Diasporic Indian

Re: # 77

``But, hey, if it makes you happy, go right ahead and feel great about your comments.``

What I have to say here, Amitabh Bachhan would have said it like this :-`` Bolta_aaina jab bolta hai na, tau acchey-acchon ki bolti band ho jati hai...kya``.

No claps for the dialogue. Kitney sunoo....

Re: # 75

Ha ha ha hah......

Why are you so touchy?? Like a coconut...hard from outside.. but a single slam.... and the softness is exposed.

Anyway, dont get bogged down by people like us. If you feel you are right, the matter ends then and there.

You have said that you are not Sati Savitri..... but the same time you are also not Durga.... I think it is a Sati Savitri who thinks that she is a Durga.

reagarding jai-sri ram...

i was listening to a visiting gujju businessman in the US talk on the phone, and he used jai sriram for some and them jai sri krishna for some other phone calls. this puzzled me. he told me that in gujju biradaries, each biradari essentially has its own greeting... khodiar ma, gordhanji, geneshji..and so on..kinda like a secret handshake. so by using a specific greeting, he was emphasising his belonging of that biradari (he belongs to 2 due to marriages) to gain trust in the business dealing. so when you hear these greetings, there is sometimes a special context, so be careful before drawing uneducated conclusions.

I am glad you`re so happy with yourself bolta_aaina but really, do you have to be so delusional about yourself? Do you really consider your roti making slams to have had any effect on me? I`m not some Sati Savitri dissolving into tears of shame because someone like you talks about rotis. *shrugs* I have better self esteem and image than that. But, hey, if it makes you happy, go right ahead and feel great about your comments.

#71:

Yes, but salam seems to be more common.

You are right about greetings. Hi seems to be more popular among younger folks than Namaste, Sat Sri Akal or even Salam.

Re: # 71

btw I think the correct pronunciation is Assalam-o-Alaikum and not Salam-Alaikum.

Re: # 69

Chalo choddo..The essence of Roti is in eating and not making... Waisey ek baat ki tau daad dni hogi tumhey... ki ek humble roti ney tumhari sari hawa nikal di....ek do aur belni pad jaati tau aaina dekhna bhool jateen. The moral of the story is-- ek zarrey main bhi itni taqaat hai ki chahey tau sari khudai ko hila dey. In simple english--Always respect one`s humbleness.

My roti making skills are preety bad...poora Hindustan ka naksha ban jaata hai... It is easier to find various locations in my rotis than in a regular Map.

The process of moving from Khuda-hafiz to Allah-hafiz or from Namastey to Jai Sri Ram is nothing but cannibalisation of the religion. It is brute, it is savage.

PS:- You are always after ladies of my house. There are four of them..Four Deviyan...My Mom whom I respect, My wife whom I ......, My sister(diasporic) whom I miss and my daughter whom I cherish.(Btw, I am taking roti-making class for my daughter regularly).

Bye.

Re: # 68

But I dont think Hindu city-folks greet each other with Jai Sri Ram too often and on. Even Namastey is also in the passing these days. Its other phrases like ``Kaisey Hain?`` ``Sab theek hai``, ``Kya haal chaal hain`` are more in use.

#60 by hindvi

wow, that was a stretch. anyway, if you are taking digs at DM go for it ;-)

i dont get the alla hafiz bizness, but i find it amusing when panjabis seem to name their kids bunty and bubbli and then lament about that mango tree in their village..

i also think that food affects us culturally at a cellular level like nothing else. once the kids start eating real rotis (mom or servant made, but not the frozne ones) their DNA gets programmed.

Bolta_aaina: Maybe the difference between you and me is that my parents did not circumscribe my world view or my Indianness by my roti making skills. There was more emphasis placed on understanding people, on living history, on traveling and studying. There is more to being Indian and understanding how Indians live in impoverished corners of the country (and having spent time working in remote Himalayan villages that don`t appear on any maps I should know) without knowing how to make frickin` rotis. I am also thankful that the people (men and women) I knew in Allahabad didn`t put that much emphasis on their girls being able to make rotis. Btw, bolta_aaina, how are your roti making skills? Oops, I forgot...you have women in your life who make them for you.

I am glad I am not the only one disturbed by the Allah-hafiz and Jai Sia Ram trend. Namaste was a nice greeting that both Hindus and non-Hindus could use comfortably with each other. I find Alla-hafiz rather scary as well. Some time ago, I met some Muslim person and said Khuda-hafiz to him as he was leaving. He had the audacity to correct me and say, ``beti Allah hafiz kaha karo.`` I told him I`ve always said khuda-hafiz and had no intention of changing. Ass!

bolta_aaina:

Indian Muslims have always greeted each other with Salam-Ailakum and Sikhs with Sat Sri Akal. Hindus, at least the city folks, greeted each other with Namaste and most of them still do. Changing from Namaste to Jai Sia Ram is therefore similar to some Muslims switching from Khuda Hafiz to Allah Hafiz and not like them saying Salam-Ailakum.

#66 DOST-MITTAR

`` I believe Hindu villagers always used this greeting or ``Jai Ram ji ki`` but the city folks switching to this greeting or ``Jai Mata Di`` is definitely an indication of religious revival. ``

I dont think it is. It may appear on the surface..yes.

The problem with the country called India is that it is constantly looking for its identity..It is not sure what it is. The religous greetings were started by the BJP folks in the urban areas. Their contention, when Muslims greet each other with Assalam Allaikum or Sikhs greet each other with Sat Sri Akal..then it is prerogative upon Hindus to greet each other too with religous phase like Jai Sri Ram or Jai Mata Di etc.

But I dont think it has worked. ``Jai Sri Ram`` has become more of a slang for showing assertiveness than to say something in praise of Lord Rama.

One should not take too seriously what is shown in the Indian TV Serials of today. It is highly glamourised, highly exaggerated version of something very simple. I dont think what is shown in these serails exists in even 1% of Indian society. Yes, the rites and rituals do exist but not in the way they are shown.

hindvi:

``Its similar to the hypocrisy of people who have a big problem with the increasing religosity in Pakistan (allah hafiz etc) but find the increasing Hinduization and homogenisation of Indian society harmless (karva chauth, etc).``

Wrong example! A similar example would be urban Hindus switching from Namaste to ``Jai Siya Ram``. I believe Hindu villagers always used this greeting or ``Jai Ram ji ki`` but the city folks switching to this greeting or ``Jai Mata Di`` is definitely an indication of religious revival.

