Narrow-minded Nincompoops

I am blogging after a long time cos I am pissed. I haven't been this angry in a couple of years.

Among the North Indians, there has always been a small Hindu Uttar Pradesi community in Singapore that comes together for festivals, events and prayer. The kinsmenship is alive, and so is the gossip. Typical Indian-society style issues- I dont need to say more.

Recently, there was a wedding. About 60 guests from the UP community were invited- only 12 turned up. Why? Because the woman, RN, married a muslim man and converted to Islam.

I'm so shocked.

This is taking immaturity and narrow-mindednes to a new level. In this day and age, and in a such modern city where inter-racial and inter-religious marriages are common- I'm disgusted from my community can have such lowly thinking...

Is this some village in India? There is a reason why these people are in Singapore and not in rural corners-- Have they forgotten this? It is laudable to preserve traditions and heritage in a 'foreign' and modern land--- but when you have a choice about what to leave intact, why preserve the evil with the good???

Also, you'll hear many people in the UP community lamenting about how God is one, and we all have different ways of reaching Him. If this is not hypocrisy, I dont know what is! The best part is this--- the children of most of these Uncles and Aunties have married (or will marry) non-Uttar Pradesis, Non-indians, Christians and Buddhists! The only difference here, is that N has chosen to adopt Islam.

And why is that a problem? If they have a personal issue with Muslims, and think its difficult or inconvenient to convert to Islam-- they can keep their prejudice in their own hearts. No one is telling THEM to marry a muslim and convert! We do not attend weddings to make a philosophical or religious statement- we join the families to share in their joy and wish the couple a happy married life!!! It is RNs full right to make a bold decision about her life. Whether this is simple or difficult, she has agreed to a lifestyle change-- and that's none of the community's business.

My parents told the bride's family that they couldnt make it for the wedding because we had a family function ourselves. When my mum later went to congratulate the bride's mum, she teared and confided how upset she was that people could do this to her. How SAD the bride's parents must have felt! Its like ostracizing and punishing the family...and its EVIL. Its insensitive, immature, backward, disgusting...

Mum, Mahesh and I feel terrible. If I had known about this, I'd have taken all my friends along to the wedding!

No wonder younger Uttar Pradesis in Singapore dont seem to want to acknowledge this community. Has India itself has moved lightyears ahead and left its lowly and unthinking deposits in the form of the UP community in Singapore?

My loyalties to my own (country, school, religion etc) are always reasonable and fair: I acknowledge the negative attributes, and I'm proud of the positive parts... However, I see no excuse for this behaviour... I am truly ashamed.