Fill in the hopes of yougsters even if keeping quiet is strictly not honesty

Few years back, I got a facebook note from the young student stating how happy she was to see one of her community member occupying a high position in the education organization. Yes, I am Govind Gujar. I had earned that position in the prestigeous Ag institution. Now I am retired. And my surname evokes different feelings in the people in North India. This youngster was oblivous of the fact that majority of Gujar Community do not use Gujar as surname. She thought I belonged to her community. I kept quiet on this account, which of course in strict sense not being honest or even lying. I just did not want to discourage her, rather advised her to concentrate on her studies, wishing her all the best in her career.

Similarly, I came in contact with others who quite readily accepted me in their folds. And that too when I explained that I am not sure if I belong to their community, as I use Gujar as my surname and my community is different in my state. Yet, I am perceived as important. And the Gujar community members felt pride in my being a part of their own.

Over the years, I accepted this fact that I need to be positive, sometime paying the subscription for the community magazine or accepting an invite of the community member.

But at other times, few made a behind-the-back fun, even scorned remarks.

In a country as diverse as ours, as name helps to identify your lineage, it is not always true. As I found that Gujars are muslims too.

And all this boils down to being a part of humanity. And as Jagjit Singh sings "Chahe gita bachke ya padhiye quran, mera tera pyar hi har pustak ka gyan"

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