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I REFER to Mr Shashi Tharoor's Review article last Friday, 'Doing away with them and us', concerning the divide between expatriate Indians and Indian Singaporeans. I believe the divide between expatriates of Mr Tharoor's class and local Indians, is elucidated by the fact that no two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality.
We have to take this in juxtaposition with the caste system of Mr Tharoor's country. The caste system plays a substantial part also in how Mr Tharoor thinks. We have the Brahmin at the top and the Untouchable at the bottom, with different layers of status sandwiched by the top and bottom levels.
It is clear that the writer does not think highly of the Tamil working class when he refers to the 'global Indians' in America as educated, professionally successful and well-off.
In other words, we have in America the caste system carried from India where global Indians are the superior breed to the Tamil working class (if any in America).
As long as this mindset persists, there will be a division.
Dudley Au
IS INDIFFERENCE THE REASON?
'Unfortunately, these people don't know and don't want to know about our local festivals like Thaipusam.''
MR BIKAR SINGH, commenting about the separation between expatriate and local Indians
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