The dilemma of a NRI...

Of all the people who migrate to other countries, South Asia has been at forefront. Of all those countries, Indians are taking a lead. Of all the Indians who have moved out of the "Old country", most of them have a strange hate-love relationship with the country.

Its filth, squalor, corruption, petty politics and "adulterated" life frustrates them. Yet every 26th January, every 15th August, every teej tyohaar is spent crying buckets of tears, its straight to the Indian restaurants on weekends and special days, visits to the temple, carrying out of religious rituals just like how its done back "home" - all these things give a sense of pride. If we sit and think to where we belong - Its always India...

Ours is a generation of paradoxes. We study medicine and engineering but still adhere to the age-old rituals and superstitious. We wish to earn in dollars, live in the comfortable "Western world", but are reluctant to cut the umbilical cord. We show up the Kamasutra as a proof of our sexual enlightenment and yet cringe at the very thought of sex education. We want our kids to have the best upbringing these countries can provide, yet we nurture the deepest desire that our kids will marry "Indian" and preferably in the social/caste hierarchy of the family.

An "Indian Origin" Peter Russells can make fun of our idiosyncrasies and we all can laugh at it. But if a Joel Stein dares to write about us, we will make bonfires of his articles and his snapshots will be thrown in for a good measure. We can crib about the squalor and dirt in India to our hearts content. We are just giving our opinion. If a foreign tourist complains, he is being a nagger. A guy goes out at 2 in the night in Mumbai and is robbed, he was a fool to be out that late in the night. A guy goes out at 2 in the night in Melbourne and is robbed, well dint we say that Australians are a racist lot?

While we gloat about how fresh milk and fruits are out "here", we still load spices and pickles from India. While we declare that this is the way/place to live, we still secretly despise the "Western influence" on the Indian culture. While we are completely ignorant of the beautiful language that Sanskrit is, we gloat in pride about "our heritage" of Vedas and Upanishads. Sadly, while our bodies live in these "Developed" countries, our hearts are still in India. And THAT precisely is the dilemma of the confused NRI.