Tag Archives: India

Some things never change….in India

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An NRI’s prospective on the not-so-changing aspect of Indian life

Bigger houses, better cars, western food, newer mobiles….there are so much new in India; there have been so many changes over the last 10-15 years. India, along with very few other countries, is economically growing at a pace that rest of the world can only talk about. The changes are everywhere.

And then, there are many more things that are about the same, same as the old days. If you look closer, the stuff that has not changed much is in fact much more profound and much more important than the economic progress made since early 90s.
The key aspects of Indian way of life that have not changed much include:

  1. The overall mentality is still the same. The way society interacts and overall thinking has not changed very much.
  2. The political power, the corruption and the mussel flexing to get the work done is same old. If you have money, you can bypass the due process and the waiting lines.
  3. The outdoor cleanliness is no where to be found. The trash and garbage is all over the streets, just like before.

    4. Continue reading →

Trash and litter in India? Who cares!

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Trash and Litter in India – A socially accepted behavior threats the environment and surroundings

During a recent visit to north India, (after a long time, I might add) I noticed something obvious. May be I was comparing everything to living abroad. Anyhow, on my way back to America, I wrote this post during a stop-over – while waiting for my connecting flight in Amsterdam.

All around the globe, the world is taking a note of India’s economic growth. The country has made tremendous progress over the last 10-15 years. It is something to be proud of, to be very proud.

However, we must acknowledge, if there is any aspect in which India or Indians have not moved forward – or moved very sluggishly, – is in the field of environmental cleanliness and taking care of the surroundings.

By ‘surroundings cleanliness’, I mean caring about our neighborhood hygiene and upkeep beyond the doorsteps of our own home.

If you look around, trash and litter is everywhere. Nobody seems to care about the waste, and how we discard it. If anything, we add to the garbage that is already abundant in the open and is everywhere. Littering a plastic cup on the road-side, after we are finished using it, is the norm. No one realize anything wrong with it. Throwing our waste on the street, and right outside our own house is a part of our daily routine. That’s how we are, that’s what we think is normal. Having waste and garbage scattered around everywhere does not bother us. We are content within ourselves as long as our house is polished clean up to the front doorstep. When it comes to surroundings, that’s where our responsibilities seem to end; that’s where we tend to stop – our doorsteps. Continue reading →

Popular slogans on Indian vehicles

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While traveling through North India, I found this quite interesting: Below are some of the slogans I saw at the back-side of many Indian vehicles, especially trucks and buses. Some of them are common slogans or signs that basically alert the approaching vehicle, such as ‘Horn Please’ or ‘Use Dipper at night’.
However, some of these signs are quite creative. Many of these slogans are supposed to be taunting remarks from faster drivers/vehicles as they pass by the slower ones.

Please note that in North India, where I noticed these signs, many are obviously influenced by the Punjabi cultures. :)

Here are the popular ones worth mentioning:

Milega Mukaddar
Chal Rani tera Rabb Raakhaa
Hatt Pichhe, Phir MilaaN ge
Papa Jaldi Ghar aa Jaana
Buri Nazar Valeh Tera Muh Kaalaah
Hun Tu Kaun te Main Kaun
Chalo ek Baar Phir se Ajnabi ban JaayeN
Zarra Hatt ke Laadli Continue reading →

Horn Please – the art of honking in India!

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If you go back to India after a few years of stay abroad, the first thing that gets your attention is the noise from constant honking of the horn on the road. Now-a-days, they have introduced musical horns with so many different tunes, if that makes you feel any better. But, the annoyance of horn noise is something that bugs anyone who visits India after a while, or for the first time.

At first, one might think that honking of the horn is an indication of impatient driving or being overly aggressive on the road. After all, most of the vehicles have the rear-view mirrors and they should be able to tell that someone is approaching them from behind to pass by, instead of being reminded with a loud horn. But after a few days of stay I realized that most of the drivers use horn for alerting the other drivers as they take-over or pass by in the narrow lanes.

