INDIA IS MY COUNTRY and all Indians are my brothers and sistersall Indians are familiar with this oath taken in schools. But only in Gujarat, it is taken seriously. For, all Gujarati men and women have their names suffixed with bhai (brother) and ben (sister), respectively. At times, even couples married or otherwise-call each other bhai and ben! We have a funny bone and know how to take a joke. We do not take much offense at the exaggerated and stereotypical portrayal in Hindi movies or serials; we just laugh at it. In mainstream Gujarati plays and movies, comedy is considered a safe and sure-shot formula.
We also know how to laugh at ourselves. Popular humorist Sairam Dave made a cracking observation: "We are a community that doesn't want heaven or hell after death. We just want the contract for a shop on the road connecting both! We are such a funny bunch that we always toast the soft bread and soften the hard toast by soaking it in hot tea or coffee!"
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