Chindian - Result of true national integration!

One big Chindian family: The lady is blue,a Chinese baby was adopted by an Indian family and later became
 a Tamil school teacher! She is wearing shades after cataract surgery. Her family members are more inclined to Indian way of lifestyle - in preference of food, language and choice of spouse.

Bernard Chandran-designer

Nicol David @ Duracell Bunny

Not Chindian, but Amala (Tamil movie star of 80's).
Could pass off as a Chindian!

   

Tan Sri & son, Ruben Gnanalingam.
(2007:Forbes Asia, 29 in their List of 40 
Richest M'sians wealth US$215 million. 

Pretty Chindian lasses, could be mistaken for
Filipinas, Hispanics or any global citizen

Another happy family!

Michael Veerapan, jazz pianist extraordinare

Datuk Krishnan Tan

Puan Sri Gnanalingam

*Author’s precautionary advice:  Please be forewarned that the content of this article may appear racial in outlook. It is written with the noble intention of promoting unity, not otherwise. Readers’ discretion and common sense should prevail.
The word 'Chindian' cannot be questioned as an alien word anymore as a page is dedicated in Wikipedia for this word! (see:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chindian ) Before this only people from Malaysia  and Singapore were familiar with this word. For those in the dark about this terminology, they are people born of result of Sino-Indian matrimonial bondage. They are true result of national integration, which occurred by national evolution of mixing of cultures without fear or favour. In a country where various divisions and subdivisions exist in many day to day activities between and within races and when people often find comfort in their own kind, I view it with enigma. We can say this a true Malaysian race will evolve over time if integration is let to set in without forced intervention from the powers that be in the name hastening national culture.
I have many Chindians contacts, starting way back from childhood days in RRF.
My first contact with Chindians started when my sisters and I did a short stint of tuition classes with a certain Form 6 student in St. Georges’ School, Ms Kamala Veni, in Boundary Road near RRF. In those days, especially in the circle of RRF, sixth formers were considered a sort of local hero as not many successfully complete Form 5 (equivalent to ‘O’ levels). Since sixth formers were just a step before undergraduate studies, they enjoyed celebrity status in Amma’s books! Veni’s mother is Chinese. I remember her as a very jovial person would try very hard to blend in by talking Tamil all the time. In spite of her limited vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar, she attempted to communicate with people around her in Tamil albeit in a broken and comical, much to the amusement of people around her who would snigger behind her back. Unfortunately, Amma and my sisters were guilty of such behaviour!

Then there was Ms Thavamani of E14-10. She was a newborn when her Chinese biological parents gave her to an old Tamil couple for adoption. Even though physically, she looks every inch a Chinese (skin complexion, straight hair and facial features), culturally (way of talking, head gestures, hand gestures, mannerisms, dressing sense, long pleated hair with flowers, linguistic skills and many other features), due to her nurturing, made her more Indian than any typical Indian girl. In fact, she would sometimes pass cynical remarks about her Chinese neighbours and their pungent cooking ‘aromas’. I remember once an old Chinese who was incapable of conversing in Malay was trying to tell her something in Hockkein in the lift. Lucky for both of them, Lats, whose is fluent in the dialect acted as an interpreter!

Then there is a childhood friend of mine (SD) whose mother is his father’s niece. SD’s mother, a Chinese child, was adopted by my friend’s grandmother. The grandmother’s much younger brother married this girl (of course when she was of marriageable age) and my friend was born. So SD’s mother was also her mother-in-law. And the father’s sister was also his mother-in-law. But grandma was still grandma to SD, either way you look at it! In the Tamil culture, it is perfect alright for uncles (only mother’s brother) to marry nieces and first cousins to marry provided their fathers or mothers are not siblings! I suppose they consider that only the male species carry genetic material; the females are just empty vessels! (oops!)

Many years ago, SD was about to get hitched to tie the knot after cupid shot the arrow at the heart of a loving Chinese girl. During one of my visits at SD’s parent’s home, SD’s mum complained to me, “Look at your friend, he is marrying a Chinese girl. Can he not find a nice Indian girl instead?” I did not what to say, suppressing my funny facial muscles as I stared into her Oriental face. What racists we Malaysians are, behind the face mask that we all wear? Anyway, they all appear happy now – with the proud grandparents doting on the offspring of that blessed union.

In varsity, there were many amongst us who were Chindians. One apparent observation that I noted was their apparent bonding to the Indian students, i.e.if they acquired their ‘Chinese genes’ from their maternal side. Those who have Chinese fathers tend to stick to the Chinese. This is by no means a double-blind randomised control study prepared for publication. As a nation, we have many prominent Chindians who have contributed much to the country. A few figures that I can recall include Datuk Krishnan Tan (construction), Ruben Gnanalingam (being moulded by his father Tan Sri Gnanalingam of West Port Klang), Datuk Nicol David (squash), S. Kumaresan (cycling), Datuk Bernard Chandran (fashion), Michael Veerapan (jazz pianist) and Melvin Khoo (Indian classical dance).

Just that you may know....
Chindians display so much as a product of national integration that many are as ambassadors of sorts to the world like in the national airline carrier, MAS. Classical stereotyping as we, Malaysian, do sometimes land them in 'trouble' during the fasting month of Ramadan when they are 'caught' feasting, much to the embarrassment of the Islamic officials when the matter is clarified!