[Karva chauth was always a very important day for Hinduwomen in many parts of India, although Bollywood, including Muslim producers, seems to have discovered and glamourised it only recently].

Re: # 64

I could find only a few emoticons gigling and swirling there..... are they all allahabadis??

Re: # 63

Click

Re: # 62

Who all are they?? Can you name some of them?? And are you one of them?? But I dont mean just the citizens of aAllahabad. I mean those who share their roots with that ``Giant Tree.``

Re: # 61

There are more people from that Godforsaken town on this website :-)

Jawahara,

This is a personal post to you.

I cant stop laughing when I write to you...now.

I have just completed reading one of your earlier article ``The Allahabad I Knew``. ha ha ha ha.......ha ha.

You must be thinking by now who am I? Tau bus yehi samajh lo ki I am an obscure leaf of an obscure branch of the same gaint tree which you have mentioned in your article. Bhai..ek baat tau hum kahengey...ki yeh khuda bhi badi ajeeb cheez hai... kin kin ko kehan kehan milwa dey..yeh tau bus wohi jaanta hai.

Today I have no name..I have no identity... I cherish that...I really love it. Because all those greats whom you have named in your article... I think I know them very closely... May be I know their pains...May be I know their struggles.. I am far far away from all of that and I really thank my God for being so kind to me.

Hum allahabadi khatam ho gaye unkey baad....but we are happy that asiey jeeney sey tau khatam ho jaana accha. Though I was born in Allahabad and really love it..but I dont tell anybody that I was born there because the burden is too much. Ghosts of the past. By now Allahabad has become just a word for me which I fill in the forms as ``place or birth.``

Anyway. Nice meeting one of me. Thumbs up.

Jang their is a difference between making rotis and knowing how to make rotis. If u keep harping about your indic identity and you dont know how to make the most basic food, it is a bit hypocritical, sort of like the people who keep taking about their roots day and night but didnt bother to teach their children any indic language while at the same time castigating others who speak maybe two or more indic languages at their inability to speak their mother tongue.

Its similar to the hypocrisy of people who have a big problem with the increasing religosity in Pakistan (allah hafiz etc) but find the increasing Hinduization and homogenisation of Indian society harmless (karva chauth, etc).

#56 Jawahara

``Hindvi #53: The day men`s accomplishments are also judged not just by their academic/career accomplishments but also by their roti making skills, I will take a roti making course. ``

Sorry to poke my filthy nose here.

The day has indeed arrived. By Roti making, I actually did not mean kneading of flour, putting it on a chakla, then vigorously slamming belans on it, putting on a tawa so on and so forth.

It was in philosphical parlance. That is how strong are your fundamentals.. that is to say cultural fundamentals if you are talking about cultures. Now , knowledgeable gentlemen from all corners of the subcontinent are here in this forum. Now ask any of them how seriously would they take a person(from the subcontinent) who says I dont know how to play cricket.. or I dont know how to fly a Kite. These gentlemen are proud of their heritage that from a humble begining of playing cricket on the road side with a tennis ball or flying a kite from their rooftops, they have reached a stage where they are one of the best in the world, in their spheres. Here the matter of pride is the road-side cricket and the kite and not their material achievements.

You are a lady from the subconntinent. God has bestowed favours on you that you can call yourself a global person. But extremely sorry to say that your experiences as a subcontinental lady has no meaning for those millions of them who are still stuck to the primary job of making rotis. You dont know their worlds, they dont know your worlds. There is permanent disconnect.

As you have said earlier that your parents did not force you to go through the rigors of making rotis. Frankly speaking, that was their mistake. They should have. All your mental state ,whether right or wrong, is perhaps because of the absence of the world of making rotis. Otherwise, you wouldnt have been so sensitive about your diasporic identity.

In the end, I would say that if one`s knowledge and experiences are of no use to a poor or a needy, then I feel atleast that such knowledge has no meaning. Of course..I may be wrong.

Agar tum kisi rotey huey ko hansa nahi saktey tau kisi hanstey huey ko mat rulao.(If you cant make a weeping person smile, then atleast dont make a smiling person weep.).

``Hindvi #53: The day men`s accomplishments are also judged not just by their academic/career accomplishments but also by their roti making skills, I will take a roti making course. ``

I think you would rather wait for the day men start breast feeding.

chow

Re: # 46
rahul - i dont know if women writers write on identity more but women do have to think about identity a bit more carefully because so many people are constantly asking us to. right here in this forum, Jawahara started off by discussing her cultural identity as an Indian in America visiting Germany and what it meant for her - something I`m sure applies to men and women alike. But look what happened: she`s now discussing her cooking skills. How many men are asked about their cooking or child rearing skills, even though in these days of nuclear families and fast travel and frequent migration men have to step up to the plate? So Jawahara has to think about her identity as a woman, an Indian woman, a working woman as well as thinking of her cultural identity as a person.

Bolta_aaina #54: Yes, it would be much if you did not try to force my face into your mirror. *That* was the point of my last interact. Of course you have the right to put your own interpretation on to my words. That is one of the occupational hazards of being a writer. That is, also, one of the hazards of being an interactor. Having me put my own interpretations on your words. Words like ``There are not many women in my life-- only a mnimum inventory to keep the life going... But I think one can judge a man by how he eats.. and a woman by how she makes rotis... If you say that your roti making skills are low.. its good news for me atleast in this forum.`` Words that make me think more of a servant/cook person-- a way to keep life going as you said-- and not of an individual with whom you have any kind of real relationship. Aaah, words...such knotty, difficult, imprecise tools.


Jang #51: you are absolutely right. Damn! I miss those rotis. I am already salivating thinking of my next trip.

Hindvi #53: The day men`s accomplishments are also judged not just by their academic/career accomplishments but also by their roti making skills, I will take a roti making course.

Kaalchakra #34

Sorry for the bekated reply.

``...Usne amrika ko mecca nahi banaya.``

Mecca to woh ban gaya. In the other forum for Theism v/s Atheism, we could make out that there are two set of people..Befkoofs and Samajhdars. Bef`s ka Mecca is in west..samjhdaroon ka mecca is further west. BKM sey ekdam naak ki seedh main further west ko jaogey tau ek bada sa registan aayega...usko cross kar jana.. phir ek bada sa samundar aayega.. ghabrana mat ..usko be cross kar jana.. samundar par pahoonchogey tau ek Sea-goddess, white attire main, haath upar kiye huey tumara welcome karegi.. bus look no further.. wohi hai...bus wohi hai samjhdaron ka mecca.

