[Reader-list] The Mango Tree

Tue Apr 28 18:35:19 IST 2009

Dear Inder

Calling a "baniya" a "baniya" is certainly not racist.

But, saying that (to paraphrase) "baniyas have a natural tendency to think about their personal benefits only"  certainly sounds racist when you attribute such a (seemingly) negative quality to all of those who are "baniyas". 

Wait. It doesnt just sound racist but is a racist comment. Not much "love" in that.

Please continue your search for the "Real Mango". You best know what you are looking for. To each one her/his own search.

Kshmendra

--- On Tue, 4/28/09, Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Mango Tree
To: "reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 4:05 PM

Thanks dear Kshmendra

to call Baniya as a baniya is not racist as i know, like jat, like brahmin

i further said, that it is a limited idea, that squarely means i dont
support calling baniyas as baniyas, but it is popular expression, and
we all know how baniyas are traditionally known to be business minded
people, only....

anyway, that is that

my question still remains, a serious one,

have u ever tasted a Real Mango ? if yes, please describe, its shape,
its taste, its colour,

with love
inder salim

On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 2:56 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
wrote:
> """""" The 70-G-wallay are Baniyas (the
traditional business community) and
> hence have a natural tendency to think about their personal benefits
> only.""""""
>
> Natural tendency ? Sounds very racist.
>
> Derogatory remarks about "baniyas" crop up most often on the
Pakistani
> Media. It is more specific. It is the "Hindu Baniya". It used be
taught that
> way in Pakistani school textbooks. Do not know if it still is.
>
> Kshmendra
>
> --- On Mon, 4/27/09, Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Reader-list] The Mango Tree
> To: "reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Date: Monday, April 27, 2009, 10:14 PM
>
> --
> THE MANGO TREE
> The centre of the universe is not the place where I am standing, but
> the Mango Tree in front of my balcony. But because of different
> seasons its centre of importance shifts,  particularly when there are
> no mangoes on its branches. Almost a decade back, when I shifted into
> my flat, there was no such tree over there, but indeed a structure
> conducive for the growth of a Mango Tree, or any other tree, was
> always there. This space where these small and big trees exist belongs
> to the entire colony, a public space,  where people relish their
> evening strolls, or let  their children jump a little, and also
> scatter biscuit and chocolate wrapper around, carelessly. The Trees
> are mostly non-fruity ones, so everything is cool, except this Mango
> Tree.
> Right now, the entire colony is talking about this mango tree, but the
> flats which are directly facing this mango tree are constantly
> thinking about it. I am also looking at the mango tree, but among
> other things, what puzzles me is the question why the tree gives birth
> to hundreds of mangoes when it does not want its entire crop to grow?
> As I notice some little green mangoes keep on falling on the earth,
> naturally. Why? It fascinates me. This is perhaps, what we call
> mysteries of the nature, so no need to interfere or worry on that
> account.   But still there are plenty of mangoes on the tree, and
> everybody is silently looking at them, who simply want to eat them.
> But there is some helplessness in their looking at them.
> The reason for this is that the 70-G-wallay (family living in the
> Ground floor) happened to water this mango tree sometimes , and now
> they have the birth right to harvest the entire crop of this tree.
> True, I am witness to that, but I doubt if they  actually  had planted
> the tree. I believe, somebody had carelessly thrown a mango kernel
> into the park which has given birth to this controversial tree.  The
> 70-F-wallay, 70-S- wallay, and 70-T-wallay (families living in First,
> Second and Top floor) feel that they too have the right to eat some
> mangoes. These families live closer to this tree, but other families
> which are facing it too have the similar desire but, I guess the
> intensity of the desire to eat these mangoes is directly proportional
> to the distance of the eyes that are looking at this mango tree.
> The trouble is that the 70-G-wallay leave no stone unturned to ensure
> that the mango tree is under their control during the crop time. They
> don’t even let a singing bulbul, or a peaceful dove, let alone stray
> colony monkeys to come near this mango tree.    They use all the ways
> and means to keep the other away from the reach of this tree.  They
> must have even counted the number of mangoes on the tree which are
> still unripe, quite green but distinguishable from the green of its
> foliage. The 70-G-wallay are Baniyas (the traditional business
> community) and hence have a natural tendency to think about their
> personal benefits only. I must say, with some confidence, that such
> families are the predecessor families of the entire world capitalism,
> like monkey is known as the predecessor of the man. A limited thought,
> but business is usually created to be inherited by their successors,
> usually sons. So, there is a tradition, to own the factory, an orchid,
> an oil well etc.  Right now, here in this colony, there are people who
> want the entire mango tree to be felled since they don’t get their
> share of mangoes, but there are people who are content with the idea
> of a tree alone. Although, the later category of people are quite in
> minority but they are happy that there is a place for a dove to make a
> nest, or twig for a squirrel  to jump from this tree to another tree.
> Yes, some children from outside,  say from other underprivileged
> families, whom I guess have never tasted a mango in their life, do
> come and try to steal a mango or two from this tree  by throwing a
> stone or a small stick. The 70-G-Wallay quickly come out from their
> flat and use all kinds of popular vernacular to chase them away. The
> rest of families again remain silent, who otherwise would not like
> these outside children to venture into the protected colony, where I
> too happen to own a flat.
> The result is that every year, the 70-G-wallay harvest the unripe crop
> lest it might be shared or stolen by others. The entire unripe-unripe
> crop is harvested, because the fear of losing the crop intensifies
> with the passing of each day, which is just good enough for  ordinary
> pickle at the best. The real mangos never see the light of the day.
> I don’t about the whole world, but in India, the nature of business is
> such that the entire crop of Mangoes is usually plucked from the
> branches while it is still growing, still green. The golden fruit
> becomes golden only in the dark rooms of Mandi (Fruit markets) where
> they are dumped for couple of days, or weeks, to hit the stalls on the
> very day they turn golden, golden red or golden green.  Who knows if
> some chemicals are injected into the mangoes to give them a more
> golden look, or make turn them even tastier? After all we are lured by
> products which are masked, glossed, either on TV, cinema, or in the
> Malls, or in the life directly. After all, the idea of mango is
> usually smarter than the actual mango.
> But there are spaces where Mangoes are allowed to turn golden on the
> trees itself, and subsequently relished with their maximum sugar and
> vitamin levels. But, as we know that is outside the structure of
> business and people like 70-G-wallay don’t have a clue about that. So,
> has anybody ever tasted a real mango?
> The question is that there is just one mango tree, and thousands of
> eyes on its couple of hundred odd mangoes on the tree. Right now, the
> people like 70-G-wallay who control the production of plant don’t let
> the mangos grow naturally. So they too have not tasted a mango, and
> neither let others to taste a real ripe one.
> So  has anybody tasted a real mango, if there is one, and if yes, who
> deserves to eat that, and relish?
> please press to see mangoes
> http://pics.livejournal.com/indersalim/pic/000hz44h/
> With love
> Inder salim
> http://indersalim.livejournal.com
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