Mr. Gordon Forte must know that DNA is part of the human physiology that evolves quite on its own. If I traced mine it would take me to the home of my ancestors, India. And hasn’t that Indian DNA contributed in great and glorious ways to the advancement of human civilisation!Each one of us is trapped – to use Mr. Forte’s word – by our individual DNA. It is the hereditary and family lineage of our biological makeup and no one can renounce, deny or reject their DNA. How much DNA has to do with behaviour, and with spiritual and cultural evolution is still a matter of debate.

However, evolution is not limited to DNA alone. It is because of my evolution as a free spirit that I reject degraded culture and embrace traditions and values, learned from my ancestors, that uplift the human spirit rather than diminish it.

If Mr. Forte has no DNA in his family lineage that he wishes to similarly emulate this is truly unfortunate and must be pitied. We can only hope that his personal evolution will eventually catch up with that of the civilised world where ethnic, cultural, and every other identity – gender, sexual orientation, religious, etc, – are guaranteed, protected and respected through constitutional laws, human rights charters, and by a sense of plain moral correctness on the part of every citizen.

Not many of us wish to repudiate our ancestral past and, in fact, my hot-mouth is very much part of my DNA. It comes to me from my ‘nanee’, an Indian woman from Port Mourant who gave as good as she got and took no eye-pass from anyone. She would be so proud of me for continuing the tradition and might have a thing or two to tell Mr. Forte herself if she were still alive.

My nanee and aja and chacha and poowah have all contributed to making me the person that I am and if Mr. Forte has no similar family bonds to speak of then his happiness as a person must be truly limited.
RYHAAN SHAH