Likewise Kaaba bhi do hain. There are two Kaabas. One Black Kaaba and another Green Kaaba. Black Kaaba is made of Black Stone , Green Kaaba is made of Green crisp paper. If you circle around Black Kaaba you will get zannat but in after-life. If you circle around Green Kaaba, you will get zannat in this life. Needless to say, the bird is hand is much better than that in the bush.

`` Haan, aise an-ginat Hindustani zaroor banaaye jo amreeka mai bhi makki ki roti aur maa ki awaaz nahi bhoolte.``

I am already in loggerheads with ``gehoon ki roti`` in this forum so I dont want to get into further controversy with ``makki ki roti`` which is more difficult to digest and....make.

``Aaapki shaan mein gustaakhi muaf karein.``

Ek hotain hain shaan-dar aur ek hotey hain jaan-dar. Shaandaron main jaan nahi hoti aur jaandaron ki shaan nahi hoti. So no offence taken.

Jawahara #45

I show your face in my mirror and you show my face in your mirror...it would be much better we see our faces in our own mirrors..

Thats one thing..There are many things which I can tell you-- a whole volcano is erupting inside me.... but ``patience thy another name is wisdom``.. I am going by this adage.. so I do expect that you will continue to post your experiences but would also let me exercise my right to look at them through my own pair of glasses.

There are not many women in my life-- only a mnimum inventory to keep the life going... But I think one can judge a man by how he eats.. and a woman by how she makes rotis... If you say that your roti making skills are low.. its good news for me atleast in this forum.

Rest later.

Jawhara a generic query, not a pontification, in the light of: ``Maybe my parents thought roti-making should not form the boundaries of my universe.``

Why does it have to be ``either, or`` why cant a woman be both? does making rotis preclude other passions? or do other accomplishments necessitate microwave meals?

Native ethnic rotis are way way better than diasporic rotis, that`s for sure.

However, when it comes to Chinese food, or ``Continental Bake``, then diaspora wins, belnaas down.

My defining moment came when diaspora was visiting over the weekend and did not know what to do with the finger bowls at `Pindi, Pandara Market, New Delhi. After that diaspora went to Daryagand second hand book pavement bazaar and bought half a pick-up truck load worth of second hand books to ship back home. Then diaspora went on the Metro on a full day ticket for 50/- ( 1 dollar or so??) and rode up and down.

Diaspora is now contemplating placing his daughter into Delhi University to do English Honours course.

Please excuse.

i have lived in UP long enough and NEVER saw any middle-class woman make rotis..(by middle class i man say wife of a public sector engineer or a bank probationary officer). they are always made by servants, and only then they taste good, for they are served hot ;-)

rahul_capri: That`s a really interesting question. I wonder if women are indeed more preoccupied with questions of cultural identity. It could be that traditionally women`s identities were not their own to form and this makes us more preoccupied with it. That might be part of it. But I have read some amazing writings by men on the topic. A lot of Diasporic writing (that hated word again) by both men and women talk of cultural identities. Perhaps we just perceive it and write of it differently. Or maybe not. I am thinking aloud here. Interesting!

Hindvi: Alas I have no excuse. Maybe my parents thought roti-making should not form the boundaries of my universe. But really I think it`s because I am lazy. If I can buy something already made I`ll do that rather than stand over a hot stove. Though I must admit if someone else is making hot rotis for me I am enough of a U.P. bhaiya to stand in line. Love them.

rahul

These little js and zs fill me with dread everytime I meet them. Thanks :)

Jawahara are u serious, U cant make a roti !! and whats your excuse?

kaalchakra #42, its jurrat not zurrat , (couldnt resist :-))

Jawahara, Nice read that. Just wondering aloud, are women writers more conscious of their cultural identity and how it has been shaped than men writers? If yes, then why?Maybe its just me, but I seem to read more writings from women on this topic.

*busily takes notes* Thanks so much, bolta_aaina for your brilliant...errr...analysis of how all people of the diaspora are and how they should be. I was taking notes for the next time I head to the hollowed out volcanoe where we Diasporic People *cue scary, whiny music* gather to decide how to best torment the folks living in the lands of our origin. We must definitely invest on YES! WE ARE DIFFERENT buttons. I was thinking of something in a red, white and blue color scheme. Much better and less uncouth than just shouting it out everytime we see a desi person. My next article will focus on how you, Bolta_aaina (and others in your family, village, town or city wherever you live) feel about the world and your interactions with it, a view from the inside the talking mirror so to speak. I will not only tell you how you think and feel...but also, if god forbid you dissent...I will take pity on you and gently correct you. Sound fair?

P.S.: My roti making skills are abysmal. Now that I`ve cancelled the chocolate and cheese order I`lI bought a pack of ten to send you. There`s the DHL guy at the door now. Cheers.

P.P.S: I`m sure the women in your life appreciate being appreciated only for their roti making skills. Good for them.

khamkhwa,

hai hai, pakRi gayi na phir say? ab kisi ko munh dikhanay ke qaabil na rahi. vaq`ayee, dhanayvaad. *laal peelay wala ikon*

kaalchakra,

itna ban`ne ki bhi kya zaroorat hai?! aur kisi ne mujhe roka nahiN. meiN ne khud yahaN bhoot bangla banane ka faisla kiya!

i`m sticking with my mixed up, confused genders. everything else looks screwy to me!

Jawahara #35

Ma`am,

Since you find reading vernacular languages difficult in Roman script, so its better to address you in the language which you undestand well and ....may be appreciate.

You found my post of vintage, ancient variety..I agree. We are living in the 21st century..citizens of a super modern country.. we should always look into the future. Our past including our culture and heritages have no meaning for us when we look into the future.. they are at best to be forgoten and thrown in the nearest dustbin...I agree fully.

My Uncle is not a unique person. He represents a phenomenon. He is part of the hitherto unknown process so-called as diaspora. Not sure of himself, not sure of his identity, not sure of where he comes from,not sure of where he is standing. Well ,one may take on any number of identities one wishes, it is not a problem with him or her. But the problem is for others who are around him/her as they are not sure with whom they are dealing?

