Sahityasetu

Abstract:

Literature and culture are uniquely embedded with each other. In the time of globalization, the world comes closer to the different cultures of the world. This cultural diversity leads the modern society to one cultural approach that every culture must have equal respect and value in the global society called multiculturalism. This paper tries to analyze multiculturalism and diasporic experiences in Kavita Daswani’s ‘Salaam Paris’. In this diasporic novel Daswani exposes the characteristics of multiculturalism and diasporic experiences including nostalgia, homesickness, and cultural conflict of the characters.

Key Words: Diaspora, Multiculturalism, Cultural diversity

The term multiculturalism is first come into public discourse in late 1960s and early 1970s for the equalization of immigrantrights in Canada. After Canada Australia also accept this policy and both the countries declared their support to multiculturalism. This movement is spread throughout the Europe especially in U.S., U.K., Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and other European countries.

Multiculturalism theory is based on two different approaches a ‘salad bowl’ and ‘Melting Pot’. In the ‘Salad Bowl’ theory every immigrants are free to celebrate their culture, customs, traditions, and their entire way of life. In this theory everyone is equal with freedom of their own cultural belief system just like they are in in single bowl with different test of the ingredients. In Melting Pot theory immigrants have to merge in the dominant culture and adopted the whole phenomenon of host culture. In this way immigrants are assimilated in the dominant culture sometimes willingly or unwillingly.

Multiculturalism in social context deals with the social scenario of immigrants or the ethnic minority people in the host countries. Every human being in their social life wants to create identity and recognition with its unique cultural aspects. Sometime this unique cultural aspect reflects in their behaviour, traditions, customs, dressing, religions etc. these all aspects are personally attached with the feeling and emotions of the people of particular culture. When the people feels, their human rights are not protected and respected by some members of the society this will lead the people to cultural conflicts. In the multicultural society, the immigrant feels safe and celebrates their cultural traditions and customs. Apart from this, multicultural society believes that every culture is unique in its own ways but sometimes this uniqueness is against of human rights in cultures. The orthodox traditional belief system of some culture represents the dark side of multicultural society. Multiculturalism focuses on the interaction and communication of two different cultures which protected cultural diversity and cultural uniqueness. It advocates the local cultural notions and global cultural diversity. This approach is completely against of the concept of assimilation. The main aspect of multiculturalism is to provide the equal values and respect to every ethnic culture in the world.

Kavita Daswani is the most famous Indian-American diasporic writer. She was grown up in Hong Kong and started her career as a journalist for South China Morning Post at the age of seventeen. Then she moved to Los Angeles in 2000 and started to write fictional works. Her novels deal with the Indian social and cultural life. She represents her diasporic experience and focuses on the issues of marriage, role of wife in family, women empowerment and mental dilemma of their life. She also represents multicultural views by using two different cultural belief systems in her works.

In her work ‘Salaam Paris’ she represent the story of young Indian Muslim girl Tanaya Shah who tries to establish her identity in global society by modelling in Paris. She is so fascinated about the wonderful world of Paris when she seen Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina in her childhood, she adores Paris a lot. In this novel Kavita Daswani represented two diverse cultural trends of Indian culture and Western culture. Tanaya is an Indian Muslim girl where women are not allowed to do the profession like modelling because this is not considered good thing in their religion or culture. But Tanaya was mesmerised by the Western culture because she was aware that the desire she has, is not fulfilled by the Indian culture. Here Daswani tries to represent the freedom of women especially in Indian culture and Western culture. Another reason for abandon of Indian culture is the past incident that had happened with her mother. Tanaya was raised up with her mother and grandfather because his father abandoned Tanaya’s mother when she was young child. Her grandfather treated Tanaya with love and respect like his own daughter, but Tanaya felt that she was neglected. Here Daswani criticize the Muslim traditional belief system about women which ruin the life of many women. She represents the views of Tanaya’s grandfather who loves her. Tanaya belong to the family where all the women had the best facial beauty except her mother that is the reason for her bad marriage life. Tanaya’s mother was also aware of this fact, so over the years Tanya’s mother was so sarcastic and cruel towards Tanaya. Because of this hatred behaviour Tanaya was more attached with her grandfather. Here Daswani views that a person who become a victim of orthodox cultural belief system has lost every taste of life. Tanaya was so much fascinated about the Western culture so when her grandfather asked her for an arranged marriage with the man who living in Paris she was accepted this proposal. After coming in Paris she was avoided to meet the suitor. The aim of her life was turn to become supermodel. Tanaya a traditional Indian girl is converting herself with rock stars and modelling which was completely against of her familial belief. She was entered in a new fashion world where she met the different cultural personality.

