Of Sikhs, Benggalis and Tamilians - PART 1

I just don't believe it.... I just don't believe it. Coming from someone who has lived in Malaysia all her/his life to ask me this ultimate question over lunch time: "How do you differentiate between a Punjabi, Bengali and an Indian(Actually what was meant here was a Tamilian) means that they have been living under a coconut shell. This only goes to show how shallow is one's knowledge about their fellow Malaysians. And this coming after Bill Clinton made a statement that he is so impressed to see a multi-culture multi-races Malaysia when the races don't even understand each others origins or ethnic backgrounds. Yes, Malaysians don't refer to us as Indians but as "Benggalis" eventhough we are not. I forgive my colleague for not understanding the difference but she/he is not alone on this issue of differences between the Punjabis, Tamilians and the Bengalis.
To non-Indians, there are just Indians. Ask an ‘Indian’ what he is, though, and he would say he’s a Malayalee, or a Telegu, or a Tamil or any one of the other language-specific communities, of which there is a bewilderingly large number. Take a look at this senario:
A YOUNG Sikh man and a young Tamil woman fell in love. They courted secretly for years until they finally decided that they wished to marry.
The nervous couple parted to return home and break the news to their respective families, and were greeted, amidst much gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair, by the identical chastisement: “Why lah you have to go and marry an Indian!”
Now that particular little nugget may be an urban legend, but there is some validity to the assertion that many of the different Indian communities view themselves as having a separate identity of their own that should be recognised by others.
This view is held not just in India, which is home to many of the world’s religions and boasts more than 20 official languages, but also all over the world where there are Indian communities, including in Malaysia where Indians are a significant minority.
Surely that view is justified, for after all, who in his right mind expects homogeneity in a region of nearly 1.5 billion people (if you factor in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal)?
But as Indians move away from traditions (some of which, some might argue, are poisonous ones) like the caste system and arranged marriages, just how much of the Indian sub-continent’s rich and varied history is being lost to current generations?
Two recent developments brought this question to the fore.
The first was a faux pas committed by newly elected Perak Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin who mistakenly referred to the Sikh community as Bengali, when indeed the community has its roots in Punjab.
Another was the almost bewildering confluence of religious festivals that occurred over the last few months – Vaisakhi, Poila Boishakh, Ugadi, Vishu, and the Tamil New Year also coincided with Thailand’s Songkran festival and other regional celebrations.
The Punjabi/Bengali difference
As I attempted a thorough investigation into this vast realm, I soon became overwhelmed by the sheer diversity of the various Indic peoples (generally divided into the northern Indo-Aryan and southern Dravidian groups).
For example, I learnt that there are Punjabis who don’t practice Sikhism but who come from the same geographical region and speak the same language as the Sikhs. These Punjabis are Hindus, so one cannot factually say that to be Punjabi and to be Sikh are synonymous. And there are Punjabis who are Muslim and Christian, too.
The confusion over the specific race, religion, and language of the various Indian communities is nothing new, and that the Punjabi/Bengali error is a particularly common one.
Many Malaysians make that mistake. This has been an error that dates back to the British colonial era when many Sikhs were brought to Malaya.
Through some form of miscommunication, perhaps because the Sikhs came through the Bengali port of Calcutta, this incorrect title has continued to be applied.
A variety of responses to the issue have emerged.
Khalsa Dharmic Jatha Gurdwara vice-president Baljit Singh was very displeased: “That utterance (by the MB) has made the Sikhs a laughing stock of other communities,” he was quoted as saying:
Dr Sarjit S. Gill, Universiti Putra Malaysia’s professor of Social Anthropology, adopts an altogether different stance, though: “I view the MB’s statement as a blessing in disguise because I welcome the debate. I don’t think we should blame him. Firstly, we should blame ourselves, especially the Sikh organisations and gurdwaras (temples) in Malaysia.
“I have attended many seminars and programmes conducted by Sikhs in Malaysia where non-Sikhs are not invited to join in simply because we do not want ‘others’ to know our problems. So how can we get upset if we are a closed community and other groups don’t understand us well enough?”
However, network engineer Nirmal Singh feels that our nation’s political leaders should make more of an effort to understand the various communities.
“I am used to this sort of ignorance, but while I have seen it among children and young adults, I didn’t expect a political leader to make such a gaffe. There is a huge difference between Punjabis, Bengalis and Tamilians.”