In America, as you konw, honking of a horn on another driver is rare and used only when someone needs to be reminded of his/her mistakes. In India however, the use of Horn is a part of driving etiquettes. Continue reading →

A lesson in American History

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“Hi dad, I am home from school!” She shouted, entering her house.
“Very good! How was your day? You look tired!” He lowered the TV volume to almost mute.
“It was okay. I still don’t like America!” She said, putting her heavy school bag against the sofa.
“It’s normal Riya! Did you make any new friends?”
“Not really, all the white kids call me ‘the Indian girl’” She slumped into the sofa, next to her dad.
“That’s because they are not used to it” He said encouragingly.
“I love ‘American History’ class though. The teacher was so happy with me!” Her tone was happy again. Continue reading →

The way I used to be

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I miss aimless walking through the streets, the summer roam;
Venturing out in the winter chill, and wandering astray.
Not knowing the destination, but always feeling at home;
I miss howling at the rickshaws, telling them, “Just take me that way.”

I miss the dusty paths, the unpaved roads with no sign to ‘stop’;
Or treading through the morning fog, where one could barely see.
Or waiting for hours at the corner, for a glimpse of her from the roof-top;
And then wondering all day, ‘what her name might be’! Continue reading →

Quality of life abroad – going in circle

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Quality of life is often listed as one of the key reason for migrating to different country, or different place. For example, some the common reasons for migrating from India to countries abroad often include

  • The economic hardships and lower income,
  • Search of better employment,
  • Better education system or higher education,
  • Better medical facilities,
  • Ability to start and operate a business with minimum political and social corruption,
  • Financial and economic opportunities in a foreign land…etc.

All these facilities and much more developed infra structure, combined with financial advantages, add to the comforts of day-to-day life abroad. As a result, based on all this, it does make a difference to the quality of life.

Over the last many years, however, there have been lots of discussions about expatriates and NRIs going back home. There is even a cool term coined for it – R2I : return to India.

Why are lots of Indians returning to India? Guess what – one of the most common reasons for R2I is ‘quality of life’ back home. Continue reading →

Bhagat Singh- A salute to a freedom fighter!

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Whenever there a discussion of India’s struggle for freedom, Mahatma Gandhi and his passé get the credit. The principle of non-violence is touted as the sole reason for poor India’s victory over the big bad wolf – England.

Yes, what Gandhi and his followers did for India is beyond words. Their movement against the foreign rule was the center stage of freedom fight. The achievements of key leaders like Nehru and Gandhi cannot and should not be diminished.

While Gandhi and non-violent struggle was significant towards Indian freedom, we often forgot to mention those who fought their own battles towards the same end – India’s freedom. The likes of Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh waged a bloody war against the foreign rulers, waking them up, sending a strong signal that India is not going to take the brutal and insulting treatment from British Umpire sitting down. Continue reading →

Chumma Stuff

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Neal had a biology exam that day, right after the lunch hour. So, he was in a rush from the very minute he walked into the cafeteria.

The place was crowded more than usual, it seemed. Looking for a place to sit, so he could gulp down the chicken burger, he scanned all the sitting area. That’s when he saw an empty spot next to her.

She was sitting alone, lost in her own world; eating and reading at the same time.

Their previous interactions were brief, nothing more than ‘hello’, ‘hi’ or ‘how are you’? He mostly saw her in the library, sitting in a corner, minding her own business, always busy with her books. Sometime she would sit alone but most of the time, her American friends surrounded her.

There were only a few Indian girls on the college campus, Henna was one of them.

“Hi Henna”, he said approaching the vacant seat.

“Hi, how are you,” she said with a slight smile. Her eyes went back to the book after a quick greeting.

He started to dig into his burger and fried. She kept reading, and eating.

“What are you reading?” he asked, trying to break the silence.

“Chumma”, she paused, “stuff”, she added without lifting her head.

All confused, he waited but a silence followed. ‘What kind of stuff that might be?’ he thought to him self – ‘chumma stuff!’ Continue reading →

Investing aggressively into India? Think twice!

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Okay, first of all, I am not any certified financial advisor, nor do I hold any degree in the field of finance or investing. I am good at math, according to my teachers, but that does not mean anything – almost all Indians consider themselves to be good at math. Bottom-line; take this rant with a grain of salt. On a second thought, may be more like with a spoonful of salt. :)

When it comes to economic growth since early 90s, the whole world is singing praises of India and China. Even the latest predictions estimate Indian GDP growth rate at more than 7%. That is more than double of what is expected in most of the western countries. So, things are not as bad as rest of the world, so it seems.

