pieces gathered up

 Clocks may err, but Savio Fonseca will not. He was at our door exactly at 6:30. We headed towards the Socorro Plateau, a biodiversity hotspot and a laterite plateau with lush monsoon grass cover in Goa. Until we turned onto the road that diverges from the main road, we listened to his talk; he gave us a picture of the place we were visiting and the birds we might spot. He said it would be lucky if we could see an Amur Falcon – many birders here are disappointed for not having a sighting, even though they diligently try during their visits. On the way, Rajyashree Dutt joined us. Sarmila and I are not hardcore birders, but Rajyashree is. Soon, we were on a nature walk in the Socorro Plateau. A few dogs were waiting for Fonseca; he gave them Pavs (bread). The dogs wagged their tails and nibbled at the bread. The sun had not yet risen; it eventually appeared in front of my camera. We remained silent, listening to the sounds of birds. We saw perching and flying birds. Fonseca taught ...

How to deal with racism and enmity based on religion and caste is not an easy question to answer, nor is there a convincing resolution readily available. If people believe that having a white complexion is an advantage, or that being born into the Brahmin caste carries inherent value, then simply asking them to be kind and behave democratically does not solve the issue. One can choose to withdraw from democracy; one can isolate oneself, immune to all appeals for change. There is little point in revolting against a Brahmin or a white person for their self-understanding as privileged beings, because they will not recognise the reason behind the revolt and will resist in return. However, if we explain to them—and to ourselves—why these identifications arose, we can dismantle prejudice until it becomes nothing. Once we study the origins of racism or casteism, we will be convinced that such valuations are merely products of history and culture. There is no natural reason why black or wh...