I think in a modern, progressive Malaysia we should try to overcome our differences and think of ourselves as Malaysians first. If we harp on these traditional factors too much we are back to square one.
If you look at history, you will see why the differences can be confusing. In India itself, during the Chola dynasty, which lasted many centuries (from the 9th to 12th centuries), the whole of Southern India was under one rule.
During this time, the Tamil language became dominant, and it is the root language from which the other South Indian languages sprang.
In fact, there are even a few Tamil words like kapal (ship), tali (string), and raja (king) that have influenced the Malay language!
Since that time, there have been numerous separations and unifications of (states in) southern India, and it was only as recently as the 1950s that Madras State became split along the lines of language.
From that, you had the emergence of the Telugu-, Kannada-, and Malayalee-speaking states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala, respectively).
When people from these peoples came to Malaysia in large waves under the British, these groups were all classified as Indian, without much distinction.
Aside from sheer numbers, another reason that Tamils and their language may seem dominant in Malaysia is that the Telegu, Malayalee, and Punjabi language schools that existed up until the late 1970s eventually closed down.
These communities scattered, and there wasn’t enough enrolment in their schools, whereas the Tamils have had the numbers to keep their schools going.
Unlike Indians from India, Malaysian Indians are not always well-schooled in tradition. In most cases, we cannot identify each other’s community visually, and so we rely on language, and even that can be mixed up.
And let’s not forget that even at home, many Indians choose to speak English over their mother tongue.
Still, to those who do follow tradition, there are true differences, especially in India. Each community will very often have its unique traditional clothing, ways of preparing food, and so on. The Malayalees, for example, might tie their saris differently, cook certain dishes unique to their community, and celebrate, say, Onam, but, again, some of these traditions don’t survive very strongly in modern Malaysia.
Even names don’t necessarily offer much of a clue about a person’s roots anymore: In Malaysia we have left behind the culture of using clan names like Rao and Naidu for Telegus, and Nair and Menon for Malayalees.
As Malaysia’s Indian society moves away from traditionalist mores that still hold sway in parts of India, we can expect a further blurring of communal lines.
Intermarriage across communities is another factor that is breaking down such barriers.
While you do have certain staunch traditionalists, many Indians are marrying outside their community and, often, outside their race.
Arranged marriages are on the way out, and people tend to chose their own partners, perhaps based on educational and economic background more than race, language or even religion.
Economic factors might be a reason that communities in Malaysia might still want to emphasise their differences.
For example, while many Indian Tamils originally came here in the late 19th century and first half of the 20th century as indentured labourers, the Malayalees and Ceylonese Tamils were brought in to perform more ‘educated’, white collar jobs, such as clerical work.
Thus, there may be a desire to maintain that socio-economic distinction.
Nowadays, as the communities become more prosperous, they may also feel more confident about exploring and safe-guarding their roots.
I believe even Astro has played a part in arousing interest as it offers programmes for Telegu and Malayalee speakers.
Festive fervour- THERE are hundreds of festivals celebrated throughout the sub-continent. These are some that Malaysians might be familiar with, as South Asian communities living in this country mark them. The common Indian Celebrations In Malaysia:

Ponggal – Tamil harvest festival
Thaipusam – South Indian festival honouring Lord Muruga
Holi (pic above) – North Indian “festival of colours” celebrating the first full moon of spring
Gudi Padwa – Maharashtrian New Year
Ugadi – Telugu and Kannada New Year
Puthandu – Tamil New Year
Vaisakhi – Commemorates both the establishment of the Khalsa (collective body of Sikhs baptised by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699) and the harvest festival
Members of Sikh communities around the world celebrate Vaisakhi in April. In Paris, they put on a show of their warrior skills.
Poila Boishakh – Bengali New Year
Vishu – Malayalee New Year
Onam – Malayalee harvest festival
Navaratri – Nine-day festival commemorating goddess Durga
Deepavali – Festival of Lights
Well now you can observe that there is a clear distinction between the Punjabis, Tamilians and the Bengalis. You just need to be an observant person to see the difference. In my next post (Part 2)I will look and explore the beginning of Sikhism and the person who founded it.

