CHENNAI: In 2019, the book Chennai Brew - Some Voices Some Communities delved into how some fractions of the society who follow the same religion were different yet so similar. The author of the book, Anuradha Uberoi, was deeply intrigued to study a few north Indian communities — Punjabis, Sindhis, Parsis, and Bengalis. Having gotten a positive response to the book, she planned to further her study and researched the Gujarati, Marathi, and Marwadi communities in the city. As part of Madras Week celebrations, she spoke on how the above-mentioned communities made Chennai their home at the Press Institute of India.
Gujaratis setting standards
Anuradha began with the Gujarati community. Shedding light on how the women control finances in their households and are independent, she quoted one of her sources who said, “This is how we saw our mothers, so we don’t mind our daughters also enjoying the same privileges because that is how our mothers once lived. They are the wolves of the house.”
Earlier employed by diamond traders in the city, Gujaratis are very trustworthy. Specialising in moving money from one place to another, they are always ready for charity but spend it smartly. Though they largely deal with money matters they don’t stand out. Quoting another source she said, “We are synonyms to grass. So low-lying in behaviour that can never attract harm to self or the employee/employer.”
The scene is different in those Gujarati households that follow Islam — the Bohras. With their roots in Sindhpuri, Gujarat, they are also known as Sindhpuris. Mostly settled in our country during the 16th-19th century from Egypt, their lifestyle centres around religion, have protocols for girls while growing up, and dancing and music are not allowed.
Anuradha believes in first-hand information, even if it means going to the houses of different sources. “For me every input is sacred. I do not go to the Internet to research anything. I operate as a blank slate. Whatever the community tells me is sacred to me and that is what goes into my book. I have multiple sources to verify all the information that is put out. I do not go by one source. I have others backing up,” said the author as she plans to bring out a book soon on the communities that she spoke about.
Marwadis live and let live
It was the Agarchand family who first came to the city of Madras from the town Kuchera in the Nagaur district of Rajasthan. As quoted he was “partial” towards people who came from there. “If a person is from Kuchera, who else will support him other than a Marwadi,” Anuradha quoted her source. The people of the community provide unprecedented support to fellow members and are mostly seen indulged in pawn broking business. But it is also claimed that the younger generation is finding it hard in pawn shops.
The Marwadis have three sub-communities. The Agarwals are glitzy, love to showcase wealth, are progressive, strongly committed to charitable pursuits, have pride in living in a joint family, women are more independent and empowered of all the three groups. The Maheshwaris are used to hard work, steeped in tradition with lesser emphasis on education, women eat after the men of the family and still follow the practice of ‘Ghoongat’. The third faction, the Jains, follow religious protocols strictly, their place of worship is called ‘Sthanak’, have old-fashioned values and women are less financially independent in this community.
Maharashtrians make their way
The Marathis — the Thanjavur Marathis and the ones in Chennai — were also discussed. The former belong to the lineage of Shivaji’s half-brother Vyankoji, who ruled Thanjavur. They are credited with giving the city the delectable sambar. They have a strong Tamil influence in their festivals, food, and lifestyle and they even celebrate golu. They are starkly different to the Maharashtrians in the city, which is very small and is involved in salaried jobs. The mandal that they go to celebrate festivals has seen a drop from 250 families participating to just 30. As they find it difficult to adapt to the city, it is also claimed that most families have returned to Maharashtra.
Having studied communities in the city for many years, Anuradha plans to document the stories of Partition next. “One thing that has always interested me is our Army and the Partition. I have heard such horrifying tales of Partition that I feel how much ever we document the stories, there are still so many out there to come out and be written about. The stories of Partition are better if we move faster and document them as early as possible,” signed off Anuradha.