My Dhaka: The Dhakaiya pride
The tales of old Dhaka are as interesting as its people -- it is them who make these up after all, the Dhakaiyas. But how much do we know these Dhakaiyas? Aimlessly walking down the lanes dressed in a silk Punjabi, paired with a gold chain while joyfully chewing on some good old paan -- is that all there is to being Dhakaiya?
Being a Dhakaiya myself, I honestly cannot put the blame on the non-Dhakaiya populace for picturing Dhakaiyas to be as such. The image of Dhakaiya people has been portrayed in such a manner via drama and movies that this distinguished picture now acts as a direct portraiture of the typical Dhakaiya.
But there is more to being a Dhakaiya than just having lachhi and kachhi, chewing on paan, and living in a house with an "uthaan". And just as these are perceived as characteristic Dhakaiya traits, so is the matter of Dhakaiya pride.
Most Dhakaiyas take pride in the fact of just being born into a Dhakaiya family, and view it as a privilege of some sort, to the extent of boasting about being the original tenants of Dhaka city, asking the leavers during Eid to never return, and flaunting generational wealth. While it is good to be happy about one's lineage, maintaining a certain threshold is necessary before arrogance sweeps in.
And sadly, for many Dhakaiyas, such is the case.
Despite being part of the same city, many classify themselves as the elite and the other party as peasants. I personally know people who use the term "Bangal" as a derogatory remark, as if it is embarrassing to be anything but a Dhakaiya.
Dhakaiyas also take pride in the rich heritage of food, and rightfully so. But using this acquired richness as a form of condescension is where the line should be drawn. Some Dhakaiyas also have their rendition of "maache bhaate Bangali" in the form of "polao kormay Dhakaiya"!
But it is not only Dhakaiyas who perceive themselves as another being, many non-Dhakaiyas look down on people living in old town, making fun of their dialect being too loud, dressing sense being too flashy, and behaviour being very unsmart -- none of which should be perceived with a negative connotation.
But it is this mix of people that makes up the beautiful city we live in, whether through lineage or through moving in. And we Dhakaiyas love hosting, and truly believe in the statement "the more, the merrier". Apart from the Dhakaiya pride taking over some tenants, Dhakaiyas love to welcome dwellers into the place we all call home.
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