/audio-slideshow-karate-champion-lakshmi-has-come-a-long-way-from-her-indian-slum/
here is the story about lakshmi, part of the ongoing series on their struggle and effort at upward mobility published in a very reputable canadian newspaper the toronto globe and mail.
this is an upbeat story, of human endeavour to find dignity and ultimately success, in the face of so many odds.
these stories are true and cannot be denied. i do not think these present india in a bad light. these tell of india, her ancient baggage, and the effort in the current century to emancipate and reach her full potential - in short a true free india.
K sir,
There is this guy whose father died young and his unlettered mother found employment as a sweeper in a stadium. This guy had extraordinary sports talent, went to become a state lever player. His financial (lack of) background and sports excellence opened up 'sports quota' opportunities in top universities.
This guy went on to become highly qualified, well placed, widely travelled. He married a collegue. The colleague, born and raised overseas (second generation), is aware of caste but maybe is not unduly bothered about it. Maybe her priorities were charted differently. She got herself a charismatic and doting husband placed in upper management cadre.
The guy's mother slogs all day taking care of grandchildren, cooking, cleaning, fetching kids to classes, grocery shopping, etc. This is a rare case where the MIL is not complaining. Instead she is proud of DIL's achievements at work. The DIL acknowledged she cannot manage a day without MIL. Relationship b/w MIL and DIL seems perfectly fine.
The MIL is garralous, is not shy to say she retired as sweeper. Those who bring kids to play in common area do not seem to mind either. Maybe such things do not evoke sharp reactions in indians anymore.
Then there is a case of a lady doing phd in english literature falling in love with a guy who painted houses to make a living. To make matters worse, the guy's mother sold fish and his paternity was unknown. The parents cud nothing and relented for their only child's sake.
They made their sambandhi amma stop selling fish, set up a business for the guy. Looking at the guy no one can tell his mother is from the koli fisherfolk or anything about his background. He stands out like a handsome greek god. This happened in my student days and was much gossiped about.
Within the family, there is this girl who eloped and married a roadside guy, who did particularly nothing. After the initial turmoil and all (involving a police case), things surprisingly settled well. The girl's father set the guy up in a business; and the guy with all his street savvy has turned out smart in running it.
A relative of mom, much older to her, eloped and married a muslim in trichy. I did not even knew she existed. To the family she was dead. In contrast, sometime back the spouse's close relative married a muslim. After the emotional turmoil, parent both sides accepted and they were married. The guy did not convert, but joins in hindu prayers. He wife wud come across as a typical hindu, with bindi, thali and all.
There is yet an other relative who married a christian (the third christian wedding in the family). The couple visits both, temples as well as churches. Looking at them, no one can say which one was hindu and which one was chrisitian, before they got married. I suppose we cud go on with stories of folks who got upwardly mobile either thru education or thru a wedding or both.
There are folks i know of, whose fathers did ordinary or odd jobs. The kids, however, have moved on to well placed positions. None of us wud have expected life wud change like this years back. I suppose the playing field is no longer a circle with few people on the top, few at the bottom and the bulk in the middle of the circle. The playing field is getting flatter. No wonder we have the burgeoning 'middle class'...
Those with hardwork and mettle can manage to come up, and enter into a 'middle-class'...from slum to middle-class, she must be so inspiring to the folks around her...