Tanaya’s cultural journey is so complex. She moved to many geographical locations such as Bohemia, New York, Paris and India. Inspired by these cultural diversities her life takes a sharp turn when she accepted the profession of modelling. Her grandfather who loves her a lot she also disobeyed him. The influence of multicultural identity is played a major role in Tanaya’s life. There is a mental crush in Tanaya’s life; she never wants to disobey her familial aspects but the influence of Western culture change her views. Tanaya was heartily connected to Western culture she read the western magazine like ‘Teen Cosmo’ with her friends Nilu. Tanaya wants to create her cultural identity in Paris but she is too connected with her Indian Muslim culture. She never wants to abandon her Muslim cultural values but she wants her freedom and recognition of her identity.

Kavita Daswani represents cultural conflict between Indian traditional culture and Western culture. Tanaya who born in Mahim, in Mumbai, fully attached with Indian traditional culture but she has a desire to become supermodel. But in traditional Indian culture women do not allow to this kind of works. She knows that this cultural belief system will not help me to fulfil my dream. So when her grandfather inform her for arranged marriage with a person who lived in Paris she grabs this opportunity. In Paris, she entered in the modelling industry against her family wishes. She faced off many conflicts like worked as a waitress and then eventually she becomes first Muslim supermodel in the fashion world. Here Daswani pertain two diverse cultural belief systems, in Indian cultural belief system women are restricted but in Western culture women are free to fulfil their dreams. This cultural difference leads the Tanaya to attract toward western culture. Another Indian traditional culture is the girls are not allowed to live with her fiancé before marriage. When Tanaya forced her grandfather to go Paris to meet Tariq whom Tanaya ready to marry her grandfather instruct her
Tanaya, In our day, we do not have the luxury of meeting our spouse before the wedding. I am only permitting this because I have already agreed to the marriage. (Daswani, 16)

Daswani insist that Indian culture is strict on the relationship before marriage where as Western culture is liberal in such conditions. Here Daswani views the multicultural approach by Tanaya’s grandfather. He was purely believed in traditional Indian culture although he allowed Tanaya to go Paris. When she started to live in Paris this is completely new atmosphere for Tanaya. She said
I dressed the way I always did in India, in a salwarkameez, this time with a mismatched shawl covering my head. I pulled a few euros out of my purse and went out, finding a bench at the endof Aunt Mina’s street. I sat there for two hours, gazing at the foreign-looking people as they rushed by, on their way to somewhere important, newspapers folded under their arms, a cigarette between long fingers. Then I walked around the block, careful to note the little landmarks I was passing, scared that I might get lost. When I grew familiar with that one street, I walked onto another, then another. (Daswani, 17)

Daswani represents multiple cultures in this novel such as Indian culture through Tanaya and her grandfather, Pakistani culture through Shazia’s father Reza, French culture, and American culture by using multicultural characters. Shazia’s father Reza was a Pakistani immigrant who first settled in England and then in Paris. They lived their lives peacefully in Paris and adopted its culture but they never abandon their native culture. Tanaya is too attached with her family and want to go back India. She feels uncomfortable in Zoe’s house with whom she shares the apartment. She said that she was making a horrible mistake to leave her family especially her grandfather.

