Chinese community set to herald Year of the Rat

A small community looks to the future with hope and reflection, as February 7 signals Chinese New Year

For most of the city, the New Year has come and gone and in its wake left numerous aching heads and sighs of quiet relief. But for one community, spread out across the city, the wheels of celebration are quietly in motion, as their New Year dawns on February 7.

Meet Mumbai's Chinese, as they prepare to bid farewell to the Year of the Pig, and usher in the Year of the Rat. "The Chinese New Year is what Christmas is to Christians," says Consul Zhang Longhai, the head of cultural affairs at the Chinese consulate in Mumbai.

Hotelier Nelson Wang says that the New Year resonates louder due to the fact that Mumbai's Chinese community is rather small.

The Chinese New Year starts with the weaning of the moon, and goes on for 15 days, ending with the full moon: Every year is represented by an animal on the Chinese zodiac. Legend has it that a race was organised to decide the order in which the animals were to be represented. In all, 12 animals completed the race, and the Rat made it to the finish first, but in the process it pushed the Cat into the water, thereby inviting his wrath for an eternity.

"The eve is what everyone looks forward to," says Mrs Qua Shan Hsiao, a Byculla resident, and jokingly adds, "except for the mother of the house." One look at the 10-course menu and the mother's plight is quite understandable. From roast duck and fish balls, to prawn fries and barbecued pig, the menu is filling, not to mention varied and involving meticulous preparation.

A typical New Year's Day starts with the family polishing off last night's leftovers and then heading to the only Chinese temple in Mumbai, the Kwan Tai Shek Shrine in Mazgaon. After offering prayers to the Kwan Tai Shek, they visit the Chinese cemetery in Antop Hill, Wadala.

"We pay our respects to the dead by burning, what we call Hongpao, or paper," says Mrs Hsiao. The paper is supposed to represent money, as the Chinese believe that they offer prosperity to the dead.

"I don't think we Chinese have ever had a problem in India, except during the war of 1962," says Mrs Hsiao.

Aeung Ping, the shrine's 90-year-old caretaker, remembers CID officials lurking around Chinese houses, keeping a watch on the residents. "We used to keep to our homes as much as possible. And when we did venture out, be it to buy groceries or visit a restaurant, army officials would demand to see our passports," says dentist, Yao Ting Hsiao.

Over the decades, Mrs Hsiao has seen an 'Indianising' trend within the city's Chinese community, as she talks of old customs and traditions being forgotten by the younger generation. A case in point is how many Chinese like Mrs Hsiao, have given up the practice of retaining their maiden name, and are now adopting their husband's last name.

The Chinese community is, however, battling to retain its identity in a city surging into the global village. Most homes offer a deserted look, and it is only the very young or the old who walk through the halls, as most of the youth has headed abroad.

But things may not be as bad as they may first appear. "Many Chinese from mainland China, and other countries are coming to India, as opportunities in this country are improving," says Tulung.

Mrs Hsiao, whose son and two daughters are working in the US, says that she often tells her son to reconsider his expatriate status, and return to India.

The advent of the Year of The Rat may not be greeted with as much fanfare as it would in China (or the myriad of Chinatown's dotting the globe), but for Mumbai's Chinese community, it provides a great chance to not only reflect on their heritage, but to chart a course in an ever-changing future.

b_lhendup@dnaindia.net