But terming yourself as diasporic, you are forcing an idenity on yourself which you only know what it means. It is immaterial for those whom you have left behind. OK ,livving in foreign lands you people would like be known differently from native Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladehis etc., then you have tell so. You have to tell very clearly and loudly that ``YES! WE ARE DIFFERENT``. But you guys dont say so for the reasons best known to you. I have no hesitation in telling it very loud and clear and when you guys visit your parent countries, you think more of yourself as Americans, Germans, Britishers or Canadians and sorry to say not at all as ``diaspora`` which you are so fond of claiming yourself.

Regarding the issue of foreign exchange, your statement smacked of(though it did not mean so) that we individually are interested in your foreign exchange. Now why do you send FE to India--to help the poor or needy--is it a charity, philanthrophy or simple ``daan`` or what. It is none. It is either personal help to one`s family or it is simply business. Higher interest rates, better returns in stock exchange or property or something.

Jawahara Behan, things can go and on and the debate will never end. If you want to send something to me , I would still prefer dry rotis than choclates....because it is the dry roti prepared by our mothers and sisters for us which is our identity, our roots, the gift of our motherland. Yes, I would prefer that.

Thanks. Have a Good Luck. Do keep on posting your experiences.

ana ji

arsa ho gaya kucch padhe ya likhe huye. agar ab bhi ek do lafz zehen mein hain tau woh khuda *ki* khudai aur us *ki* rahamat *ka* kamaal hi hai :)

aap invisible kyon hai? Kis ki zurrat jo aap ko aane se roke?


Ustaad Khamkhwa

Dhanyawaad. Chowk is fortunate to have a true master of the language :)

rsridhar:

Re: # 37

Thanks and yes you missed something.

I checked the list of these degree holders and found names of all of your family members along with some other Chowk`s resident Fundoo Hindu Jihadis. Bhagwan kee karpa say you are you are doing a nice job. Getting our degrees and returning to India to kill Muslims yaani kay hamaray hee logg plus Sikhs and Christians.

Just do us a favour. You have not paid the last semester tuition fee yet. Please pay it ASAP so that you are confirmed getting 72 active hoors in Swarg that will cater to your passive homese*tual desires.

Btw, I would like to inform you that Pakistanis are not able to get admission into these programs, because too may applications are being received from rich fundoo Hindus.

;-)

Re: # 34

Your reply is full of sweetness. May be you are also fond of choclates like me...But beware of High sugar...diabetese..chlorostrol....the gifts of modern world to the mankind...

J - I didnt know this was an intro peice to your column but now the brevity of it makes sense. I wondered if you were planning to leave us thirsting for more... nice to see there will be more to follow. I especially liked the lines, ``I don’t have to conform the social rules and mores of any country. I’ve been scattered wide and cannot now gather myself to be constrained into a single identity.`` It captures the schizophrenia of the `diasporic indian` [i`m not exactly sure why i put that into quotes but they seemed to be called for] so very well.

Re: # 36
ana...
you still don`t know your muwannas from the muzakkar...khuda baRi rehmat wala hai is perfectly correct...the baRi is being used for rehmat and not khuda...;)

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kaalchakra:

your roman hindi/urdu response was rather cute, and i had to chuckle at one point `cause you did something i still do quite often in my urdu bolchaal. i still mix genders (must be somethin` freudian `bout that) khair. . .

either you want to say khuda bada rehmat wala hai, or khuda badi rehmat wali hai. or maybe you speak a dialect where `tis acceptable to say badi rehmat wala hai? i know i would have been corrected immediately by a seasoned urdu speaker for having committed such a faux pas. i know you don`t deserve my getting back at you for all the times that i`ve been corrected by others, aakhir aap ka kya qasoor hai, but heck, `twas fun!

p.s. this is an invisble post, `cause i`m not really here anymore but you know how to get a hold of me. :) *whispers*

Bolta_aaina #32, 33: I find reading Hindustani or whatever very tedious to read in Roman script. However, I found your very tear jerker Bollywood, 1950`s movie style interact quite well...(for the sake of politeness)...interesting. That word does cover a variety of intents. I`m sorry your uncle had adjustment problems with India but since this is your niji family ka maamla maybe you should talk to him about this. You seem quite upset with him. Bahut sensitive ho bhai. Here`s a kleenex (sorry I only have the amreekan-mecca style. kya karey?) Besides, I don`t think me or anyone I know go to India and blather on about cars and light sockets. Please! There are more interesting things to talk about than conveniences especially in an India that is on the cutting edge of many things. Well, at least parts of urban, metro India is.

If this was real life I would have been hoarse by now saying that this was not a slam on Indians or India. It`s about claiming a new identity. It`s the first article in what will be a series of articles about being a member of the Diaspora.

More than that, this was *my* take on my own diasporic identity. And...duh...yes, it`s different from the millions of identities out there. The whole point is that there is no monolithic diasporic identity, just as there is no monolithic Indian identity or Pakistani or Bangladesi identity. Sometimes we have similar experiences, sometimes we don`t. I don`t know how Diasporic Indian millionaires experience life nor do I know how the cab driver or motel owner lives his life. But there are similarities and differences and they all have (acknowldged or not) distinct diasporic identities which are separate from their Indian or x (insert country they live in here) identities.

Does the statement that India likes our foreign exchange mean that the IITs and IIM in India are crap? Anyone reading a newspaper, watching TV or has access to the Internet knows this. They are very much part of America`s economic progress as well just as they do contribute to India (damn...those foreign exchange dollars and euros, etc. again). Why that is a slam on anyone I fail to understand. Did I imply they were mutually exclusive facts? Heck, I didn`t even mention IIT and IIM in this article. In my world more than one fact can exist at the same time.

So, I am off now to cancel that shipment of cheese and chocolates for bolta_aaina. Time to make those dry rotis.

Bolta ji

Aap aur Veeresh bhai Jawahara behen ki ek chhoti se baat ko pakad kar baith gaye. Khair manaaiye, ki Khuda badi rahmat wala hai. Usne amrika ko mecca nahi banaya. Haan, aise an-ginat Hindustani zaroor banaaye jo amreeka mai bhi makki ki roti aur maa ki awaaz nahi bhoolte. Aise logon ki taadad bahut ziyada hai.

Sochein tau sahi, hum sab kyon yehan chowk par sir peedte hain. Isliye ki hum dur rahkar bhi watan ko apne dil ke bahut qarib rakhne par majboor hain.

Aur bhai, saare hindustaanio ko, chaahe woh hindustan mein hon ya amrika mein, IIM aur IITs par, Hindustan ki har acchi cheez par, naaz hai. Jawahara behen ko bhi. Aaap poochh kar tau dekhiye.

