Page 13 - Seniors Today October 2020

Special Feature conjures thousands of memories of bygone enterprising spirits and, yes, even a tale of
days? Well, that is the poignant state of an the prodigal son that returned. They have
NRI visiting his motherland. Thefriends all achieved milestones for themselves and
and extended families left behind years ago raised a generation that are the flag-bearers
NRIs: have moved on, India has changed and the of fulfilled dreams. Their comfort zone now is
their adopted country and even though their
westernisation it has adopted has obliterated
Happy in their the ideology of “atithi bhava devo bhava”. loyalties are to the hand that feeds them, each
New Home Again, this is a generalisation and mostly and every one of them left a part of their heart
behind and remember their motherland with
applies to metropolitan masses. Some of the
homesick ones that did return to settle back an aching heart.
Non-Resident Indians have accepted encountered disappointments because of

the country they immigrated to as bureaucracy and somewho weretargets of a Anshuman Desai – The Prodigal Son
their home and are comfortable con wereforced to move back with no hopes of
visiting India occasionally, writes finding remuneration.
Minoo Shah Statistically, five percent of those that did
return have managed to find a niche inspite of
Why do Indians who left India not wish to in various professional spheres. They identify the odds. So, then let’s discuss the exodus of
return, is a complex question with no easy themselves as North Americans or English, this second wave of migrants lovingly called
answers. as it is the only home they know. techies, millennials or Genzers!They have
Let’s parse the Indians who left decades ago Come the twenty-first century and the multiple options and if ever there was a time
to the lands of milk and honey. In the span of augmentation of an immigrant generation to use the phrase –having the world at one’s Anshuman Desai
the latter half of the twentieth century, most of techies that arrived from an India which feet – they do. They are young, smart, techno
of them went for higher education, and better was fast earning global recognition. The savvy and the most coveted of any migrant
job opportunities until the advent of the world’s eyes were on the young India that race. They are part of the Space Age and it’s
twenty-first century when it was the ‘come Thomas Friedman described in his book ‘The not so much that they do not wish to return
hither’ call of the Silicon Valley. The timeline World is Flat’. Here we were now with two to India. Their lifestyles are accustomed to a
is important because even though they age groups of immigrants and one common shrunken world where communication and
faced discrimination early on, the laws went lure. What was the lure? The buying power travel bring possibilitiesof having the best
through necessary changes to help eradicate of the European pound, the Canadian and of both worlds. Will they return? Possibly.
racism and make it punishable by law. the US dollar. To the first set of immigrants Will they want to return? Depends on the Saral Vikas
The migrants who are now in their 60s more so than the second, this helped fulfil government policies. Should they return? A
and 70s succeeded in spite of it and found a dreams of a better life and luxuries that million-dollar question!
common ground to co-exist with the locals. would have been unattainable had they not While we debate this conundrum, it is best
They got involved in politics, community ventured forth. Most chose to make their to understand that the Non-Resident Indians
service and learned to give back in cash stay permanent and opted for a citizenship have accepted the country they immigrated
and kind. The acceptance of the Indian to their host country thus earning the title to as their home and are comfortable
diaspora increased for all the above reasons. ‘Non-Resident Indian (NRI)’. They put their visiting India occasionally. Those that have
Additionally, they had now borne a second roots down, raised families and helped their returned for altruistic reasons and because
generation who spoke the right English and parents and siblings migrate. The roaring of the Indian government’s offer of a dual
soon collectively, they all became a part of the question then is: why, having fulfilled their citizenship (Overseas Citizen of India)
melting pot. This second generation has come dreams, did they not wish to return to feel privileged and don’t see any reason to
of age and have become the 20 per cent of the India?Have you ever had that empty feeling, choose permanence in India. The following
minority mass that hold high-level positions a sense of being lost,heaving a sigh that unique stories of NRIs talk to the grit, valour, Women Empowerment

12 SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #16 | OCTOBER 2020 13