Do we Indians know the concept of personal space? Yesterday I visited a shopping mall which is quite popular with all ethnic groups and notorious for its maze like layout. As usual it was overcrowded and I happened to be browsing an aisle near a billing counter when I overheard an argument between two persons struggling with their loaded carts. The man was criticising the lady for pushing her cart too close to one of his two carts thereby leaving very little space to manoeuvre his hefty figure comfortably. Apparently taken aback the lady instinctively fired back by saying ‘oh I know better I’m a Singaporean’ confident that her status would disarm her opponent. Irritated by her claim the man resorted to assert his standing over her by saying ‘I’m an American I know better than you. Do you have any concept of personal space’? Confident of bettering her argument she declared vehemently ‘oh I was an American before becoming a Singaporean. I do know the concept of personal space’. Grudgingly he dismissed her by saying ‘No you don’t’. By that time my curiosity overcame my better feelings and I stepped out of the aisle to get a clear picture and I was left dismayed by what I had discovered. The two persons who were assailing each other with ammunitions of exotic citizenships were of Indian origin and their demeanour clearly betrayed that they were actually brought up in India. I left that place wondering whether humans have the concept of personal space or not? Isn’t it one of the basic needs of life that every sentient creature is naturally aware of and struggles for? If not is it totally an alien concept that only few countries chanced upon and therefore we need the attestation of exotic citizenships to claim our cognizance?
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 03:34:37 +0000
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