The Hello Game and Talking Politics
On Sunday I met two people in rapid succession while playing the hello game in the area around Fort in Mumbai. It's not exactly a game I guess, it's just me smiling broadly and saying hello to pretty much anyone and everyone just to see what happens. About two thirds look at me exactly like they would in New York, like I'm a loon. The others hesitate for a moment and then suddenly decide to smile back and, perhaps they'll even ask me how I'm doing. And then, every once in a while, someone stops to talk (or maybe just stand there looking at me for a while, maybe to see what I'll do?).
Santosh heard my hello, looked over his shoulder, and immediately stepped into conversation. He played the hello game his own way. He was quite serious and didn't smile, there were things he wanted to know. The economy in the United States; how bad was it? How long will the problem last? Will it get worse? We chatted for a bit on the street but then, as usually happens, we started attracting a crowd so he asked me to tea.
We stepped into to a restaurant around the corner. Heading up the rather narrow stairway was a minor act of faith but fortunately it was a legitimate invite to tea, not the prelude to a Robbed Overseas episode. Once seated with our chai it didn't take long for the topic to veer to politics. He declared that politics in Mumbai were all messed up (or words to that effect). I asked him which party he supported and after that "all messed up intro" was surprised when he responded with BJP and Sena. He cared about jobs for Maharashtians and that seemed to be his key reason for his political allegience. "Other people can come here, anyone can make a living in Mumbai, but they shouldn't look at us." I asked what that meant, "shouldn't look at us." It was an aphorism for knowing their place.
I asked how newcomers should make a living, and how long it might take them to become established. "Anyone can make money here, by picking up scraps and selling them for example. If you are willing to work, you can be on your feet making a living and have a place to live in no more than two months." "What Mumbai needs is greater regimentation. People need to do what they are supposed to do."
He wanted to know if I knew who Bal Thackeray was and seemed pleased that I had read about him in the States. He acknowleded that Thackeray was in decline but wanted to know "What do you think of him?" I was his guest so I just told him, "I'm an American and this is your country, my opinion of Thackeray is irrelevant."
After Santosh and I parted ways, I ran into David playing soccer with the kids in his neigbhorhood. He responded to my hello by asking about the cameras I was carrying. He's a photographer, runs his own business, and is a Christian which is what I imagine accounts for his western sounding name.
After he showed me his pictures (including rather dramatic shots from inside the Taj in the days after the attacks) we also ended up talking politics. In fact, now that I think of it, most of my conversations here eventually seem to find their way there. David couldn't be any more different in his opinions from Santosh. "Sena ruined this city." As a member of a 2% minority he is acutely aware of the ethnic political calculus now in vogue and he's aware that at 2% none of the parties are going to be catering to him. He also understands that this style of politics is focused on the acquistion of power and has little to do with governance because the source of power isn't good government, it's a large angry ethnic block. Keeping it angry is the way to keep power.
Today the hello game was played on me. I stopped on Bhuleshwar road and some taxi drivers on their lunch break said hello to me. Deepak was the most gregarious of the group and the only one whose name I remember. He wanted to know if I was walking around taking pictures of poor people so I could show everyone back home how poor India was. I told him I didn't focus on the poor, I liked to take pictures of the people I talked to. I'm not sure he believed me but he dropped it and started in on politics. "If you make a picture here, put a caption under it that says 'You want to end Jihad, then destroy Pakistan.'" "But don't you think Deepak, that if Pakistan were attacked it would only make more Muslims angry?" He looked at me like I was more than a bit slow, like he felt sorry for me. "Just destroy Pakistan, that's all you need to do." Then he went to take a fare.
While he was gone a more reserved driver who owns not only his car, but a second car as well, offered me tea. We went into a nearby place and had drinks. He wanted me to know that he didn't agree with America's policies toward Pakistan, that our involvement in Afghanistan was making us too accomodating to the Pakistanis. However, "We love Americans and it is perfectly safe for you to come here. If anyone does give you trouble, you come back here and let us know, we will take care of it."
While Deepak was gone I made some pictures of the guys I had been talking to. When he came back he thought I might be able to take his picture, but first "tell me straight, what are you going to do with the picture. If you make money from it, you must send me some. I'm saving to move to Florida." I told him there was no way I'd ever make money with a shot of his mug (his friends cracked up) but that I would be happy to send him a copy of it. So, address in hand I made the shot. He was a character. When I got in the cab from there to head home, there was warm hand shaking all around and then my new friends started the meter and told my driver to make sure I only paid the metered fare.
