media|politics|dissent

OfHousing,JobsandEverydayCommunalism:SaidalaviP.C.
AUGUST5,2015
byAdityaNigam
GuestpostbySAIDALAVIP.C.

tags:corporatediscrimination,Muslims,ReemShamsuddin,SaidalaviP.C.,ZeeshanKhan

Truegenerosityconsistspreciselyinghtingtodestroythecauseswhichnourishfalsecharity
PauloFreire,PedagogyoftheOppressed
Ontheeveningof21February,2015IandmyfriendwalkedthroughthenarrowlinesofVasantKunj,NewDelhilookingforan
accommodationforhim.Onbothsidesofnarrowroads,threestoriedbuildingsblockedsunraysreachingtheground.Hereandthere
scrapheapassaultedournostrilsandaockofbeesandmosquitoeshoveredaroundtheareakeepingwatch.Oureyeswadedthroughthe
gatesofthebuildingslookingforasignboardannouncingvacancies.Wepushedagateopenandenteredthebuildinglookingforthe
owner.Amiddleagedmanannouncedhispresencepushinghisbellyinfrontofhim.Weasked,roomkoikhalihai,bhayya(Isthereany
roomvacant,brother?)Hescrutinisedusforamoment.Maybenonplussedbyseeingnomarksofouridentity(wearecleanshaven,well
dressed,normativesecularselfwithsupposedlyaneutralidentityinpublic)hewasbitconfusedandhislipscontortedabittowardsthe
left.Impassively,henoddedustofollowhimsincetheroomwasonthesecondoor.Myfriendwasvisiblysatisedbytheroom,itwas
wellfurnished,withabathroom,kitchenandabalcony.Hesaidhewouldtakeit.Listeningtoit,theownersfacehadtakenabitmore
seriousexpression,andatlastheaskedwhatournamesare.Itseemedourneutralidentitywasthebombhewantedtodiuse.The
momentweueredournames,hisfacialexpressionchangedintoonewhoiscaughtbycolic,hewasstartledandushed,andhisears
instantlybecamered.Wewereunabletomakesenseofwhathewasthinking.Then,hespokehoarselyandtoldustoleaveimmediately.

instantlybecamered.Wewereunabletomakesenseofwhathewasthinking.Then,hespokehoarselyandtoldustoleaveimmediately.
HesaidthatifhehadknownearlierthatwewereMuslims,hewouldnthaveinvitedustoseetherooms.HeneverletroomstoMuslims.
WetriedtoreasonwithhimbyaskingwhyheisnotrentingittoMuslims.
Hereplied,here,peoplearelookingforpeace,youknow,wedontfeelokaywithMuslimsinthesurroundings.Wefeltslappedacross
thefaceandsuddennumbnessheldournervestight.Wecouldnotmusterupthecouragetosayanythingfurtherandweimmediatelygot
out.Ourthroatshadbecomesuddenlydryasifwehadeatenalotofsalt.Overwhelmedbysucharesponse,wecouldnttalktoeachother
foramomentevenafterreachingontheroad.Intheotherbuildingsweannouncedouridentityrsttoavoidsuchhumiliation.Weheard
similarresponsesfromallthebuildings.Wewerestruckbytheeasewithwhichlandlordsintheareaairedcommentslikewedontrent
toMuslims,theyeatmeatandimpuretheambience,youlooksomewhereelse;hereitmustbediculttogetaroom.Wecouldnotgeta
roominthewholeareaandmyfriendultimatelygotaroominOkhlanearbyJamiaMilliaIslamia,popularlyknowninmainstream
discoursesasamohallaofPakistan.
SuchexperiencesarepartofMuslimlifeworldsespeciallyinthemetropolissuchasNewDelhiandMumbai.Theeverydaynessofsuch
practicesandhumiliationhascategorisedsuchexperiencesasgivenandordinary.Buttworecentinstancescompelustoreectonsuch
experiencesinslightlydierentways.

MBA graduate denied job by diamond export rm in Mumbai f...

Thesetwoinstancescaughttheimaginationofoursocialmediarecently.Whileinonecase,whenanapplicantwasdeniedajobjustfor
beingaMusliminMumbai,inthesecondcase,avisuallyhandicappedfemaleassistantprofessorofDelhiUniversitywasdeniedrented
accommodationforbeingaMuslim.Mostofthepeopleonthesocialmediaexpressedwholesalecontemptforsuchpracticesandeven
expressedtheirdesiretoseetheperpetratorssuedinthecourt.Inbothcases,thevictimstooktothesocialmediaandinthemiddleofsuch
hullabaloosgotsomekindofareprieve.Inamediatisedsocietysuchasours,wewitnessedaspectaclewhereMuslimswhowereinitially
deniedfundamentalrightslaterseemedtohavegotsomejusticedone.Hurray!Ourliberalconsciencewassatised!Atlast,thejusticeis
done.