However, India has seen a tremendous growth in the last decade and beyond. Compared to only 6-7 years ago, the real-estate values have tripled or quadruped in many part of the country. The IT boom has been very significant, to say the least.

So, what is the problem? Exactly that – the long lasting boom. The upward growth has been so good for so long, that it is defying the laws of averages. Every good thing comes to an end, even though the end is hard to predict some times. Continue reading →

Import of Gold and Silver into India by NRIs

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Facilities on overseas assets for NRIs returning to India – Gold and Silver import

Below are the general guidelines on Gold and Silver import into India by returning NRIs including maximum limits, duty and other restrictions:

Import of gold by NRIS

  • NRIs can bring into India gold up to 10,000 grams as part of their baggage once in six months provided they have stayed abroad for a continuous period of six months.
  • The gold may be brought into India in any form, including ornaments (other than ornaments studded with stones and pearls).
  • NRIs are required to pay customs duty in any convertible foreign currency. Refer to the Export Import Policy of the Government of India for the latest rate in rupees per 10 grams of gold.
  • NRI can bring gold into India once in six months.
  • NRI should have stayed abroad at least for a minimum period of six months prior to his/her return to India for being eligible to bring gold.

Import of silver by NRIS

  • NRIs can bring to India silver up to 100 kilograms as part of their personal baggage.

    • Continue reading →

Desi fundas 101: Education a fundamental driver of Indian success abroad

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The big red letters on the front of our school used to read, in two languages:
In Punjabi: “Vidhya insaan di teesari akh hai!”
In Hindi: “Vidhya insaan ki teesari aankh hai!”
Meaning: Education or knowledge is the 3rd eye of a person.

Growing up, we all knew that some of the rules should not and could not be questioned; rules like:

  • Respect your books. Stepping on a book, even by mistake is a sin. A book never belongs under your feet.
  • Education is your priority number one.
  • Respect your teachers….

If you look around, you can always find many neighbors or colleagues that sacrifice so much to educate their kids. Many of them may not have enough to afford three meals a day, but they damn make sure that their kids go to schools – good schools, including the prestigious schools or colleges abroad.

The same priority on education is equally true for Indian Americans, British Indians, Indo Canadians….and other Indian families overseas. Continue reading →

Indian head wobble – the desi nod

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The way many Indians and nod their head is often described as the ‘Indian head wobble’ or ‘Indian head bobble’. If you live outside India, it is not a widely understood body gesture.

What is Indian head wobbling?
For those who are not familiar with the term, the head wobbling is a motion that is somewhere in between the up-and-down nod, and the sideways head shaking. So, it is somewhat rotational motion of the head – a light head shake combined with a head roll.

What does it mean?
Does it mean yes, or does it mean no?

Simply put, it means ‘yes’, but is it really that hard to understand??

Well, for those who are not exposed to Indian culture and desi body language, it is a confusing response. Continue reading →

NRIs’ misplaced nostalgia of good old days

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If you listen to the first generation of Indian Americans abroad – especially those who migrated long time ago – they paint a very bright and picture of their past memories of India:

“Those were different days – happier times. We never cared much about anything – anything but friendship and good company. The schools were parties – a meeting place where all the good and bad schemes were hatched…”

“All summer we played cards under the big shade tree next to the pond….And, when we got bored of cards, we played marbles, or took a nap on a cot. No air-conditioners could compete with the monsoon soaked eastern breeze of summer days. Those were the days….!”

The first generation of immigrants misses the homeland of India more than anything. In most of the week-end parties or social gatherings, talking about good old day is one of the common topics. The nostalgic discussion intensifies after a few drinks. The memories of childhood, the growing up, the friends back home, the food, the aimless wandering…well, there is no end to the journey down the memory lane, the memories of past left behind..

Yearning for the past is a human nature. We always cling to the memories of yesterdays. Regardless where we live, the nostalgia is nothing more than trying to hold on to the past. The past is not easy to let go, even though we all talk about moving on. Living abroad just adds one more dimension to all this – the living in the past. Continue reading →

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA…

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THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA Preamble:

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;

and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HERE BY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION. Continue reading →