To anyone who calls Shillong, ‘Home.’ by Synshar Pde

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Racism is present no matter where you go. Sometimes it hides behind ignorance and sometimes it grows from fear. I have called four places home, Shillong, Jowai, Ooty and London. I have met racism numerous times in all those places. Sometimes in speech, entertainment, art, action, etc. The part that surprises me is the change in power no matter where I went, racism would usually side with the majority of a place. Almost as if it knows who holds the power. I have been a minority and I have been a majority. I have faced racism and I have also seen the oppressed become the oppressor. Racism is not always severe, it comes in questions too such as, ‘Where are you really from?,’ ‘You don’t really look Indian?’ or ‘Why can’t you speak Hindi?’ Why is it hard to believe someone can call India, ‘Home’ just because they don't have the facial features you see everyday or speak the same languages that you do. What causes racism? What invites racism in? More importantly, how do you overcome racism? How do you fight racism? How can we look beyond what makes us different from each other? 

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I tackle this issue by looking into what we have in common. I’ve been looking into the different cuisines that have made themselves local to Shillong and the shared love people have for the hills and rivers of Shillong. Food that comes from the plains of India to Nepal and Bangladesh found home amidst the cloudy hills of Meghalaya.

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(Disclaimer : The artwork in the exhibition represents the views and the work of artist alone)