Tanaya faced off another encounter on her second visit in Charles De Gaulle airport. Where she seenwell-dressed women in trim pantsuits and high-heeled boots pressed lips with their arriving lovers, and watched young children throwing their arms around their mothers, who were returning alone from God-knows-where. Tanaya was wearing a Indian traditional clothes which is completely contrast to the western culture she said that
I noticed then that people were looking at me, too. A group of curly-haired Algerian men clustered around a pay phone whistled as I walked by, one of them raising his eyebrows as if asking me a secret question. I covered my head again with my dupattaand hurried past. I walked farther down and leaned for a minute against the railing, my back turned toward the throngs of people arriving. In front of me, two elderly women were seated, and they smiled at me when my eyes caught theirs. One turned to the other and said something quickly in French, and I knew they were talking about me. (Daswani, 18)

Daswani depicted the cultural impact of dress code and language in multicultural society. It is a unique identity of any nation. Even when she asserts her Indian-Muslim identity in interview session that she never ate pork and consumed alcohol. This moment suggest that Tanaya is truly believed in her religious belief system. Being a Indian Muslim girl she obeys her tradition. Daswani represents that Indian diasporic communities are truly connected with their homeland. When Tanaya was attended the shoots on European beaches, she remembers her childhood memories that she was collecting the sea shells on Juhu beach with her Nana. She also recollects the memories of Gopibhai who used to fuss over her as if she were a wounded bird.

Tanaya is the girl of dream. Daswani represents Tanaya as an independent woman with a flamboyant career. She wants recognition in the fashion world and it had given her fame, money and identity. But after a short time she feels loneliness she realizes that the real happiness is at home. On the day of her first performance she said it had been a moment of pure frivolity and spontaneity, these two things she never experienced before. Tanaya did not have any problem for the acceptance of host culture but she feels displaced and excluded. When Tanaya was in New York she said she didn’t belong to America and she never be able to feign the coolness of the people. On her return to Paris from New York Tanaya acknowledges that Paris is always feels like her home, a home away from home. Tanaya was established her identity in Paris she realizes this place as home. Along with this Tanaya feels homesickness of Mahim when she talks with her friend Nilu about the worth living in Mahim after her successful modeling career in Paris and America, she once again remember her past memories and her grandfather’s home. Daswani acknowledges that the diasporic people are ultimately connected with their homeland they feels nostalgia and belongingness.

Tanaya’s past experience with her family especially her mother was not treated her like her own daughter is the main cause of her family hatred. Tanaya was closely connected with her grandfather because he was the only person who supported Tanaya and protected her life. Tanaya never seen her father because he abandon her mother. The only reason was she had no beautiful face. Daswani here remarked that in Indian culture women are judged by their beauty if she has a beautiful facial charm she is good for men or the family members accept her warmly. Women’s physical beauty is marked by society but they never wants to know about her thoughts and culture.

Tanaya’s feeling for homeland is uniquely represented by Daswani, when Tanaya went back to India she feels that she lost everything. She missed her grandfather everything is exceptional for her. She never adjusts herself in this culture which she adores most. She knows that her modeling career is got success only by her grandfather. He gives him the chance which is totally prohibited in Muslim culture. The freedom she enjoys today is only possible if a man think about the multicultural approach that every man has rights to live their lives freely. Daswani point out that the difference between Indian culture and western culture is freedom of individual. If Tanaya was lived her life in India her dream could not be fulfill which she has acquired in Paris and America. When she met Tariq she defended herself and said
No matter what you decided to do, you would always with have them. Go to Law school, got to med school, stay home and become an auto mechanic. Your parents would never have cursed you with Allah’s wrath because you are man. You are meant to go out and conquered the world. But if a girl tries to do it, suddenly there are accusations of betrayal and threats of being disowned. I couldn’t even walk out of my apartment building without being followed by Nana. But you? You could study in America, worked in London, move to Paris, whatever you want. Why? Because you are a boy and I am not? (Daswani, 75)

Daswani represent the feeling of homesickness. Tanaya a successful model, when she comes back in Mahim she feels totally disappointed. She feels she is far away from her ancestral home. She was not welcomed by her mother; she feels her memories to her family are just like a recyclable past. She thought her decision to marry with Tariq and lived in abroad was not accepted by her families. Still she feels her homesickness and belongingness for her home. When she settled in Paris she has an innate desire for her grandfather but she has no chance to meet him. Tanaya got the success in her career but she also loss her familial affection. Daswani acknowledges that culture belief system is the root of life and we never forget this.

References:

1. Dawani, Kavita. Salaam Paris, Plum, a Penguin Group, USA, 2006.
2. Mohmood, Tarikh. Multiculturalism. 2nd ed., Polity Press, 2013.