Racism.

One word Racism, the most controversial, the most overwhelming word for any one.
I come from a land where everyone is the same colour, we all mostly speak the same language. Sure, like any country we all have our differences but when I came to Australia I truly understood the meaning of this word and how it effects everyone. People told me that Australia is the least racist country, I don't know if it is or not. India and Melbourne are the only two places I have ever seen in my life so I can't really compare, but even if it is the least racist country does it make it any better or worse?

Honestly, speaking I have not faced racism as such, I have been lucky enough to work or make friends with people who have better things to think about than which race is better or which is bad. Sure, a lot of people I came across have mentioned that I have a slight Indian accent and I wonder if it is actually bad? I mean who doesn't have an accent? Italians have an accent, so do Australians, American and every country that exist. So, why is Indian accent made fun of so much? English is not our first language and thus it is hard for a lot us to sometimes understand other accents or speak fluently because we have to first translate whatever you say to us in our language and then to english. That is just the language, what about colour? we didn't decide what colour we were going to be born in, we didn't even have choice did we? So, should people be looked down upon for not being able to chose the colour of their skin?

There was a restaurant I was working in long time back when I had just come to Australia on Lygon Street. and I had manager who kept asking me to work on my accent and change it to sound more Australian. I never bothered about him, I would not change my identity for anyone. Similarly, sometime back two guys were fighting at the station and one person said to the other, that he should go back to his country. This annoyed me, I mean what does it even mean, everyone is a migrant here. So, since when did any piece of land become theirs or ours? Frankly, I find these people to be not only shallow but also too free with no purpose in their lives to have so much of time to think about hating people and think of themselves as a better race. There is a saying in our country "Atithi Devo bhava" which means Guests are like God. Most of us you will find will welcome you warmly, respect you and open their homes to you. So if I have or any one else, come to your country wouldn't you welcome us?

I have never understood this concept of racism and probably never will. I have never thought of myself better or worse than anyone and probably never will. When will other people join me in this fight against the very thought of racism. We all after all,  breath the same air, drink the same water (San pelligrino not count as different it is still made of the same substance) so when the nature does not discriminate why should we? life is too short to fight over such small issues and no one has ever gained any thing in return.  It is just not worth it.