I am a Tamil but...

I took a few weeks off from Social media and came back to find out a number of weird stuff about some people and things which I thought I knew very well.

Like I came to know that RJ Balaji was a Brahmin when he was abused for protesting against the protest in IPL game. I didn’t know about it when he made the national media run for cover during Chennai Floods or when he gave that inspiring speech during the Jallikattu victory... All of a sudden he became an anti-Tamil exposing his sick 'Brahmin' mindset! How sad!

I was told in the "authentic" social media that April 14 is not Tamil New year’s day, rather it is Sanskrit New Year’s day and so Tamils should have no business in celebrating this day…

I was once a very proud Tamil. I was proud of this ancient culture, the acceptance it has shown in welcoming, imbibing different language speaking population into its soil, even the "don’t care attitude" when it comes to preserving its cultural ethos, the vast literature, the sweetness of the language and the precision, logic, clarity in its construct, the people it produced, the achievers… Anything and everything about Tamil and Tamilnadu would take me to a high…

Not anymore…

If I have to introduce myself as a Tamil, I got to do with an “if and but”.

I am a Tamil but I am not a senseless person!

I am a Tamil but I can clearly see through fake activism, separatism tactics and keep myself sane.

I am a Tamil but doesn’t want a separate country for my State.

I am a Tamil but am not a jobless youth who could be sold for pennies for protests.

I am a Tamil but don’t go behind malicious leaders who play language politics, caste politics and agitation politics!

I am a Tamil but have the sense to understand development comes at a cost.

I am a Tamil but want to hold my state representatives and leaders accountable.

I am a Tamil but can see the roots of the problems my state faces today.

I am a Tamil but am not against industrial development in my state.

I am a Tamil but interested in job creation for my youth. Meme creation, spreading hatred is not a sustainable job to engage my State youth!

I am a Tamil but don't buy the story of Center passing off dangerous projects to my State. 

I am a Tamil but capable of analyzing well beyond the lies thrown at my door step day in day out. 

I am a Tamil but not carried away with the divisive narrative that the rotten media spews everyday!

I am a Tamil but still I can proudly say ‘I am a Hindu’ and am not ashamed of it!

I am a Tamil but don’t believe in fantasy conspiracy theories of RSS trying to uproot Tamil culture.

I am a Tamil but am very much interested in preserving my State’s symbol of pride – Temples, its energy spaces, its architecture and its antiquity.

I am a proud Tamil but I desperately wish to see my state back to glory!

May my State return to its state of Glory soon!

May I hold my head high and proudly call out ‘I am a Tamil’ with no if’s and but’s!

Until then, I got to declare the above as I hang my head in shame in front of rest of my country's "Netizens". 

PS: My State is perfectly fine in real life, barring a few untoward incidents, sans tabloid, social, TV media!