Window Seat Scribbles

Scanning the papers over the last 48 hours or so, I have seen the same pictures of proud parents and beaming candidates over and over again beneath headlines screaming "22 year old tops UPSC exam". And since we are in the age of overinformation and social media, I am also told who stood 2nd, 3rd...with page long interviews for us to peruse so that we come to know how they worked hard to achieve this feat. Similar stories feature on front pages of newspapers every year when the CBSE/ISCE/ISC Class 10 and Class 12 boards results come out (although these days, the topper does get royally trolled online as well). The IIT or PMT exams are no different and the toppers are usually found giving tips and interviews so that others benefit from their experience and methods. I respect these students. Not because they cracked super difficult examinations, but for their sheer perseverance and hard work. Being a doctor myself, I know how hard I worked to get in here and yet, I was among...

In a country where your name (more importantly, your surname) is more or less a reflection of your identity- from where you belong down to your caste and religion- imagine having a name that doesn't pin you down to a certain state or territory or region, even. Given that situation, I have now come to simply laugh off the surprised reactions I get when people realise I am Assamese. I have had colleagues who simply assumed I was Bengali for years,friends of friends enquiring which part of Delhi or Punjab I am from and even random aunties at weddings judging me for gorging on chicken because apparently, I am a Marwari! I usually laugh the whole thing off, sometimes even playing a guessing game with the people who seem hellbent on decoding where I actually am from. But somewhere at the back of my mind, over the years, a nagging question has kept building up in my mind--a question I have tried to answer very many times, although not very satisfactorily--- What does being an Assamese...