NRI

Well, different people have different definitions of NRI. Some people call them- “Not Required Indians”, while some label them as “Not Reliable Indians”. But it really gets my goat when I see so many youngsters carrying an ardent desire to leave India and settle abroad. If it’s just for education, knowledge or experience then it is okay. Otherwise, our culture is so vivid and rich and there is so much to improve in our country. Then, what is the point in going to an alien land and serving an alien country. It is like you just consume, without giving anything back to the nation! As it remains, patriotism is a totally natural phenomenon- Nobody can teach patriotism!

When they leave India, they are filled to the brim with emotions. They say they are putting everything at stake to go to learn or earn, so that they can serve their nation better. Soon after a few years, they land in a limbo! They either make excuses of getting stuck in a quagmire or play gimmicks to justify their decisions. Gradually, they plunge into gadget freaks, fast-food lovers, fancy car lovers and fast paced life lovers. The concept of self-concept overtakes patriotism. Although, the Indians living in foreign land find it a bit difficult to confess or admit this fact! I still remember, I saw a man in a party. He was looking suave, wearing a black color suit and having a Rolex in his left wrist. He was telling everyone, how much he missed India! He said- “I have been living in America for more than two decades, they don’t have any emotions whatsoever. It’s like a “machine life” there. No one really cares about you there, I miss my nation so much, specially the rich Indian culture”. Everyone was listening to him with great attention. Suddenly, there was a power cut. Power Cuts and summers are like best buddies, they go “hand in hand”. Everyone was sweating, I was observing that man and he was getting really uneasy. Finally, he gave vent to his emotions- “You know what, that is what I hate about India. The power cuts, the traffic jams- It is so bloody crowded here. No roads, no modern facilities. It is like too below par, when you compare it to the US”.

We have seen and heard a lot of British and American TV Series mocking and making fun of the NRIs, demonstrating how they make funny excuses for staying in the foreign land. Professor Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), in the famous series THE BIG BANG THEORY told a FBI agent- “Please don’t send me back to India. It is so crowded there! Here in US, I can live as a care-free bachelor. In India, it is like impossible”.  Even in the epic British comedy series GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME you get to see such examples, many of them! For instance, in an episode when a father tells his son that all hair products are actually Indian, the son refuses to accept this fact. The father shouts back at him- “What do you know? You think all we had in India was partition! Not true; we also had side-partition”.

Well living in India or settling in a foreign country is thoroughly an individual’s decision. But we must try to keep the patriotism in us burning and serve the nation in whatever way we can- Jai Hind!