Today, we live in a world that is constantly engaged into flinging words at each other, and seldom are they of any praise. Many such words clubbed with our highly active, and wider than necessary, social presence over the Internet easily favours a quick controversy. In one such recent controversy even the humblest and the simplest Idli was not spared!
This individual’s academic pedigree had no, whatsoever, inclination to the culinary arts nor to the cultural roots from where Idli comes and yet he chose to make such a comment with great gusto.
Some individual of an academic pedigree sitting in a faraway land called Idli a bland and the most boring food in the world. I felt it was a bit farfetched and extreme to call such a thing to any sort of foods. This individual’s academic pedigree had no, whatsoever, inclination to the culinary arts nor to the cultural roots from where Idli comes and yet he chose to make such a comment with great gusto.
And, the Internet pounced upon this guy. Most who pounced upon him too, were as strong of an academic pedigree as this individual of the faraway land. Most of them also unequally qualified to either comment on the culinary nuances or the cultural heritage of the Idli.
What, perhaps, tipped the people to retaliate was not the fact that ‘Idli’ was called boring but rather ‘my’ Idli that was called boring. If it was not ‘mine’ there would have been no retaliation. This individual of the faraway land too said that I stand by ‘my’ statement. An identification of an individual with that which (one thinks) belongs to them creates this duality, and therefore a tiff, a tension.
If one were to look at the nature of the humble Idli, she would not have minded any such comments spewed at her. She has rather chosen to continue to serve her purpose quietly. A purpose to serve the poorest and the richest, the wisest and the dumb-witted alike, without any discrimination, unambiguously.
If one were to look at the nature of the humble Idli, she would not have minded any such comments spewed at her. She has rather chosen to continue to serve her purpose quietly.
After all, living each moment fully is how we flourish as individuals and as a culture. Civilization is hard to acquire, and a civilised is a reflection of the taste and refinement of the, otherwise, mundaneness of this moment. Not every mortal is in the inheritance of this life skill. Therefore, be compassionate (rather than taking pity) to this individual from the faraway land and to the individuals who pounced upon him. Like the noble Idli, a civilised can choose to continue serving silently.
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