In Search of Harmony

Supriyo Chaudhuri, Trustee – Bridge India

 
Is there anything I believe in?
This is one of those profile questions that pop up in diversity and inclusion forms. I prefer not to tick 'prefer not to say' because that will be disingenuous. I do believe in something, though it is hard to categorise within those neat boxes.
I was born a Hindu and believed in something. The festivals and the holy days, the prayers, and the wishing for a blessing - those were all part of my childhood! But it was more than that: I thought like a Hindu and still do. I feel a part of the universe in me; I feel the debt I incurred to the universe, and to my ancestors, at my birth, and live every day to pay it off; I know the I came from the universe and to it, I shall return.
But some beliefs I grew up with fell away with time. The caste hierarchy, in a sublime way, was part of my social sense. I was conscious that marriage to a non-brahmin would be unacceptable. I even hesitated to touch the feet, the trad...