My friend Sameer who has settled in Bangkok for several years sent  me this intriguing email

DEAR RAVI,

Are you madrassis seceding from the  rest of India? When I was in school I  remember some of your politicians were talking of your state[ now TAMILNADU  but then named Madras] wanting to separate from India.  I feel you have now succeeded.   Best of luck.  You may even be more prosperous than you are now’

I immediately rang him up to tell him that I had not heard of any such news –that Tamilnadu or any part of the south had seceded  from India. He laughed  loud.

‘Listen let me explain’ he  said.

‘Amiitabh Bachan has been hounded by Shiv Sena which has questioned his loyalty to Maharashtra. He has emphatically replied that he does not believe in such divisive talk. Rightly he has been supported by many people who feel that nothing should be done to break our country’s fragile unity. But then Ravi how come Amitabh lends his immense prestige to the INDIA INTERNATIONAL FILM  AWARDS[IFFA] ? This annual event   showcases Indian cinema and is held in  various parts of the world.    IFFA DOES NOT EVER CONSIDER SOUTH INDIAN CINEMA  AS PART OF INDIAN CINEMA. NOT ONE SOUTH FILM AS BEEN HONOUREED ALL THESE YEARS ’

I told him that I have been writing on this  topic for several years but I might as well talk to pigs.

 In fact I even  complained  to the media that when Amitabh was asked to name his most favourite 50 Indian films the great man did not mention even one south or Bengali  film. Of course my generous friends including south Indians justified his stand by stating that maybe he does not understand  any  south Indian language. But then now the IFFA has done this blunder. Again my generous friends explain this away by saying that hindi cinema is more  popular the world over than  south or Bengali cinema. I agree but then the IFFA ought to be named BOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARDS.

Sameer suggested that if we were fair complexioned we  and our films might be taken  seriously. After all,  he added, even Johnny Lever is fairer than Rajnikant !

I   am afraid even if the south has no intention of seceding,  some people in the north want us out of India. Mind it !

K.R.RAVI

USA