Are You Waiting To Be Perfect? Put Aside Perfection

Are you waiting to be perfect?When is good enough, good enough? So often I hear from clients and friends about a fabulous idea they have, or a long-embodied dream they've held on to, only to put off doing the idea or dream until they get it "just right," and before they knew it, just right turned into just never. Looking over my 13 years of working experience, I can recall countless instances of putting off launching an idea or dream, because I didn't think I knew enough, or because the project wasn't complete or perfect enough.The need for perfection is the killer of dreams. It'll squelch ideas and action faster than making mistakes ever could. Furthermore, the need for perfection is an ego-based need and will keep you from being able to tune into the subtle inner sensations that give you direction and tell you what to do next.These sensations, the voice of your inner guidance, guide you perfectly even if you think you are not ready. Don't let the voices in your head that are telling you why you are not good enough, or competent enough, or experienced enough keep you from sharing yourself and your unique ideas and gifts with the world.Let's agree that not all ideas are meant to be acted on, and concentrate on that idea or dream you've held on to for a long time, but have been afraid to launch because you want to get it perfected--fully mapped out and designed--before you get it out there. Let's suppose you have a product you have been working on for several months. The more you work on it, the more you see things you'd like to add to it to make it "even better". Got one of those? Many of us have some hidden idea or dream we've been tinkering with in the back rooms of our minds or even in the garage.What is keeping you from sharing it just the way it is right now? Again, if you have a widget and it doesn't work yet, then perhaps it is prudent to get it working before releasing it, but what about the widget that does work and works well, yet you'd like it to be better? If you've got one of those, perhaps its time to ask yourself, "What am I waiting for?"Here's the deal about perfection, it doesn't exist, at least, not the way our minds think about perfection. Perfection to the ego looks and sounds like this:My product has to always work.No one else will have this service; I have to crush the competition.It's got to be better than what is out there, or no one will buy it.I don't want to be embarrassed or laughed at in the industry.My reputation is on the line, I can't make any mistakes.Who am I to offer this when I am just an average person unlike the experts out there?We all applaud a dedication to doing and being your best. This isn't about putting out shoddy work or products, it's about honoring your best as it is in the present moment, and allowing your best to grow and develop by sharing your creations with others, and stepping into the unknown. The fascinating thing about getting your idea, dream, product, or service out there before it is all the way perfect is: You might find out it is "perfect enough".You will receive the necessary feedback that provides you specific ideas for improvement, and gives your customers what they are asking for.The ideal of perfection is overrated. So, how can you get over the grip that the desire to be perfect might have on you? Here are three-easy-ways to put aside perfection and get your dream out there sooner rather than never.1. First start with something small. What product, service, or idea have you been entertaining that would be fairly easy to share in a short amount of time? Let's say you want to write a book about your grandmother's favorite recipes, but have been putting it off because you haven't taste-tested or prepared all of them. Begin smaller. How about sharing a recipe a week with family and friends by offering a weekly online newsletter? These newsletters when compiled can evolve into a full-blown book. Once you break a project into smaller components the mind relaxes into an "I can do this" state and the grip of perfection loosens.2. Gather five suggestions from trusted friends or colleagues. Only five. Send five people the product or service you have just the way it is, and ask them to give you feedback on how it works for them, can be improved or made better. When I launched my first special workshops in the company, I was writing the course as I was teaching it. Then I would receive feedback from my participants and incorporated their suggestions. The second time around doing the workshop, it was amazingly better, and importantly, I was able to offer what my participants wanted. No way could I have received those suggestions without presenting a less than perfect workshop.3. Offer a beta program. A beta program is when you let someone test or try out your product or service at minimal or no cost so that you can receive "real time" feedback. How often have major companies had to go back to the drawing board after a first and even a second launch? Perfection is more a process than an end result. If it feels uncomfortable to charge people for a service you aren't convinced is your best or is still under development, then a beta program may be just the ideal compromise.I have a marketing mentor whose newsletters I receive by mail each month. This individual is very well known and very successful in the online and direct marketing fields. Yet, it often amazes me how filled his newsletter is with typos, "bad grammar" and assorted other non-perfect errors. Yet, undeniably, the content is extraordinary and valuable. Imagine if he fretted over where to put the comma, or whether every word was grammatically placed, instead of getting his content out there. Just put aside the perfection but focus on the dream and the end result.