ern famil Thein ane ition

What 's App-e ning on your online family group? Can you identify your electronic parivaar here

The Famil~ Gang

Bonding Fi .· y 1es

Good Times Strong Ties

Happy Ho ~l!USQ

People world

BY SANAM SHARMA

Abig part of the Indian social fabric are the rishtedaars (relatives). 1n India, one grows up on an overdose of 'relatives', sometimes those yo u're not even really related to, and they come in all shapes and sizes There are the nice ones with whom you seem to spend your cwom onth-long summer vacations each year. There are the not-so- nice ones, who you try, usuallr unsuccessfuli)', to avoid. There are the ones \vho are o n ly concerned abom che exam grades scored by the other kids in the family (aapkc bache ke kitne m11J1ber ac!)'C types). And the competitive ones w ho are always there to outdo you in everything - but with a charm in g smile, of course.

Family gatherings, birthdays and ,veddings have traclitionally been the bondin g grounds for the tribe It is during these o ccasions that all the relatives in the khandaan (clan) come together over a hearty mix of celebrations, feasti n g, and gossip (i n n o particular o rd er)

However, with the adven t of social media, the Indian 1ishtedcJaris have moved o nlin e Facebook and WhatsApp ar e the two most conm1on platforms whe re modern lnclian families play o u t d1eir e.xtended social scene. Social meclia has bro ught families closer, especially the Indian ones Relatives who used to catch up and converse maybe ann ually now ping each od1er 'round the clock

W ith this online migration of India's extended families, the Indian 1ishtedaari. etig uette seem s co have seamlessly trans itioned into the World Wid e Web. Internal family politics, gossip, jealousies, disputes and grudges all seem co have

Kenyan of South Asian background?

_ esearc stu y seeks pa .. "icipa ts

A re you from Ke nya, East Africa? Did you arrive on a skilled worker visa or other category? Would you be willing to share your experiences in Austra lia? I f you have answered yes to the three questions, then you are inv ited to participate in a research study that explores your career experiences as a skilled migrant and how you pursued your career goals in Australia.

Participation is voluntary and invo lves face to face or telephone interviews The interview process will be totally confidential a nd you wi ll not be identified in any way in the final document. If you do decide to volunteer and s hare your experiences, please contact the principal researcher Khalida Malik, PhD candidate from Western Sydney University, on the email 9161730l @stude nt.westernsydney.edu.au for further informatio n.

This swdy has been approved by the Western Sydney Un.iversi(v The approval 1111111ber is HI /832 adopted an online avatar. For those 'good' relatives, social media is a great forum co keep a tab on the welfare of the extended family For d10se borderline to mischievous risbtedaars, Facebook and WhatsApp are potent cools to dish out concealed sarcasm and sometimes, not so concealed outrage.

There has never been a better ti me to be a sp )' in the Inclian extend ed family Just 'friend' d1e e nti re clan online and d1en peacefully s it back, with a drink in hand, and scroll mrough your Facebook tirnelin e at leisure. In n o time, yo u will have enough verifiable data to come up with educat ed conclusion s about the break- ups, link-ups, factio n s and frictions within yo ur kba11daa,1 Gossip and glory of the entire famil )7 at your fingertips, read y co unleash at d1e slightest trigger. It is die Wikileaks eguivalem of the on.line desi.

WhatsApp and Facebook also cater for those who fancy keeping a grudge going. Drop in a subtle hint of displeasure and \mfriend' a 1isbtedaaro n Facebook, or leave a family group on \X/hatsApp. Tius will get the entire fan1ily talking Group speculation will give war to one-o n -one messages, debating the cause of your d iscontent while soliciting ways co bring you back into the family fold. Some may even be courageous (or stupid) enough to m essage yo u directly - either to di screetly share d1eir displeasure with the family as well, or co cry and plead a case for you to re-join the electr01uc pe11ivacJr

Then there ar e d1e o nline passiveaggressive re latives They resort co creative status u pdates which are adeguately vague enough to g ive away identities, yet keep tbe rest of the clan guessi n g about who's d1e target of meir rams. T he ones in the family who are most boggled by such u pdates ar e b o u nd to reacl1 out and probe for further clarification (i f only to rule themselves out)

Last but not d1e least, if you claim to be a writer, you mar end up getting yourself thrown out o f d1e onlin e family network for w ritin g such a piece You know, kbcmdacm k.a naam hadnaal/l karue ke ljye!

Know Thyself as S I

You are a soul of a permanent unchangeable nature, and if you would five as a soul, you would never be affected or changed by outer changes

-Sant Baljit Singh

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