Muslim Prof.Dr.Reem video appeal to Arvind Kejriwal

Whatsuchacelebrationoftheascoforestalledisaseriousdiscussionaboutandanawarenessthatsuchexperiencesareeverydayaairs
ofthedisadvantagedsectionsliketheminorities,DalitsandthosefromtheNorthEastinmetropolisinIndia.Suchpracticesunderpublic
eye,asclearasanoseonsomebodysface,butweneverfullymakesenseofthemasanaberration.Eventhoseuponwhomsuch
experiencesaremetedouthaveinternalisedthestatusquobyairingsuchstatementslikethosewhoownpropertymayhavethe
prerogativeofdecidingwhoshouldliveinit.Thisactuallypointstoadeepseatednatureineverysocietywheretheoppressorsandthe
oppressedbecomepartofthesameframeofmindtoperpetrateunequalpractices.Suchindividualisticargumentsshouldbecounteredin
ademocraticpolityifwetrulybelieveinorganisingacommunityofequals.Whilecryingouttorespectivegovernmentstobecognisantof
thesituationandenactcertainlawsissurelyonewayofdealingwiththesituation,itmaynot,initself,bringaboutanystructuralchanges.
Oneofthetrickyquestionsaboutthesituationthatweshouldtakenoteofisthepsychologybehindsuchpractices.Whileitwillbeeasier
todismissthembyaccountingthemasderivingfrommodernformsofuppercasteHindupractices,wewillbemissinganewprocessof
stereotypingcastesandcommunities.Whileithasalwaysbeeneasierfortheuppercastestokeepthelowercastesatarmslengthusing
casteideologies,themethodsbywhichtokeepothercommunitieshastakenvariousformsofracism.Theaudacityandthebodylanguage
withwhichthelandlordsspeaktoyouincasesmentionedearlierwillbesignsenoughtoconveythepresenceofanunwelcomeguestina
neighbourhood,andifyouarestillnotconvincedenoughbythesemiotics,youwillbeholleredat.Thecondenceitselfisaremarkable

neighbourhood,andifyouarestillnotconvincedenoughbythesemiotics,youwillbeholleredat.Thecondenceitselfisaremarkable
specimenoftheeverydaynatureofHindutvapoliticstodaywheretheprideoftheHinduisproclaimedagainandagainneitherby
conductinglargescalecommunalpogromsnorbydestructivemobilisations,butbyinstillingandcodifyinganimageofmasculineHindu
whoknowshowtoconducthimselftowardsothers.Thisstereotypingperpetuatestodayinmultifariousformssuchasgheoization,
denialofjobsandhousingandmostimportantlythroughcommunalviolenceofAtali(inHaryana)kindinwhichlargescaledestruction
ofpropertiesareundertakenwithoutkillingmanypeople.Theneedofthehouristodisentanglesuchmicroformsofdiscoursesand
strategiesandcounteringthemthroughorganisedprotestsandstruggles,ratherthancelebratingmediatised,individualincidentsas
superiorformsofjusticetosatisfyourliberalconscience.Oneofthewaystoconfrontsuchmaliciouscampaignsandmobilisationscould
betoformactiongroupsatlocallevelthewayDalitmovementsorganisedmilitantstrugglesinrecenttimes.Weshouldalsoremember,as
PauloFreirehasforcefullyremindedus,truegenerosityliesinrootingouttheevilsatthebase,notsomuchinliberal,middleclass
celebrationsofdiscrimination,victimhoodandvictory.
SaidalaviP.C.isPhDCandidateattheCentrefortheStudyofSocialSystems,JNU
fromBadideas,Culture,EverydayLife,Identities,Law,Rightwatch

3Comments leaveone
1.thahirr PERMALINK
August5,20157:05PM
ItisnotjustacaseofmetropolislikeDelhiorMumbai,Iampostedinkarimganjwhichisinassam,aFrontiertownatBangladesh
border,IwaspolitelytoldbyHindulandlordsandmycolleaguestondrentedroominmytypepeoplearea,whichturnedoutto
be2kmawayfrommyworkplace,althoughroomsareavailableinvicinityofmyworkplaceiwasdeniedthesame,nowallmy
colleaguesstaynearworkplacewhileItraveltoandfroconstantlyremindedofmyidentity
REPLY
2.Vinayak PERMALINK
August5,20157:49PM
IthinkitwouldbeinterestingtoreadthispostinthelightofsetofaitudesperpetuatedbyprivateersinIndia.
PrivateersarethoseideologueswhomaintainabeliefthatapublicgoodisyourrightbutIwouldprivatiseit.
ShekharGupta,TavleenSingh,SurjitBhalla,SunilAlag,GurcharanDas,VikramMehta,PronoyRoy,RaghavBehlallrepresent
dierentshadesofaprivateeringmindset.

Abeliefthatcapitalismisinherentlygoodandblindtoreligion,caste,gender,age,regionisperpetuatedonourconsciousnessbythese

Abeliefthatcapitalismisinherentlygoodandblindtoreligion,caste,gender,age,regionisperpetuatedonourconsciousnessbythese
worthies.Abeliefwhichdoesnotcomewithanycredibleevidence.
Ifcapitalismisblindtoanydiscrimination,thenwhycantacustomer,whoiswillingtopay,cantconsumeacommodity?Whydoes
hehavetofeelashamed,tobehumiliated,tobestrippedofhisdignitywheneverhedesirestoconsume?Privateersbedamned!
Afterallatenantisacustomerwhowantstorentacommodityieahouseforapaymentofmoney.Thispostshowshowcapitalismhas
hardenedcommunalsentimentsratherthanweakenedit.
Shelter,food,clothing,education,health,adecentjob,alivingwage,acleanenvironmentandallgeneralutilitieslikewater,roads,
electricityarepublicgoods.
Whycantallcitizensaccesspublicgoodsasamaerofright?
REPLY
3.ChandanChakraborty PERMALINK
August6,20158:58PM
ABengaliwillfaceVerysimilarproblemtondanapartmentinmanycitiesinIndia,suchasChennai.Thisisonlybecausemost
Bengalisarenonvegetarians.EvenaHinduBrahminBengaliwillhaveextremedicultyndinganapartmentatChennai.
REPLY

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