Challenge of Living in a Diverse Community

Diversified and multi-cultural are two words that have come into accelerated prominence in the
past one century or so. From being endemic to a particular region and owing allegiance only to its
customs and practices, we now stand at the breakwaters of globalization. Connected by technology
and always searching for novel experiences, humanity is on a constant surge towards a better life,
unimpeded by cultural barriers. Or at the very least, the barriers are not allowed to stand in the way
of getting ahead of the curve.
It is in this context that diversification becomes more than a word and transforms into a
movement. Migration towards better jobs and a better quality of life is a lifestyle today. These days
it is not difficult to find a Little India in the midst of busy Singapore, with its bustling shops that sell
everything from turmeric to South Indian cuisine. A large number of students from various cultural
backgrounds take up seats in universities to further their education. Be it at workplace or an
educational institution or even the street you live in, the people that you mingle with need not
belong to a single dominant identity such as white or Christian. Theyre different, and it is the
preconception of them as something different from what you are that causes challenges to arise.
The discrimination towards people who are different from us might arise from the age-old social
barriers like skin colour, or be derived from past experiences that lead one community to develop
unsavoury relationships with another. Practising Islam in the United States and France is difficult
without attracting the stigma of being allied with terrorists. It doesnt matter what your own
personal background is: If you are Islam, this generalization is still an umbrella that you fall under.
Although the Apartheid and the racism against the blacks are thought to be in the past and done
away with, the black population in predominantly white countries still face a lot of difficult
situations. Recently, a bout of attacks against Indian students in Australia shocked the nation. It is
thorny to imagine that despite all our technological advancements and equipments, the basic
tendency to accept only what looks like us, talks like us, or worships the same God as us is still
inscribed in our fabric.
The challenges to living in a diversified community extend to our own country as well. Stereotypes
and generalizations are many in India. There are still sentiments about being North Indian or South
Indian that run the whole gamut from the way you look to the food you eat. Those from the North
East are bullied and the differences are not accepted. Communal riots still occur. India is still not
very accepting of those with varied sexual orientation, and people who belong to a certain caste or
profession is still looked down upon. Some accents, some economic statuses, or even the regions
that people live in are used as parameters to discriminate them.
J.J Murray speaks a truism when he says: We all look the same in the dark. Culture is a strong part
of peoples lives and influences everything they do, from the way they think to the way they
perceive others around them. Everyone has their own culture and their own perceptions, but it is
also important to remember that fundamentally, we are all the same.
Rabindranath Tagore, in his famous poem Where The Mind Is Without Fear talks about a world
where he can hold his head high. A world in which there are no barriers. A world not fragmented by
walls; a world in which reason has not lost its way. It is towards this world of ever-widening thought
that we must strivewith patience, acceptance and genuine love for a diverse community.