Pehchaan' - Identity
Coming to college made me question something that I’ve never thought about before. Questions about what city I belonged to: the one I was born and raised in or the one I currently live in.
People around me seem to have a simpler idea of their nationality. Their clarity leaves me filled with astonishment. I can’t fathom the ease with which people can answer this question: where are you from?
In the past eighteen years I’ve moved between three countries. The process of relocating has made me want to connect to my Indian roots more, as I adapt to a new city, its culture, people, language and social customs.
As a four-year-old that moved from India to Dubai, I used to be confused about which faith I belonged to. I heard the Azaan—the morning prayer at the masjid—every morning from my window while prayer bells rang in my house as my mother performed her morning prayers, a typical Hindu ritual to start the day off. I came to the realization that I was a Hindu girl growing up in an Islamic country. I grew up celebrating both Diwali and Eid with the same excitement, despite the fact that they are entirely different religious holidays with different cultural roots. I learned to embrace the luxury of celebrating two drastically different cultures. Just as I had begun to accept myself as a double-culture child, however, a third culture was thrown onto my palette.
I moved to Mauritius almost 10 years after I had moved to Dubai. Mauritius is an island on the east coast of Madagascar, and yet a large part of its population is of Indian origin. The religious and family culture is similar to that of India with some significant French influence due to its history as a French colony. I used to think that I was a person of Indian origin with a hint of influence from Arab culture from Dubai, but moving to Mauritius forced me to adopt new customs to fit in with society. I began to question who I was again. But slowly Mauritius made me realize that I am a reflection of the country I am in; I can be Indian and yet have a sense of individuality as to how I can carry my Indian roots. This island is a place where different cultures, ideals, lifestyles and social norms from throughout history came together as a well-mixed cocktail. This helped me embrace how I carried more than one culture with me at all times.
The people, cuisine, culture, and lifestyle of these three countries have filled my heart, mind, and soul. I hope to keep these memories as safe as I can so that I can continue to call these places home. After much soul searching, I realized that ‘where are you from?’ does not have a concrete answer. I may have an Indian passport, but a part of me will always be a Dubai kid and an island girl from Mauritius. I am from none of these countries completely, and yet I am still a part of all three.