Don't these guys pretend that Southern Parts of India refer to either the nether regions, or at best, another country? I guess they would not have any issues if Shillong and Delhi were clubbed together as 'northern parts of India'...
Ravi,
Come on! All he is saying is that for a 'foreigner' and thus a gnAna SUnyam, she did well, not only in her singing, but in singing the words clearly too. He is surprised and pays her compliments too, for her feat.
Reminds me of something which happened forty years ago.
A town in New Jersey--a store, my three year old daughter plucking a book of DR. Seuss out of the rack, gets absorbed in it. Madame shopper who has never seen an indian woman in her life from the jungles of India smiles at me, gesticulates, points to my daughter, and says: very...good!...she...can...read...english! Smart!...she will teach...you...some...day!
young lady deserves to be lavishly complimented for being able not only to understand and converse in chaste Hindi, but also to utter the textual contents of the songs without even the slightest tinge or intonation of her mother tongue,
This back handed compliment should be rejected with the contempt it deserves !! What a joke !! For well over 50 years, people of South Indian origin, be it from Tamilnadu, Kerala or Andrah have mastered the Hindi language, not due to any compulsion other than sheer survival in the country.
Perhaps, this gentleman and people similar to him, where ever they come from should wake up smell the air !!
I grew up in Chennai but worked in New Delhi for about three years in the seventies. While I enjoyed north indian food and woolies in winter, my punjabi work mates many times made me feel I need a visa to live and work there. Their condescending attitudes towards south indians (i.e. anyone from south of Vindya mountains - commonly addressed in a derogatory way as madrasis), feigned ignorance of south india in general, mispronouncing most of the names were nothing but cruel and designed to make one feel second class to say the least. But on the brighter side I believe I benefited by choosing the job in the capital (if one admits living in the west is indeed a benefit) because I am sure had I stayed in chennai I wouldn't have left the country. I am sure not all punjabis in delhi are disposed this way. There must have been good souls as well. Just my misfortune I didn't get to know them.
Rahm.
We come across ignorance everywhere--whether it be the other side of Vindhyas or the Alps. Regions have nothing to do with it. Prejudice mostly arises from ignorance and the fear of the unknown.
And your daughter has taught you well Arasi