a representative of Indian people, I sensed, I am wrong, my people are wrong but who can correct them. This question bothered me.
Yes, this true. The man was honest and right in his objection. Why I say this…Because I have seen the same discriminations almost everywhere in India, but especially on the Indo-Nepal border. The conductor in the bus (especially private ones) called a sitting Nepali passenger from behind, come in the front, as the man, came in the front; his seat was occupied by another Indian passenger. In another bus, the conductor called, Nepali passenger from front, saying, here is seat, you come back, as soon as the man stood up to go behind his seat was captured by another Indian passenger. In another example, all the people were sitting ok, all of sudden; the conductor noticed that the Nepali passenger having a big suitcase and bedding, he demanded extra money from him. When the Nepali passenger paid extra amount, the conductor did not give him any ticket for that. More worse happens at the train stations by the coolies and by the ticket checker. They always find ways to extract money as soon as they see a Mongolian face. What I have shared here this is only few, happened before my eyes.
Many Indians used to take pride until Nepal was only Hindu kingdom in the World. But majority from the same people never saw this discrimination as wrong. I almost never read about this practice in the Indians dailies. This evil practice continues even today. Whenever in the bus or train or other places, me and my friends saw this injustice, we always stood against it, but we observed, that almost none from the crowd of our Indian brothers joined us.
Perhaps, people will understand that, Mongolians, Aryans, Dravidians, blacks, Asians, and whites are all same people in spite of the difference in the outward outlooks. We eat same food, same oxygen, live under same sun and on the same God given earth, then why should we consider others inferior and lower than us? We all have weak and strong points. We all have good points and bad points. No one is perfect and no one is higher or lower. Why should we laugh on other’s face features? Who gives that authority to do so?
Let me come to the elderly man, again, I heard later on in a private conversation from my friend, that his father in law had quarreled with another Indian one day, because he could not speak in English and Nepali with him. He was speaking with him, in Hindi, which the elderly man did not like. The Indian man left very sad, thinking what happened to this old man, but was not explained. Thank God, I understood the serious point why the elderly man, left India to live in Nepal in his youth and never returned back because of his bitter experiences.
I have been to Nepal for more than 5 years, and went to different places to speak and to attend meetings in the church and marriages but was never discriminated, and I feel that the Nepali brothers and sisters in India are not discriminated anywhere in India. We live peacefully and we thank God, that we have a good understanding; it is only possible because of our foundation in sound faith. We learned that it is same God who created Nepali or Indians. So we never practiced that evil thing which we see else where very much. And the people have no understating how to end it up. My suggestion for ending it is belief in the Bible. If our foundation is solid and if we have a good philosophy to mold us, then there will be no place for discrimination and putting people low or higher.
The Bible teaches us, No Jew or Gentile, No male or female, no slave or master in Christ but Christ in all” and consider others better yourself.” Humble yourself before God, for the humble shall receive grace but the haughty will be punished. And whoever makes fun of a man, he mocks at his Creator.
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