how to kill a mocking bird

I am very much in favor of immigration in Hyderabad, almost everywhere in the city, except the areas around Hitec city, Madhapur. The mostly green slyvan suburb of the 'pearl city' that housed more than a thousand trees - was a favorite haunt for my friends and I just after finishing high school - has now become home for those tall, un-dendritic, not-so-fiesty buildings, very much like all those areas stripped out of trees and the earth crying at the sinking groundwater levels.

As I drove through the place, I couldn't recognise the gallis anymore. I didn't feel at home at all. I did't feel this lost since the last season of 'Lost'.The boys that stole flowers and fruits from those trees dont know what to do anymore. They also feel lost. Just like all those people that enjoyed cruising through the gallis of Madhapur with their puppy-loves. It is shockingly saddening that an entire generation now doesn't have a place for their clandestine conquests.....and blah blah blah..



Damn this Inception!! I think Joel Stein intercepted my dream.




Mockery aside, but tell me, people, how difficult it is to 'co-exist' peacefully, leave alone enterprising, accepting and appreciating people from other countries/cultures/caste/creed? The C-word, these days, has become another banal part of everyday news and like just another one of those advertizements promoting their brand of tea, shampoo etc.



I am reminded of something that I read somewhere that supposedly happened on a NY city subway train. An old white-woman boarded a crowded compartment and found that all the seats were taken, when a warm-friendly looking-Indian youngman, dressed impeccably, stood and offered her his seat. The conceited woman declined the seat and shouted at him asking him to get out of USA. The man calmly sat in his place and retorted 'Ma'm, you came first. You go away and then I will goback to my country.' (not the exact words though). If I were anywhere in the audience, I would have stood there admiring that young man and gaping at him until he left.



Why are these feeling of 'my country' and 'your country' harbored even in these times of Globalization. Remember how often you use the words 'it's a small world!' Yeah, The world is indeed a small global village and we are all global citizens.I am sure every man would be equally proud of his culture and heritage had he been born at some other place. I love my country but that doesn't mean I am proud to be an Indian. I would have been equally proud being an American/Ethiopian/Ghanian/Chineese. Like the NY subway episode, it is impossible to decide who ame first. It's like the chicken and egg situation. I want to whack all those regionalists and separatists and just tell them 'it's simple ,stupid, bacteria came first!!.'



Boundaries, nationalities, immigrations, passports are just to keep tab of who is crossing which border and are not walls to stop movement. Wouldn't it be just great if all French men emigrated here? They are supposedly good kissers. Think about it ;) And just think about all the pasta and baklawahs those Italians and Greek might bring to your country!! I should ask my mom to make her signature sweet 'milk pooris' and send one box each to Joel Stein and the Thackeries. Please, if you are reading this and are from a different part of the world send your region's specialities to these and those C-campaigners in your region.

All this reminded me of Robert Frost's peom The Mending Wall.. one of my favorite poem as a kid..