Aaapki shaan mein gustaakhi muaf karein.

Post 32 continued for Jawahara--

Aur tumney bhi tau chhati peet kar apni foreign exchange ki duhai dey hi daali. Kehna kya chahti ho?? Ki hum tumharey tukdon par paltey hain?? Nahi behan Nahi. Tum abhi itni badi nahin huveen ki humey khila sakho aur hum abhi itney gaye-guzrey nahi huvey ki tumhari kamai ka khana padey.

Haan tumharey hatoon ki paki do sukhi rotiyan bhi hamarey liye amrit sey bad kar hain par tumhari kamai ki cheese aur choclates humarey liye zehar sey bhi badtar hain.

Chalta Hoon.

Jawahara Behan --Diaspora or Sar-phoda.

Please bear with me for writing in Hindustani(which now means Hindi+Urdu+HUinglish).

Jab bhi koi hindustani yane ki Non NRI , apney modern Mecca i.e. USA sey Hajj kar key lotta hai to aamm logon ko do batein batata hai-- ek tau yeh ki amrika main logon key bajai karain(cars) zyada dikhti hain sadkon par aur doosre yeh ki har kar ek alag model ki hoti hai. Usi tarah, jab bhi koi NRI aata hai tau woh bhi hamain alag alag model ka dikhta hai.

Mere ek mamu-jaan badi dhoo-dham key saath tees baras modern Mecca main guzarney kee baad hindustan padharey. Ladning kartey hi as usual light nahin, phone nahi, paani nahi, sadak nahi, yeh nahi, woh nahi etc. etc. Aaney key baad ghar doodhna shuru kiya. Sabney socha ki phoren-return hain --koi badi haveli koi badiya mahal lengey. Par bheecharey bahut chakkar laganey key baad ek 2400 Sq.Foot Plot x 1800 Sq.Foot Covered area main settle huey. Settle honey key baad apna Jaddoi Pitara khola. Usmey sey tarah tarah key gizmos both electrical and electronic nikaley. Phir pata chala aadhey tau yehan isliye nahi chal saktey because of voltage difference--aur aadhey isliye nahi chal saktey because of electrical socket mismatch. Hindustan main electrical sockets round hotain hain aur amrika main flat. Bahut pareshan hoowey-kya karain?? Phir kisi ney unhey china-made adaptors aur voltage-regulators la key diye tau classical Bush-style main boley ``oh China is progressing very fast--Iska agar kuch nahin kiya tau ek din USA ko pichey chod dega.``.

Khair--phir unhoney ney apni Library jamai. Usmey pachason Books theen. Tarah-tarah ki. Science, History, Politics, Astronomy etc. etc. Library arrange kartey hi declare kar diya ki na tau main kisi sey books leta hoon aur na hi kisi ko deta hoon. Meaning padney key liye kitaab mat maangna.

Philosphical discussions kisi bhi subject par kara lo. Is author kau quote karangey us author kau quote karangey--kabhi kabhi discussion key beech sey uth kar bhagtey huey library jaingey aur koi kitab ley key aayengey aur usmey sey verbatim quote karangeey. Koi agar poochey ga ki woh tau us writer key khayalat hain aap is barey main kya sochtey hai tau phir whirling and furling. Yehan-wehan idhar udhar. Aap kuch kahengey tau unko reference chahiye. Khud bolengey tau reference dengey-jo aap ko nahi chaiyey. Anpeny ghar main discussions karangey--doosrey key ghar main nahin--kyonki wehan unki pet Library nahi hai.

IIT/IIM Grads key barey main kahengey ki na jaaney in main kaun sey surkhab key par lagey hotain hain ki duniya inkey peechey bhagti hai. Jab bataya jayega ki IITs/IIMs aney course ka standard bahut high rakhtain hain -almost world ki best universities jaisa--tau remark hoga ``pata nahin bhai``.

Aur aeysi hi tarah tarah ki batain. Maaf karna behan, tali do hatton sey bajti hai. Agar hum aapko kehan ki ``Thanks for coming and Thank You for going`` tau galti kahin na kahin aapki bhi hai.

Khuda Hafiz-- Allah Tala aapko salamat rekhey.

Jawahara,
With so much of my family scattered all over the world, there seems very little one can say to comfort you. I know my sisters and nieces and cousins struggle against the blanket identity any country exerts to make sure all its citizens conform. We go back to the old, old question, what is identity?
Fighting your individual battle to remain who you are, the multiple-personed `you` is really the good fight. Perhaps there will soon be a third visible Jawahara, the `Bonn` identity!!
It would take more than a Ludlum to sanctify that one!
Revathy

Kaalchakra:

Re: # 27

:-)

Romair:

Re: # 26

By certain professions I meant bankers, specialty marketers, hospitality and travel industry experts, doctors, etc. I was not referring to businesses.

The 51% thing does not apply in practical terms. That is more of a paper based arrangement. Most of the locals would give you permission to run a business in which they are theoretically 51% owners, but would settle for an agreed minimum payment on a monthly basis. But if a partner is well educated and wants to be involved in running the business then he / she may look for 51% share in practical terms also.

Cupola, owned by Pakistanis, produces cards for many banks and other service providers within UAE also.

There are many other Pakistani businesses like Chemical dealers who procure chemicals from around the world and re-export into Pakistan and import chemicals from Pakistan to re-export elsewhere.

A close friend of mine runs his car business from the UAE. He has developed his niche in importing those cars, which will be considered exotic for Pakistan e.g. WW Beetle, BMWs, etc. and exporting them to Pakistan where children of the affluents buy those as a status symbol.

Jawahara
You chose an interesting subject. Very recently I noticed that several people that I always thought to be Indians were actually from kenya, South Africa, Zambia and Mauritius, and had been living there for 3 or 4 generations. Amazingly some of them were following Indian customs more strictly than us first generation NRIs.

And all members of Indian diasphora have experiences similar one you quoted about restaurant. 10 or 11 years ago I and a friend were walking in Sandy Springs area of Atlanta. A cab stopped near us and desi cab driver asked us in Panjabi if we were lost. Though we were not he took us to our apartment (he did charge us for the ride), gave his address and invited us home. He was from Pakistan.

re: ahmadzai # 11

Indians need to be a little more careful about the sensitivities of some of their other South-Asian friends, and others a little more generous in their interpretations of Indian behavior :)

Ahmadzai/faisaluno #: ``2) Prefer the UAE (or increasingly Qatar now) if you want to accumulate some wealth (only for certain professions) quickly and have good infrastructure.
3) Prefer Pakistan if you want to have career ultimately leading to respect in the society and to wealth.``

Thanks for the info.........

