An open letter to a distressed Southern lass

( Old post.. dated  Sun , May 22,2011 from Viewpoints; http://chronicler-abhi.blogspot.in/2011_11_01_archive.html)

In response to the blog " An open letter to a Delhi Boy" :

http://raagshahana.blogspot.com/2011/09/open-letter-to-delhi-boy.html

Stumbled across this blog via Facebook, and though it’s been quite some time since this was posted, let me hazard a few opinions.

Having stayed in Delhi for 3.5+ years, I have seen the best and worst among Delhiites.Kindly let me point out that Delhi is not a Punjabi bastion today anymore. It is much more cosmopolitan than any other city I have stayed in, and, missy, I have stayed in all the 4 corners of this country.

I agree to an extent about Punjabi loudness (they are a boisterous people), but it depends on which section of the society you are dealing with. You can’t expect a Munda from Lajpat Nagar to play the Mridangam, can you? But if you by chance happen to accidentally stumble across a place called the NSD (National School of Drama), or the IHC (India Habitat Centre), you would probably find your pretentiousness falling apart.

There are some awful people and some good people- Delhiites are known to be aggressive by nature, but hey, are Chennaites doves of peace when they speak in their own language in front of you, relishing the fact that you can’t enjoy a word of it? I faced this at my college hostel, quite frequently. That of course didn’t stop me from developing friendships with people in the community. I give full marks to the Kannadigas and Telugus, though ; they are much more open minded- no doubt outsiders feel much more comfortable at Bangalore and Hyderabad than they do at Trivandrum or Chennai. So much for your depiction of the “South”, missy- the “South” is not a homogeneous zone, as any person with an iota of brain would probably know.

I can boast about my own community, dear madam. Bengal has produced some of the greatest artists, writers, intellectuals and achievers this country has ever known. But that doesn’t make me a Bengali chauvinist.

Punjab is loud, my dear, but believe me when I say this- you won’t find a more hospitable people, who still believe in Mehmannawazi.Let them stay their own way, with their " distorted sex ratio" , “voluptuous shaved Punjabi bosoms”, et al- you can always migrate south of the Vindhyas when you feel so uncomfortable.

I agree with your point about” Southie chicks being mentally stimulating”, and yes, I would prefer to talk to an intelligent Southern girl any day, but hey, who told you that others aren’t ? After all, I am not going shouting from the roof top about Bengali women being sooooo charming, am I?

Is Delhi a safe place for women? No. Is it a culturally active place? Definitely yes. Place of boors? Probably yes, if you are staying in Kalkaji/ Lajpat Nagar. Definite NO if you’re staying in CR Park, RK Puram or GK-2. It depends on what you’re experiences have had, lady; you simply can’t generalize.

I could go on writing, but I guess this is too long a response already. You are no doubt keeping a tab on the number of responses, pasting them on your facebook profile, and basking in your Outlook coverage-induced fame. And on that count, I must say- smart marketing move for yourself, lady- very important indeed in this age of TRPs. South Indians are intelligent, as you have pompously pointed out, and you have shown true intelligence in taking the short cut to fame.

Despite the diatribe, I enjoyed reading your blog-it was hilarious. Solid entertainment. If only you could be more humorous and less chauvinistic.