Mistaken Identity

Someone asked me about one good thing I observed in India after my so-called long stint in the US. Valid question. There are a couple, but I will come to that later.

I want to retrospect my perspective as an NRI over a couple of things. For someone who has spent most of his life in the fast, bumpy ride that is India, and transitioned to the comforts of the west, reflections tend to veer towards criticism, poor infrastructure, corruption, bad road sense, a lack of inclusive progress and what not.

People think of us as ominous if we speak, a dear friend of mine even called me a pseudo-NRI. (Not Really Indian ehh ? ). But the truth of the fact is, we do want to belong and believe. We do love this country. Every now and then, it's worth remembering, in many ways, how far I've come and India too.

Take a ride in the Metro and feel overwhelmed that India is growing. So far, the cleanest place(s) I've noticed in Delhi are the Metro stations. People talk about diversity. You cannot experience a feel of diversity better than for example, in a metro rail compartment where a laborer, clerk, salesman, student, tech professional, business executive, and an NRI (pun intended) sit alongside each other. Men and women both. People are experiencing comfort whilst being safe. That is the good I have seen in India.

It is just that people need to be more civic, ettiquetted and respectful, which I hope will happen in the years to come by. Yes, I love India. And that is why bringing aloud the harder truths and criticisms will never stop. And please, stop calling us as NRI. Call us "Indian" or "American" :).