What would those, ``certain professions`` happen to be. I believe barring IT, and a few others, one has to have a local partner who owns 51% of one`s business, to incorporate.

Are there are any business based in Dubai, which operate primarily in Pakistan. I know of one called Cupola Group, which does much of its business in Pakistan, but is based in Dubai.........

Romair:

Re: # 23

UAE versus USA/Canada versus Pakistan - some thoughts:

Since I have worked in 6 countries on smaller tenors but for longer durations in the UAE and the USA, my younger brother after graduating from NY University, asked my opinion on these 3 places from career development point of view. This is few months ago when I moved from Australia to join my wife and two kids in Canada. My opinion to him was as follows:

1) Prefer USA or Canada if you want to live with good people and good infrastructure. (I have been pleasantly surprised by the Canadians. They seem to be the best people I have ever run into).
2) Prefer the UAE (or increasingly Qatar now) if you want to accumulate some wealth (only for certain professions) quickly and have good infrastructure.
3) Prefer Pakistan if you want to have career ultimately leading to respect in the society and to wealth.

In Pakistan, infrastructure and people in the workplace suck.

In the UAE, lack of career development and people in the workplace suck.

In the USA and more so in Canada, working your butts off and yet not having wealth sucks. For Canada, perhaps this is too early for me to say, but I have looked at the potential of earnings even if I become the CEO of my organization and I am quite disappointed :-)

IMHO, the best course of action for Pakistanis is to move out of Pakistan for education in the USA/Canada/Australia, try to settle down on a good job for good 5 years in any of these countries, then move out to the UAE (or Qatar) if you belong to certain professions and then keep moving internationally wherever new jobs take you. One can finally retire in Pakistan, die there and be buried in the family graveyard.

This reminds me that the luxurious 2 sq. yard plot in my family graveyard that was reserved for me has been encroached by a traveling family whose 6 months old daughter, a Pakhtana, died of choking on a tidbit while passing through that region and had to be buried there in an emergency. I remembered the little angel’s name that I had read on her tombstone till sometime ago. The name skips my memory now. People had told me that the baby was very beautiful and that the Gorkun refused to dig the grave, because he believed that she was sleeping. May God keep her soul in eternal peace.

Unfortunately, two nationalities are very hostile to Pakistanis in the UAE – Indians and Egyptians. It is a strange co-incidence that both these nationalities take immense pride in their pseudo- civilizations.

UAE locals, Americans, Brits and Canadians are exceptionally nice with Pakistanis. I really enjoyed the workplace in the UAE, because of Americans and UAE colleagues.

I hope this helps all the readers in general.

i was dubai recently. seemed like houston with bits of karachi thrown in the middle. heat was unbearable even at seven in the evening. lifestyle seemed no different from that in any modern metropolis such as singapore or toronto. dubai though had a bit more character because of strong eastern influence. also some of the new construction there has to be seen to be believed. best thing about dubai though: proximity to home.

Can anyone provide a good comparison of life in North America and life in Dubai, from a South Asian perspective. Preferably someone who has lived in both places..........

and the point is......?????

Dear Jawahara

You need not have paan when you come to Dubai. The choice of alternatives is endless.

I just wanted to explain what Dubai is like, let`s say, what we would like Bombay or Karachi to be.

There are many double-standards, however, which makes one feel at home. After all, life in the Sub Continent is full of double standards, isn`t it ? And in the U.S. too !!

For example :

Prostitutes of all colours, shapes and sizes walk on the streets of Dubai from 11 a.m. onwards, while a Sub-Coninental housemaid is sentenced to 100 lashes and deportation for adultery.

There are many other examples of double standards.

Cynically speaking, this makes the dubious diaspora of the Sub Continet people feel more at home in Dubai than anywhere else in the world, because the double standards exactly connect with the situation back home.

Re: # 18

``Middle East is one zone where there is minimal feeling of nostalgia amongst the diaspora``

may be this is due to proximity to sub-continent..and one can easily keep in touch with friends and family...which does minimize the feeling of alienation

Veeresh #17: Of course the diaspora is more than just the US and Canada. Which is why I said in my article that there are about 20 million Indians or people of Indian origin currently livingin 40 countries. Add others from the subcontinent and that number is close to 30 million. The rest are your observations so I`ll not respond to them. As far as standing out because of a haircut, I have long waist-length hair so I don`t think that applies to me :-).

About the world citizen thing: I don`t know, I just have an adverse reaction to that term. A personal quirk I guess. It just seems like a slogan of some sort, a kind of glib (OMG, I`m channeling Tom Cruise :D) term that fails to take into account the real complexities of identities, nationalities, ethnicities, traveling, immigration...everything. Anyway, that`s just my opinion :-).

Ahmadzai #11: Just because Indians talk of the Diaspora (and perhaps we do) excessively does not mean that we are necessarily uncomfortable with other people. But really, even Italian Americans, born and brought up here, talk about their roots. They take trips back to the village their ancestor came from and trace their lineage even if they don`t speak Italian at all. Members of the Polish, Chinese, Japanese Diaspora that I know also feel that tug. It doesn`t matter which country they live in.

As for the Hindi/Urdu thing, since I can neither write nor read Urdu and the only Urdu I speak is probably culled from Bollywood I assure you (since I was there I should know) I was not speaking it. Perhaps Hindustani is a more accurate term there but increasingly it seems to be becoming a more arcane word so I just used Hindi instead.

NhK #16: Jawahara and Saidullah perplexes me too. Damn my parents!!

Nabendu #18: I can`t eat paan so is the meetha variety also available on the black market? :-) I must keep that in mind when I visit.

Harimau #13: :-)

Sridhar: Yes, while traditionally Diaspora was used for the Jews, other groups and not just Indians have co-opted the word for some time now. But that is how language evolves and grows as well.

How, I wonder, does the word diaspora apply to the People of the Sub-Continent (PSC) who live in the Middle East ?

Unlike those who reside in the US, UK etc, PSCs only ``live`` in the Middle East, i.e. they are not permanent residents of the countries where they live. Although there are many PSCs who have lived in the Middle East for decades, only a very few, notably in Oman, have taken (or been given, rather) citizenship. Apart from these few, all other PSCs have to leave one day. In these circumstances, are these people diaspora ?

