One topic that has been pushing its way into my mind is that of the ex-Indian. The ex-Indian is a curious creature who has spent the majority of his life in India ( having been born and educated here) and the rest elsewhere usually the US or UK for Indians in the Gulf are never awarded citizenship of their country of residence so they remain essentially Indians. The ex-Indian looks like a regular Indian but for the accent and the dependence on faded t-shirts and shorts as a lifestyle statement. Of course there is another important thing that sets these exalted creatures apart – a piece of paper that says they are now officially a citizen of the country of their choice. In other words if one had no idea that they possessed said piece of paper, it was easy enough to mistake them for er..locals.
I have no issues with ex-Indians or pseudo-Indians or even fair-weather Indians. However I do have a problem with someone criticizing my country after they have chosen to leave it for greener pastures. Everyone has the right to choose where they want to live and raise their kids and I respect that. I do not respect their newfound ridicule for the country of their birth however. Not only is that akin to ridiculing your own mother, its also patently forgetting your road to whatever level of success you are convinced you have attained.
In college I had met all sorts of rabidly political guys – extreme in their views both to the left and the right. Now I see them embracing the very things they scoffed – mostly they (be they former RSS supporters or ardent Communists) argue about Obama’s policies and make sure they tell everyone back here that they voted for him. Afflicted with an increasing loss of memory they now laugh at everything Indian but do not forget to remind the world of their ‘Indianness’ when we win the World Cup in cricket. Human nature, you say? Well of course it is – animals rarely have this conflict in their soul.
The pseudo-Indian is an ex-Indian in soul but due to the exigencies of circumstance has been forced to live in India. This includes the newly-rich who suddenly don’t think the country is good enough for them and make sure their kids poop only in imported potties as well as the ex-Indian who has not managed to survive something traumatic like a job loss in their beloved new country and comes back to the country that he hates but acknowledges to be more viable economically.
The fair-weather Indian supports India when the going gets good and criticizes it remorselessly when the going gets bad. These guys are also ex-Indians but have chosen to return to India permanently with the rider that “if things get too bad, we can always go back”. This particular set of people although tending to be boastful, still make some attempt at integrating with the society around them.
Then there are those who call themselves neither Indians nor Americans – they have the coveted US passport but do not act like that its a God-given gift. They live simply and contribute meaningfully to the society. They don’t go overboard one way or the other and can find things to celebrate in the country of their birth as well as the land of their choosing. They are a pleasure to interact with because they do not go on endlessly about life in the good old wherever. They don’t shy away from responsibility and they are open to change whenever possible. Their children can move back and forth between worlds seamlessly and can be as passionate about cricket as they can about baseball. To me they represent a nice balance which is not really all that difficult to achieve.
To all ex-Indians I have but one thing to say – pick a side and stick to it. Do not use your country of birth as a safety net. Above all respect your route to your present, forgetting your roots makes for a very shallow existence.
5 comments:
I think Mother India could use some criticism as long as it is constructive. In fact, I would welcome criticismo from ex-Indians, resident Indians and foreigners living in India about India. Look at this way: at least they have picked up some attributes of the West however shallow they may be but so be it:)
There are full-blown local morons who behave badly in public. At the least the ex-Indians are humbly aware of their civic responsibilities thanks to their exposure to the West. A passport is an achievement. Please don't snatch that reflected glory from these ex-Indians! :)
So after all this 'granny' wisdom, you are "We are like this only" is it:))
BTW where is my comment? People who live in Indian glasshouses should not throw desi stones?!!
Well thank you for posting my comment. BTW I wrote an earlier comment defending the 'Ex-Indians'...
I neither regulate the comments nor censor them - they appear as and when they are posted so I hope that answers that particular point you raised (i don't even get notified though I have set it to do so!). I thought I was fairly lucid in stating that it was only overboard criticism that bothered me. I know many people of the type I have described and believe me its not an exaggeration when I say that even a decade after returning, some of these folks continue to moan about a lot of things. I don't think that exposure to the west has increased civic responsibilities to a large extent - instead its lead them to believe that here in India, they need to be treated better than average. This of course is not the case with the balanced types that I was talking about admiringly :-)
Obviously this blog is about the way I see things around me and if it offends does so unintentionally - its not a researched and statistical analysis :-) - that being said, thank you for giving me a chance to interact with you ...
Understood. I enjoy reading your blog. Thank you.
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