Middle - The Ponytail Man

The ponytail man
by Jupinderjit Singh

Wearing a ponytail is no easy task in this part of the world. It is just not part of our culture. When I first took to this ishtyle, my wife dismissed it as “an ugly sparrow tail” announcing that she liked me in the turban more. My mother said I had to do a ‘ponytail’ one day as I was always living like an animal dirtying the house around.

A female journalist in Ludhiana took a special liking to it. She would strategically sit behind me at the press conferences to take revenge from mankind. “All my life and especially in school, boys teased girls pulling their plaits or ponytails. Now , I can get back to all of them through you.” So, at press conferences, or wherever I saw her, I had to keep more attention behind than front.

Beggars embarrass me the most. They take me as a rich NRI and keep calling, “Ammricaaa waale munde, kujh de ja.” At weddings especially in the villages, they are after you like anything. You can’t get rid of them by giving Rs 10 or Rs 50. They throw it back, “Ambricaa waale munde, dollar shollar de,” (American boy, we would accept dollars only).

Once I was visiting a school in a suburb of Ludhiana for a news story. I had hardly stepped inside when a boy saw me from the window of his classroom on the second floor, “Look, gutt wala bhai,” (see, a man with a ponytail). His entire class and then students from other classes also perched out calling me “gutt wala bhai, gutt wala bhai.”

When people say it is not our culture, I think of an incident in Jaipur, where a senior politician earned the ire of youngsters saying Malls were not part of Indian culture and holding hands while roaming around in such places was against our culture. He had to withdraw his statement when youngsters opposed it tooth and nail arguing India was a land of kamasutra and Khajuraho temples also.

Now, holding hands has different meanings in different countries. A Canadian journalist visiting Punjab shared her dilemma with this writer. “Is being gay cool in India,” she asked.

“No, why?” I asked.

“I see men hugging each other on the streets and talking holding hands. Girls also hold each other’s hands and hug. Back in Canada, only gays do this.” I explained to her the Punjabi culture of men hugging each other and just holding hands, at times, playfully checking and exhibiting their strength, so typical of college youths.”

She was surprised “Strange, girls and boys meant to hold each other’s hands walk at a distance while they playfully hold hands of their own gender.” When I explained, exhibiting love openly is not Indian culture and covering oneself completely in public was considered good morals, her male colleague left me speechless with another query. “I don’t understand what the real Indian culture is. There are decently dressed girls on the street but all girls on posters of films and advertisements are naked or scantily dressed. Which is real India and which is real culture?”

(Middle no 13 : published in The Tribune dated : February 15, 2011)

link : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110215/edit.htm#5