The Government of India certainly thinks so. There is a conference of Indian diaspora every January in New Delhi, at which prominent status is given to Indians who live in the Middle East. I wonder, though, whether this is correct.

On another note, the Middle East is one zone where there is minimal feeling of nostalgia amongst the diaspora. In Dubai, particularly, you hardly see a non PSC face in the Bur Dubai market area. Local people constitute some 15% of the population. Hindi/Urdu is spoken by almost all. Everything from the SC, from appams to zarda, is available.

By the way, paan is banned in dubai, though you can buy it on the black market !

Re: # 9, Jawahara, point I am trying to make is this, that the diaspora consists of many segments. We tend to ignore the earlier diaspora, the ones that went to West Indies, Far East, Pacific Islands or parts of Africa, for example, and see their transit paths.


So . . . here are a few segments I observe, I am sure there are many more.

a) Indian who stayed back in India and kept his eyes open. In which you include pretty much everybody who has a television since late `80s and internet since late `90s, owns a passport, is fairly aware that a world citizen is what s/he has the option of evolving into.

b) Indian who went abroad usually froze in time. For many of them, the rest of the world = phoren with big-big cars, cola in can, new type of blue rubber chappals, discount department stores and frozen yogurt, and their children are testimony to this.

c) Indian who went abroad and kind of got amalgamated. These are the people who are able to return with open eyes, and will read a copy of The Lonely Planet instead of asking Old Aunt XYZ about how to get around.

+++

As for being recognised as an NRI, I think a lot has to do with the haircut as well as the stance.

+++

On the term ``world citizen`` being a Class-IV term, I agree. But it does seem to have relevance again, specifically if you wave an Indian passport along with your plastic lately. Especially if in between the time you/I were in Class-IV, we moved through Socialist fabrics.

Sincerely, veeresh

Jawahra `Saidullah`

Loved it.

(Jawahra & Saidullah is perlexing me!)

Yesterday. I was waiting outside my office (Colombo) for a radio cab. A car stopped. It was not the cab. I was confused. The man asked `Are you living in Malalasekara (Cinnamon gardens)`. I said `Yes`.

He said `I have seen you taking walk in evening. I live at the end your private road. Come with me`.

And so it turns out that he is from India. And Punjabi. He asked `You speak in Punjabi?` I replied `Bilkul`.

And then, suddenly we were on a big common canvass. His being so close was already a comforting feeling. We quickly exchanged notes on our lives.

We still have to begin our interactions, me being still being in the settling down phase. He is an economic & finanace beauracrat - something I know little about and there is a topic waiting out there.

nhk

re:#3 by veeresh
(India is excessively surplus in foreign exchange....``
No kidding sherlock!
And where do u think all that foreign exchange is coming from?
Sridhar

re: #6 by jang
You seem to have a point.
M-W dictionary defines diaspora as `` the breaking up and scattering of a people`` and seems to imply the word exclusively for the jews (historically jews as a people lost their roots and got dispersed). Indian emigrant is probably a better terminology but what the heck, Indians seem to have added a new meaning to the word diaspora.
sridhar

Ref veeresh #3

[a) NRis don`t stand out in the crowd in India anymore. So they are not really known as amything special anymore. Please go to any village in Punjab or mall in small-town Andhra/Maharashtra, and try to differentiate between the locals and the NRIs?]

Just yesterday, a household worker came along our street wearing a Donna Karen T-shirt. A hand-me-down certainly, but nevertheless an indication of how far NY fashion has spread in Chennai!

I guess I will have to dig out my ``Beach of Passionate Love`` (from Kota Bahru in Malaysia, Pantai Chinta Berahi in Malay) T-shirt to stand out in Chennai by scandalizing the locals!

Jawahara:

You just whetted the apetite. I guess the main course is to follow.

I think that it is a bit early to talk of a Diaspora in a North American context. Most of us are first generation immigrants many of whom are still nostalgic about the old lands and may even harbour dreams of retiring/dying ``back home``.

I am not sure how the second generation is going to shape up. My own case is atypical as my children did not have a ``proper`` South Asian upbringing - no Bollywood, no temples/gurudwaras and no South Asian buddies. In fact, none of my children have any Indian friends, yet they do have an Indian identity. They don`t normally cook Indian meals but still enjoy Indian food, especially Indian junk (samosas, chaat, etc.). They do have an Indo-Canadian identity but the Canadian part is much stronger. While they may not be typical of second generation, I think that in general the second generation does not have the same attraction towards India as we do. So, it will take another decade or so to find out if they also feel to be part of a Diaspora, or merely brown-skin Canadians.

This is a nice article, but I have few observations:

1. No body talks about Diaspora so much as the people of Indian origin even though the word is associated with Jews. Imho, people should be talking about internalization rather than diaspora. Therefore, in Mississauga e.g., I am more at ease with Turks, Indians, Arabs, Jamaicans, Nigerians, Eastern Europeans than I am with people of Swabi, NWFP. When I was in Orlando, my widfe and I discovered a small Pakistani family run restaurant. We did not make a whole issue out of it simply because I was a Pakistani.

2. It is obvious that India has launched a serious campaign to project its identity in the world for a decade now. Indians should understand that projection of identity does not mean to discriminate or belittle other nationalities, something that comes out quite often in articles written on similar topics by Indians. For example, the person that writer refers to as having first moved to Pakistan and then to Germany, was not talking to her in Hindi, but in Urdu. Simply because the speakers of two languages can still communicate with each other (although I believe that this may no longer be true after 10 years or so), it does not mean that the person was considering himself to be an Indian. I do find people from Afghanistan, who can speak Pashto with me, but I do not assume that they are Pakistanis. Similarly, when an Egyptian converses with a Lebanese, he does not take the latter’s nationality as his for granted.

#9 do must have stopped nodding your head sideways for yes as well as no ;-)

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Veeresh, # 3: You raised some interesting points. Let me say this:

Since I am a member of the Diaspora who does travel to India quite frequently these days I think I have some qualification regarding my observations. Just the fact that there are diasporic Indians in India everywhere does not mean that the mutual relationship between us is still not complex. Since I am not from a small town in Punjab but I do spend a lot of time in small-town UP and Delhi and Bombay I think I have some handle on this. On the question of standing out. I look Indian, I speak Hindi and English (like most upper middle class folks in India), I buy and wear Indian clothes in India and still, with amazing regularity, at least 2-3 strangers a day ask me whether I live in the US or Canada. Maybe they have ESP or maybe I stick out with some unconscious vibes I give out. Anyway these are superficial issues so lets go on. Just talking to people, eavesdropping on conversations and reading newspapers and magazines while there tells me of this uneasy truce between us. This unease goes both ways. This is not to say we hate each other or look down on each other. It`s just what it is. An uneasy truce.

