Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Whitewash

Spencer Plaza, Madras, Tamil Nadu

What are all these white people doing here?

I'm serious, where do they all come from? And why are they all wearing baseball hats? Really,
back in the good old days three years ago, India used to be like that Richard Pryor joke about white tourists in Africa (total strangers waving desperately at each other from across the road). Now honkies are becoming commonplace (and dressed so poorly I am ashamed to consort with their likes). I think most of them are Christian missionaries. That would explain the lousy clothes.

Then again, missionary women are usually dutifully covered up in chaste churidars with chunni round their necks, as well they should be, particularly if they want to do any serious work here. Who are these lard-laden people in tank tops and tight-fitting shorts, trundling their shopping bags up and down the escaltors, shoulders red with sunburn? I suspect German tourists, but they look as though they came from a time tunnel straight from central Iowa. Well, the more there are of them, the less I will be hounded by rickshaw-bandits and touts ("Meddem! Meddem! Looking is free" - really? yeah well, looking is ALWAYS free) - they will head for less Indian looking victims.

There goes the neighborhood! (tsk)

4 comments:

Libran Lover said...

Glad to see the location on this post. :-)

Shinu Mathew said...

Anyway Christian Missionaries are gonnna face a tough time. There are plans to make conversion against the law. The BJP is so concerned about their votebank, that they fear one day Hindu's will be minorities here.
But they don't agree that apart from a few, the missionaries are doing charity and if it not for them, there wouldn't have been many of the Hospitals, schools and other stuff.

Sirensongs: Indologist At Large said...

For Shinu: I agree, the anti-conversion people seem to have missed this essential point, that had they not ignored their all-important vote bank they might never have lost them to Christianity. Now they are trying desperately to act like they care. The #1 reason for conversion, as far as I can see, is that the people receive the best social services from the Christians. This is neither a statement for nor against conversion, just looking a the motivations of the convertees.

Shinu Mathew said...

Someone commented in my blog was fiercely opposing conversions said Hindu organizations are doing doing much same charity among them. Or more. I can't see then why ppl still convert. Or is it forceful conversion?
Anyway it's getting a an all-important agenda of Hindutva advoates. Coming days will unveil more of their intentions.