Mallu, mallu, Bong bong!

Ever wondered what it is about Mallus and Bongs and the similarities? The only 2 states of the country which have democratically elected communist governments for the longest periods of time, they love their food and drink (fish and rice and whisky), love their football and also love to endlessly argue or discuss matters over the aforesaid drinking sessions.

Being, ofcourse quite knowledgable about a variety of issues the discussions could be around lots of different topics but mainly would focus on the political scenario of the country. So as the drinking sessions grow longer, the body alcohol levels go higher, the tones would also get stronger and the discussions more heated as to who is right.

Being a mallu who was brought up in Calcutta, i was exposed to both worlds without really belonging to either. With my cousins i Kerala, who would understand little about the Bong world, I would be always the person who is away from everything around them and speak Malayalam with strange words interspersed. With my friends back in Cal, I would never be able to speak Bengali like a true Bong (small intricacies which would reveal my lack of depth). So I grew up being part of neither but holding onto both identities.

Although, I found it a tad annoying when I was younger, I find this particularly useful now, as working in a place full of mallus and bongs (from the original homeland) I don't have to choose a side or be forced to be one. I can be either, depending on the situation. So with the mal cafeteria stall owner, a few words in the mother tongue can get me what I want faster, earlier and not be cheated too. And with the Bengali neighbour I can count on them to accept my couriers and generally be nice to me only because I can speak in the adopted mother tongue.

Earlier in the week, when I was outside my hotel door and chatting with an old lady who was American but had lived a part of her life in India, I was reminded of this strange displacement that one feels within the country itself. She had said, that what she found most astonishing about India was that everyone she knew in India, including the kids, could speak atleast 2 languages if not more. And she was right. I know how to speak, if not read and write, English, Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam. I did learn French once but that has since been forgotten except a few cuss words and optimally the phrase "would you go to bed with me". Anyone would learn at the least a combination of English/Hindi/mother tongue and if they had to move places within India 1 or more local languages. Compare that with America and you would have the tone and accent change but the base language remains the same. It would be more comparable to Europe as a whole, I guess, where you would need to know German, French, Italian, English and the many others. But then again you wouldn't I presume move from a Germany to a France as much the likelihood of you moving from a Calcutta to a Bangalore (or in my case with Delhi and Bombay in between).

Back to the original topic.

The only really glaring difference between Mallus and Bongs are the way they celebrate festivals. I might be wrong here since I haven't really been exposed to any major festivals in Kerala not even the traditional Onam/Vishu jingbang while I have been party to the Durga Puja/Kali Puja a whole lot more. But then again, there is nothing that can explain a Durga Puja to anyone who has not been in Calcutta during that time. The person living in Bombay might have a faint idea when told it is like a larger version of the Ganesh Chaturthi but that does not even come close to what it really is - a city wide celebration, a mass scale eruption of joy, mirth and laughter, something that is on a scale which goes beyond mere religion or beliefs. And I think is missing from the Keralite celebration. I could be wrong not having been exposed to that side of the party!