In an interview about his new book @Barugaru1 made a statement that gives a glimpse of the old dispensation’s confusion. He said that people like Sanjeev Sanyal have had to declass themselves to fit in with the new dispensation. Example he gave was his wearing of the dhoti 1/n
I’ve been married for 25 years & the man has always worn dhotis. I think Sanjaya used the dhoti as a random example. It was a really a metaphor for the confusion that people with all the “Western elite” ticks could somehow be rooted in tradition,& actually celebrate it 2/n
Sanjeev isn’t the first one from his family who studied abroad nor is he the last. His great grandfather had a PhD from LSE & still wore a dhoti. His maternal grandmother was a Fulbright Fellow & only wore a saree 3/n
In our family going to a temple and having wine & cheese at a posh party were never conflicting behaviours. It was normal to move seamlessly between the two. In fact this holds true for many people I know 4/n
It is the deracinated old elite who believed that somehow being modern & educated meant embracing the Western ways blindly, and rejecting our traditions & way of life. To them PLU (people like us) who take pride in their culture are somehow “class traitors". 5/n
Hence,as the old elite try & make sense of their new world they continue to judge others by their mental limitations.They don't realise that others may have a greater capacity to embrace modernity while retaining & celebrating cultural roots. In fact that is the Indian way n/n
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