Namesake

“What’s in a name?” said Shakespeare, “A lot” sayeth I. He did not have to deal with the staff at the passport office, bank, or that hospital where I had to go for various medical tests, or get a driving license, PAN card, and lots of other cards essential to modern living. Things get worse when you are endowed with a surname that is a name in most parts of your country!

When I went to obtain my passport, I was absolutely sure my work would be over in a jiffy as all my documents were in order, but that was not to be. Despite innumerable incidents of female foeticide, rapes, dowry deaths and domestic violence, I am proud to say our countrymen believe in respecting women, why else would I be Rupalata in one document and Rupalben in another? So ultimately, I had to submit an affidavit to prove my identity and only then could I get my passport ready. Either my marital name did not match with the maiden one, or I was not clear in my head which name to use and was hence using 2 according to them. I could never convince them that Chhaya could be a surname.

Same is the case with my mother-in-law’s various cards, share certificates, bank accounts and fixed deposits where she is Devi in all documentation done at Delhi, and Ben in all paperwork carried out in Gujarat. I am at a loss to understand why we need tags where official documentation is concerned.

And now to the plight of a cousin whose name is Shree. And to top that, she had the AUDACITY to marry a person with a difficult name and a more difficult surname. She found herself in annoying situations quite often, but worse could have been the predicament of those who would find a woman walk towards them while they would be expecting a guy!

Some names can save you from certain unpleasant situations though. My aunt is a very religious person who would not allow a non-Hindu to enter her house. Once we were forced to stay overnight at her place, but one Mr. Parvez was accompanying us. We were in a dilemma, but she extended cordial welcome to him as she thought his name was Pareshbhai.

From Chain Letters to SMSes and E-mails

When I was young (not that I am OLD - if life begins at 40, I am only 9 years) I used to receive post cards asking me to not break the chain and write letters to 12 or 20 or 16 people if I wanted so and so god or goddess to smile on me, or else it would spell doom for me if I broke the chain, these letters said. God Fearing Indians would immediately sit down to write such letters to various friends and most of them would continue the chain except some like me who would break this chain.

If hell has descended on me because of this, I know not, and I CARE not! But now things have changed. Do you think I mean to say people have become less superstitious?? NO rey, that is NOT what I mean. What I mean is people no longer write letters, they send sms or emails. "If you forward this email/sms to 21 people, you will get good news by evening, if you don't, great misfortune will befall you". "Oh really?" "which god has sent you as his agent,may I ask?" People have started using technology extensively, they are definitely moving ahead with times, but they are still not able to get out of the beliefs that they have grown up with. We say we are progressing. "How" is one question people are unable to answer. Having malls and multiplexes does not a modern country make, modernity can be achieved only when we break the shackles of age old beliefs.

Don't, please don't send such letters/emails/sms to people and subject them to this dilemma of "to break or not to break the chain". Nothing will happen to you if you break the chain. I am sure no god is peeping from his abode to find out if you have broken the chain so that he can punish or reward you accordingly. if you trust him, you should trust his benevolence and not get carried away by such gimmicks, and if you don't believe in him, there is even otherwise no question of reward or punishment by him.