Madarasee to Malayali

I used to remember a time when anybody and everybody hailing from southern India was called a Madarasee. This was rampant during my parents generation. But even in my own, I had to inform at least one aquaintance that it was an incorrect usage. In recent times, there are more references to the Malayali and I find that in general, more people have become aware that there are actually different states down south and not just one city. Is it because there is no more a place called Madras that has brought about this transition? I don't think such triviality would bring about the change in generalized nomenclature. I am more inclined to believe that one factor is that the the Malayali has made a mark and the other being that, more and more people are refusing to continue to be arrogantly ignorant.

I hope anybody reading this blog and feeling that I woke up to this fact pretty late, would forgive me. In my defense I would like to mention that I do not usually think along lines of regionalism, neither by giving it much weightage nor by taking part in any discussions of this nature. Even though I may avoid the battle for supremacy of regions, I do acknowledge two things. One is that none of us had a choice in being born in our respective category. Two, there is nothing we can do about it irrespective of which end of the spectrum our feelings of the same may reside in.

So to come back to the topic of the malayali nomenclature. It was indeed a surprise to see so many celebrities wishing "Happy Onam" the past week on twitter. I had no idea that they knew about this festival that is supposedly celebrated by all Keralites or Malayalikal. My thoughts along these lines was further propelled when I got to see Idea's recent ad that was posted on twitter by Abhishek Bachan. Great to know that people don't actually give you a blank stare when you tell them that you are a malayali. I really used to find that kind of ignorance among Indian's irritating. Over the past few years, it seems that, the malayali has made an identity for himself or herself.