However, these incidents of attacks on the people from Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and the poorer parts of the country had me speaking to people about it, and some of the information I was made privy to was quite interesting. While what I know is applicable to Bangalore, an educated extrapolation or some parallel research would indeed confirm that the same thing would be applicable to other cities as well, which have a substantial immigrant population from these regions.
One of my good friends who lives here and works at my office is from Allahabad, and speaks chaste Hindi like those in North India (North of the Hebbal Flyover as a certain Monkee would say). This guy has provided me with specific instances of times when auto-drivers, gas-cylinder suppliers, curtain makers and other people who’re also from up north (Bihar, MP, UP, Chattisgarh) have been extra nice to him, and have helped him get his work done faster, and for a discount rate, which they would rarely provide for other people not from their region.
While some people say that it is quite tough in the absence of local language knowledge to survive and mingle effectively with the junta of a place and get your work done, I feel that if you’re able to tap into the network of people that are from around the same place as yourself, as in this instance with the Bhaiyya network, you’d be comfortable without facing too many problems.
This in effect would negate the settling-in blues that most people have while moving to a new place.
In fact, I think that if I were to live in any city other than Bangalore, I’d try to hunt for Kannada speaking people (Konkani speaking people are a rarity) and seek their assistance under appropriate circumstances.
my best friend’s family is north indian, though he’s born and brought up here. Most of my friends are north indians….as long as you speak the local lingo, no one has any problems with you..
KannaDa thing is a de-facto must for me anywhere I travel around the world. I don’t mean disrespect to other languages. But somehow I guess I’m just used to talk KannaDa. And I second you on seeking assistance from our own ilk. Even I do that.
oh well! its pretty normal to seek your kind! i mean all desis bond abroad types!
what irks me is when you refuse to let anyone be a part of it! speaking in a language that others dont understand is the biggest part of it! pisses the hell outta me!
cheers!
@Devrat,
True, but it is important beyond measure to know the local lingo or atleast show genuine interest and inclination in picking it up, either in parts or in full.
@Mysooruhuduga,
True, if I have N languages in common with someone, with N being the total number of languages I know, the order in which I would go about conversing with them would be Konkani, Kannada, English and then Hindi.
Comfort level fundas.
@Hari,
totally true.
@Abha,
All desis bonding abroad is something I’m not quite going to agree with. I’ve been out on short term trips and have made friends with some Desis abroad, but I’ve also made it a point to avoid quite a sizeable number of them after a few encounters.