By Kollengode S Venkataraman, (written in 1999)
You know the story of Seven Blind Men of Hindustan describing the elephant in terms of the parts they touched. The following is even better Everyone in this story sees the same person and has very different reactions.
Dr. Hariharan B Palakkad, the young US-born graduate from a US medical school, joined a hospital for his residency. When his name appeared in the hospital newsletter, this is what went through the minds of other doctors in the hospital:
Dr. Jack Tipinsky: “Uh oh, one more Asian.” Dr. David Li: “Uh, One more Indian.”
Dr. Ahmad Khan from Lucknow: “Umm… One more Hindu.” Drs. Ahluwalia, Trivedi, and Banerji: “Sssala, aur ek Madrassi.“
Dr. Arumilli from Andhra Pradesh: “Okay, One more Aravaadu, Tamil.”
Dr. Anbalagan from Tamil Nadu: “Mmmm, a Brahmin.”
Dr. Kasturi Iyengar: “Oookay, One more Iyer.”
Dr. Raman, an Iyer from Tamil Nadu: “God, One more Keralite.”
On the day Dr. Palakkad was introduced to the staff, Dr. Venkitaraman, the middle-aged doctor, originally from Kerala, asked the new kid, “Hey, l’m from Kerala. What is the B in your middle initial?”
“That’s a long story. Briefly, my father says we belong to the Bharadwaja gotram. I don’t know what it really means.”
Venkitaraman, the Kerala Iyer who belonged to Kaushika gotram thought, “God, one more Bharadwajan. They are everywhere.”
* Palakkad is a well-known region in Kerala in India. Note: The Hariharan in the story could as well have been a Reddy, a Gowda, a Nair, an Athavlé, a Ganguli, a Dwivedi, a Kuriakose, or a Sodhi. The reactions would be similar.
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A Delhiwallah working in Europe went to Egypt on business. At the hotel, his Egyptian business associate met him. True to the traditions of that part of the world, he was effusively gracious.
It was a summer full-moon and the skies were clear. The host asked the Indian if he wanted to see the pyramids under the natural full moon light. The Indian said yes.
Around midnight, the Egyptian drove his guest to the Giza pyramid.
The roads were empty. Therefore, as he was driving, the Egyptian zipped through several red lights. For the Indian who was used to the insane Delhi drivers, this was too much. His stomach tightened every time his host ran a red light.
Finally, they came to another intersection where they had green light. Strangely, the Egyptian slowed down. Puzzled by this, the Indian asked, “Why did you slow down for the green light?”
“Oh, you never know. Some crazy drivers may run the red light in the opposite direction.”
— Anecdotes from a Travelling Indian