Comments on: So much ado about a surname!

By: anshu

anshu — Sat, 16 May 2009 02:03:54 +0000

Aaah…. another addition to this post. I applied for a US visa last month. Have been selected for a fellowship in Philadelphia in October. And lo and behold, they had a facility for surname-less blokes like me. The instructions saying type in FNU in the ‘First name’ column. I presume it stands for First name unavailable and not some profanity. But then sweetie, in my case it is my surname which is unavailable, and not the first name!

But there is no point arguing with officials at the US visa office over anything. Be thankful they granted you a visa with that weird name you had!

BTW of the 15 odd people who had applied for immigration to the US on the day of my interview, 11 were called Patel and one was called Dholakia. I only heard one other Tamilian name called. Wonder why there is this exodus of Patels?

By: No Special Characters Allowed — Manishwa.com

No Special Characters Allowed — Manishwa.com — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:47:29 +0000

[...] My sister, who is a regular on this blog, doesn’t have a first name, last name or the middle name (something that retarded Maharashtrian babus insist that you must have). She’s just called “Anshu” with no prefixes or suffixes. And it was just a few weeks ago when I tried to register a domain under her name. As she didn’t have a first or last name, I couldn’t figure out what should be filled in the online forms. So I tried “Dr.” as the first name, and “Anshu” as the last name. And the system screamed – no special characters allowed. More on her adventures with her name here. [...]

By: RAVI P MALHOTRA

RAVI P MALHOTRA — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 08:26:17 +0000

Dear Anshuji, Jaat paat ko lekar aapas me jhagde to sune the lekin khud ke surname ko drop karne ke liye bhi koi jhagda karega aisa to pahli baar dekha he. Compliments to you for finding own unique way. Sanjay Dutt wants his sister not to use her father’s name may not stand in court of law. Different opinions are welcome.Have a nice day.
Regards
Ravi

By: anshu

anshu — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:52:05 +0000

Grrr Manish. You can use your wife’s surname and I would laud you as being very pro-women. But for the life of me I wouldn’t fill an internet form with the surname you did. Guess what… I managed to get on facebook with all their squeals and squirms as Anshu… A direct firm request did the trick.

I usually roll up my sleeves when I am going to meet any govt official (especially in Maharashtra).. where they insist on three names and I groan, grunt and growl till I roar my final dialogue— If India can have a PM without a surname, who the hell are you to question me! Usually works… now I use my passport as my most potent weapon. I can’t forget the handsome Sardar at immigration, who had just one comment for me… “So you DID manage to get through with that name of yours?” I grinned and moved on!

By: o.p.dubey

o.p.dubey — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:20:19 +0000

Manishni dr.hubby good name ha ha ha what a idia sir ji.

By: Shobha

Shobha — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:33:26 +0000

Trust you to come up with interesting tidbits Manish.

And what new site?

By: Manish

Manish — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:22:54 +0000

Ah, the dal-badloo party is here. Padma, Shobha, Naam mat balo, party badal lo.

And Dr.Anshu – I registered your new site yesterday – and just because the last name was mandatory, I put in your hubby’s surname.

I tried “Dr.” as first name and “Anshu” as last name – but it didn’t work. (No special characters allowed).

But you do remind me of Mr.Bean – Bean is both his first and last name. His passport shows his first name as “Mr.” and last name as “Bean”.

By: Shobha

Shobha — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:47:27 +0000

Anshu I am now curious as to how you get away without filling in the surname???

I, too, retained my last name after getting married. Never did like the idea of having to change my name.

By: anshu

anshu — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:55:17 +0000

Agree with you Padma. I often wonder how people react to a new name after almost two decades of using one! I would never respond to it

By: padma

padma — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:04:08 +0000

and above all it reflects my identity as no other name does and a woman’s identity does not change when she gets married, she basically remains the quintessential person that she was before this event. so why take on a new identity?