I tried translating it to english for my nonTamil readers, but the beauty just gets lost. Kudos to the original author whoever they are. It just portrayed what every person who knows what a happy and carefree childhood is and who is now into the grips of technology(in this grip willingly, so can't complain much! But the heart yearns for those simpler days!) feels at heart. Its worse when you are away from your family because the pangs are harder and take more time and effort to be quelled. Do you guys feel the same way too?
11 comments:
sondah mannu sentiment is a unwanted piece of baggage that the mind of a NRI has...to satisy his ego and put up a facade that they love india,value traditions and really miss leading a simple life with lesser money.Period.
The above may or may not be true also it may or may not be applicable to ur post..or to you.
I wouldn't agree with the last couple of lines completely. Sondhangoldu saaptale pothum! No matter where I am, I just want my loved ones with me.
But loved this as such! Good one! :)
nice one :D. .
superficial gibbering prater, true! that is what even I had thought before leaving India too. But after sometime, you start missing the panipuri shops, the roadside petti kadais and maligai kadais, the parotta mess, etc, etc. I never thought I would miss Idly. Even though I get to eat idly at the Indian restaurants here, its just not the same as Idly there. Or for that matter, Annapoorna coffee. Can Starbucks beat it? Btw, the life here is infinitely simpler than in India. Here, everything works through emails and is faster while there you have to go in person to pay bills, give a passport application, drivers license renewal, etc and even bribe your way through to get something done and yet it is slower. And, the people in Bangalore are richer than people here because here, everyone pays atleast 40% of their income in taxes whereas there, people pay less than that for sure. Even if you earn in dollars/euros, you have to spend in dollars/euros right? Its not as if the NRIs get to earn in dollars or euros but to spend in rupees. That is a very unfair accusation that you have thrown at NRIs. And you get people to do all kinds of jobs in your house. Here, you might be the CEO of a company but have to wash your car yourself or pay a whopping $4000 to get a person to maintain it. In India, that is not the case. And you call life in India as simpler and with lesser money. Interesting!
Finally, coming to the post itself, its not about being an NRI and feeling the sondha mannu concept. Don't you yearn for your hometown, the comfort that you have when you go home? That feeling is there for anyone who leaves their hometown for the sake of a job/studies. This poem has dealt that taking a tech person as the protagonist. It doesn't specify an NRI. Everyone can have the feeling of missing home but an NRI can't? Putting an NRI in a bad light for every single thing is plain stupidity.
The above is DEFINITELY applicable to the comment that you posted. It's easier to have ideas or opinions based on what others say but its harder to experience it and then have the ideas and opinions. The world would be a better place if people do more of the latter and less of the former. I wouldn't say that all NRIs should come back just because they miss India. That is equivalent to saying that everyone in India should get back to their hometown and stay there only, which I think is total BS!!(I know how the argument will lead, so, just putting this sentence in as well)
austere mind, thanks! :) My preference is being with my loved ones too. But if I can do it where I can call home, then its double great!
fantasies of a lifetime, thanks! :) Kudos to the original author!
The india i know is 40 % illiterate(or 60 % literate,whichever way !!!).made up of a lot of struggling farmers(who end all struggle by suicides) ,a lot (read a LOT ) of middle class men fighting for survival,money and a few upper class people,economically,who generally dont give a damn about the rest.And yeah there is also the Blore techie,it is such a minority that that he is dot in india's demographic map.
OK...ur argument was more emotional than rational..I would now stick out my neck and say there isnt a thing called sondahmann sentiment at all..we live to earn money,respect,appreciation.everybody wants to be better than his peer and and above all to satisfy our egos of having bettered our frnds/family.U can introspect and choose to call me a megalomaniac or accept the above put forth argument.Period.
too long ..sorry :)
couldnt resist...A few more additions..
Up to 1,50,000
Up to 1,80,000 (for women)
Up to 2,25,000 (for resident individual of 65 years or above) NIL
1,50,001 – 3,00,000 10%
3,00,001 – 5,00,000 20%
5,000,001 upwards 30%
So much for tax thing...there is a education cess on the tax tat u pay .And i dint say tat the poem talks about NRI who leaves home for studies/job..so ur defending the poem was not necessary at all..prolly u dint get the last line of my first comment properly :)
"And you get people to do all kinds of jobs in your house. Here, you might be the CEO of a company but have to wash your car yourself or pay a whopping $4000 to get a person to maintain it. In India, that is not the case."
what is the purpose of these stmts in ur comment????..I think it is the same everywhere...
superficial gibbering prater, lol! I choose to have the sondha mann concept because I miss my home city. If you choose not to have the feeling or acknowledge the fact that you miss your home city, that's totally upto you. We cannot say what emotions the other person should and shouldn't have,right? If you feel that the sondha mann concept is total BS, so be it. I accept that you have your view on it but I don't approve of that view. Nor should you expect my approval of it. About the CEO and $4000 stmt, I just put it in simply because things ARE cheaper in India than in other countries. Anyways, good discussion :)
Alpine - Just caught "Annapoorna Coffee " - Namma ooraa !
No wonder i relate to this poem , quite the same way as you.
Am in Chennai and not too far from little "annapoorna coffee" town ! Still feel the same. Though i'ven't lived long out of India, 2 months was the most i could handle ! I would yearn to run back to the land of " 40% illiterate struggling farmers " and join the "fight for survival among the middle class men " !!!!
Besides, what is there to create, build and dream about in a land where there is an organised system for everything !!
karthikeyan...kk, very true! Are you from C as well? cool! :) Btw, after being in our home town, I just seem to find something or the other wrong at every other place(mostly its the climate which takes the brunt :D What to do? C has such a good climate) And I totally accept with the last statement of yours. India is a place where lots more can be done and the impact would be stronger. What else does a person who wants to DO something want?
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