As far as foreign exchage goes (and I was a bit tongue in cheek there) I am not just talking about someone going for a vacation and spending a thousand dollars. In a global economy with global trade Diasporic Indians are helping the now-robust exchange situation in India. And good for us! For Indians and for Diasporic Desis.

Besides this article was not a slam on Indians living in India. It was an attempt to examine a unique, still-emerging identity. This just is what it is. Just as I can no longer definitively tell someone living in India how it is to live there, I don`t think a non-Diasporic person can tell me what it`s like to be diasporic. It is a state to be lived in and experienced. No brief visit can accomplish it.

I never said I had to go to Bonn via the US to figure it out, considering I`ve been researching, writing and publishing on this topic since the late 90`s. What I was talking about was how *emotionally* central being a diasporic person was to my identity, not as a world citizen (which seems to a kind of shiny-happy, too-simple hippie term to me that I loved saying about myself in the 4th grade) but as a complex identity which is distinctly its own. Not Indian. Not American. But something distinct in-between. Something more. For a while now Diaspora has been used as a disparaging term. And I realized that it was not so.

Romair # 7: I like being Diasporic. I embrace that identity because I find it freeing. So...thanks for your offer but I must decline :-). Also, I have a brother active in community anti-racism efforts in the Ontario area and other family members who have lived there for 2 generations, so I do know that problems exist there as well.

Kulharee # 8: your request is noted :-). Stay tuned.

Romair Ji, you are thinking too far ahead. What if we have a few more earthquakes and a couple of Tsunamis in South Asia? That’ll teach em a lesson. I think there will be more multi-cultural and cross breeding in the future. I think cousin marriages and keeping the gene-pool from expanding will slow down in the future and Desi identity will be not as Desi as it is today. Big Mack will replace Shami Kabab as out national dish and people will be able to offer prayers on the computer (anonymously) . Microsoft will develop a package for Cyber-Haj. Even Allah will have difficulty telling who apart from who.

It’s a very interesting essay and concept. I request the writer to talk a bit on mixed identities; or half-breeds as they are called in some places. I am wondering how my kids who have lot of mixture will be able to identify themselves – other than New Yorkers.

Move to Brampton, Ontario. You will no longer feel like part of a diaspora.........

The world will reach its peak population in 2070(?). After which, the population will stabliize or even start declining. Other than in one major area - South Asia. In a 100 years, most of the world will be South Asian or Chinese. Major countries in Europe, Canada etc. already have negative growth rates for non-diaspora populations. Germans, Americans, and goras of various varities, are on their way to slow extinction...........

So, much like, someday all IT people will be working for IBM or Microsoft, similarly, someday everyone will have a desi DNA.............

indians as a tribe need to come to grips with statistics. if one in six persons on the earth is indian. so i submit that indians are no longer a diaspora in the same vein as the jews or the lebanese. they are like mold-spore, they are everywhere, and become evident whenever there is some dampness.

And you have a name to go with it.

Nice read.

Jawahara,

The fondness for our roots increases as we move further from the place of birth. When we move to an area where no one speaks for our language, we crave for someone with whom we can talk in the mother tongue. I recall seeing the story of two Punjabis who are sworn enemies due to some family feud. One of them settles in Mumbai and the other one pursues him there to avenge the death of his kin. The second guy faces major problems in the mega-city and after two days of exhaustion when he finally finds the enemy, he drops his dagger, folds his hands and pleads, ``Tu mere naal Punjabi wich gal kar`` :-). The irony of it all is that kids are scolded for speaking dialects instead of Khari Boli and those whose command over English language would make the luminaries of that language turn in their graves, insist on talking to their toddlers only in English. People are looked down upon for not being able to use cuttlery in Kanpur. And then some people eat with their hands in San francisco to soothe their nostalgic itches. There are teenagers in Delhi who listen to only hard rock, and there are professionals in NY who are busy stacking Ghazal, classical and Bhajan CDs. I guess it is the homesickness of the diaspora which makes them such loyal fans of Hindi movies.

The longing for roots is not limited to NRIs, one can feel it if one moves to a state with a different language, too. Last week, I went to a furniture exhibition. I needed a good spread so I stopped at the carpet counter. A guy rolled a small carpet, tied it and tossed it towards another one, ``eeko baakiyan ke saath pack kar deyo. Aur jo baaki piece tumhe laaye ko kaha raha, laayo ki nain?``. I asked the guy who was standig opposite me if they were from U.P. On talking more, I realized that they are from the carpet belt near Bhadoi. On telling him where I was from he said with a big smile ``Aap ko jo lena hai le lijiye, keemat ki chinta mat kijiye``. I got a cool 25% discount without asking and his visiting card with the godown address, if I ever need anything in future. This when they don`t sell retail :-)

Author says:- ````We may be called Not Really Indians in India (though our foreign exchange is welcome) and some of us might not be fully part of the countries in which we live.````

I don`t know where you`ve been over the last few years my fine friend, but:-

a) NRis don`t stand out in the crowd in India anymore. So they are not really known as amything special anymore. Please go to any village in Punjab or mall in small-town Andhra/Maharashtra, and try to differentiate between the locals and the NRIs?

b) India is excessively surplus in foreign exchange. Loans from foreign governments and banks are being extinguished or retired regularly. For example, there are NO GOVERNMENT LOANS outstanding to India from USA, Canada, EU, Japan and Saudia, and that is a simple truth.

Come to India as an Indian, as an ethnic minority from some other country, as an immigrant who emigrated from India, or just come as you are. And if you spend, well good for you, get your money`s worth.

+++

I agree with the rest of your revelation.

Welcome to the world of being a world citizen. Increasingly being discussed at a village school near most people in much of India.

Something like that was what I heard/saw on a television programme about junior school textbooks a few days ago, a very earnest ``babu`` was holding forth on how they had to rapidly revise syllabi and textbooks (in multiple languages) from nursery onwards because youngsters with a few thousand hours of television watching below their belt needed to be prepared for the world, and not just India.

+++

And you had to go to Bonn via America to figure it out? Come on!!!

+++

With sincere good wishes.

okay.....