Swapan Das Gupta pontificates on NRIs - the question is why

Kosla Vepa says: August 19, 2009 at 05:51 AM IST

This is an interesting column, but i feel Swapan ji is scraping the bottom of the barrel, when he feels constrained to write about a group of people who have been generally exemplary in their conduct. I never did cotton on to the term NRI even when it first appeared 30 odd years ago. It seemed to imply a preocccupation with matters Indian. It is my opinion that few of the NRIs really had the time after a busy day and a long commute to concern themselves about India . My working days were 13 hours long including the commute, believe me that does not leave a lot of itme for 'pondering on the problems of India, much less indulge in 'do gooding' Furthermore if indeed the wily NRI is concerned about India why is it such a crime. After all he or she could be a lot worse . He could be a terrorist, but i forget there was a time when it was considered gauche and uncouth to call a killer of women and children a terrorist. Militant was oK but terrorist was not ok.

I used to be asked the question during the early years 'what was my life like' . i USED To reply that it was not all that different from living in one of the big metros of India. But my attempts to put life in perspective were not believed. if the NRI has fallen from grace it is because the resident Indian has put him or her up on a pedestal in the first place . It is merely a reflection of the coming of age of the resident indian and the fact that the middle class Indian has become far more confident with his affluence. But i too realize that generalizations are tempting and that in general the Indian, resident or otherwise is a very unique individual (in a land that celebrates individuality), that there are as many types of NRIs as there are Indians living in India , and that finally there are a greater variety of indians with far more drastic differences than there are between NRIs and their resident brethren.
Swapan ji, you can confide in me , i wont tell a soul, who was the NRI that got you so riled up ?


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About Author

Well-known journalist and political commentator Swapan Dasgupta has worked for many leading Indian publications, including The Times of India. He thinks the Right is an endangered community in India's English-language media. "Right & Wrong" is one of the few voices of the community.

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