“My column in the Herald dated 17th March 2007”
A few days back, a friend told me about his plans to head for a foreign country because he has had
enough of India. He isn’t one of the ‘crazy about US’ kinds who think that all things American are
cool or who only talks about English music and Hollywood. He is as connected to India as most of us.
Yet he is convinced that he has to move out of India.
That discussion has got me thinking about the topic of young Indians migrating from India. This article is my attempt to put down the various factors that are at work in this matter. I will discuss the history of Indian migrations and then look at why people migrate and why they don’t. If you are expecting a yes or no answer about migrating, I unfortunately can’t provide that.
Although I am taking an Indian perspective, I think most points would be relevant to all developing nations.
Also please note that I am trying to take an objective view on the subject and not a patriotic or
emotional one
(Continued… Click here “Leaving home for foreign shores” for the entire article). Published as part of my fortnightly column for the Maharashtra Herald)
India has some big issues that eventually led people to start losing faith in their own country. Population growth without control, casteism and caste based reservations, rampant corruption and dirty politics, lack of infrastructure and lack of willingness to develop infrastructure are some that flash. Its very unfortunate and pitiful that most of the Indians think that having a servant who does the chores is a great standard of living. I consider them equivalent to handicapped. Many of those servants are under age of 14. I dont know what is the biggest mistake these children have done. In Nov 05, when I was in India visting my family, I was approached by a 6-7 yr old kid asking 2 rupees for chai. I was very much moved.
Real estate is the most craziest thing happening in India right now. I am not talking about Hyd/Blore. Every other mid major city is being hyped as being on the verge of next happening city. Many of the Indians who might want to come back to India are looking at the prices and are flabbergasted. Neither Software/IT India (India 1) nor Rest of India(India 2) have become rich. Its just that the paychecks of India 1 increased and the prices,cost of living increased for both India 1 and 2.
India has some big issues that eventually led people to start losing faith in their own country. Population growth without control, casteism and caste based reservations, rampant corruption and dirty politics, lack of infrastructure and lack of willingness to develop infrastructure are some that flash. Its very unfortunate and pitiful that most of the Indians think that having a servant who does the chores is a great standard of living. I consider them equivalent to handicapped. Many of those servants are under age of 14. I dont know what is the biggest mistake these children have done. In Nov 05, when I was in India visting my family, I was approached by a 6-7 yr old kid asking 2 rupees for chai. I was very much moved.
Real estate is the most craziest thing happening in India right now. I am not talking about Hyd/Blore. Every other mid major city is being hyped as being on the verge of next happening city. Many of the Indians who might want to come back to India are looking at the prices and are flabbergasted. Neither Software/IT India (India 1) nor Rest of India(India 2) have become rich. Its just that the paychecks of India 1 increased and the prices,cost of living increased for both India 1 and 2.
Guys, India is great. Lot of foreigners are now planning to go to India. I a not an Indian but a German. I think people in India are more happy than other people of the world. Reason…no hype and Indians are not dumb unlike other places. Just hope, you really start taking pride in the law and order and your country.
Guys, India is great. Lot of foreigners are now planning to go to India. I a not an Indian but a German. I think people in India are more happy than other people of the world. Reason…no hype and Indians are not dumb unlike other places. Just hope, you really start taking pride in the law and order and your country.
I HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED PEOPLE FROM IDIA AND THE CULTURE UNTIL….I BECAME EMPLOYED BY ONE. I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A PERSON SO RACIST..SO SELFISH AND SO GREEDY IN ALL MY LIFE. HE MADE HIS FORTUNE HERE IN THE USA OVER 20 YEARS AGO BUT HE LOST SIGHT OF WHY HE CAME TO THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY. HE THINKS ALL BLACKS ARE THIEVES AND ALL HISPANICS ARE DUMB..ONLY HIRES ILLEGALS FOR THE LOW PAYING JOBS AND HIRES WHITE PEOPLE LIKE ME FOR THE CUSTOMER SERVICE. HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AND SON ARE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS AND THEY ARE EVEN WORSE. I AM STILL EMPLOYED WITH HIM BUT HE HAS RECENTLY OVERSTEPPED HIS BOUNDRIES IN THE TREATMENT OF PEOPLE. I HAVE SINCE ENCOUNTERED OTHER BUSINESSMEN OF HIS CLASS AND NOW MY OPINION OF INDIANS IS IN THE TOILET. AND I AM NOT THE ONLY AMERICAN WHO FEELS THIS WAY. DON’T COME TO MY COUNTRY AND OFFEND ME…OTHERWISE GO BACK TO YOUR 3RD WORLD, DISEASE INFESTED GARBAGE HOLE AND SEE IF YHOU DO BETTER.
hey Deborah ! u r an real ASS ! dont blame a country just because someone has screwed u up ! you might well be a lost charactter to be screwed OK. Who asked you to mention whether u r white or not ! you are more RACIST than anyone ! go back to history and see how so called whites dominated, killed and slaved other peoples ! shame on you to call yourself white ! what white man .. its ur ass ! get lost from here
lol
there are also good indians…when you feel sick…come to india….your soul will be healed
no no no dont come here u will get rotten if u dare,., ur soul will be stained… but partly agree u can change ur attitude and will become subtle and cunningly wise
just two sent mr.deborah… you say your country? even whites migrated from britain so how does it became your country sir???
btw. i am indian. just felt like correcting, when you said about racist. your employer might be one. but you aint different when you said ” DON’T COME TO MY COUNTRY AND OFFEND ME…OTHERWISE GO BACK TO YOUR 3RD
WORLD, DISEASE INFESTED GARBAGE HOLE AND SEE IF YHOU DO BETTER.”
you have encountered right but there are worse worms in here…. not only in india everywhere u see them… though i am an indian i dont like to stay here anymore… travelled to settle in uganda. encountered indians there, again to angola there are these again in nigeria they are there. they can t change the attitude if they get money….
I HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED PEOPLE FROM IDIA AND THE CULTURE UNTIL….I BECAME EMPLOYED BY ONE. I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A PERSON SO RACIST..SO SELFISH AND SO GREEDY IN ALL MY LIFE. HE MADE HIS FORTUNE HERE IN THE USA OVER 20 YEARS AGO BUT HE LOST SIGHT OF WHY HE CAME TO THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY. HE THINKS ALL BLACKS ARE THIEVES AND ALL HISPANICS ARE DUMB..ONLY HIRES ILLEGALS FOR THE LOW PAYING JOBS AND HIRES WHITE PEOPLE LIKE ME FOR THE CUSTOMER SERVICE. HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AND SON ARE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS AND THEY ARE EVEN WORSE. I AM STILL EMPLOYED WITH HIM BUT HE HAS RECENTLY OVERSTEPPED HIS BOUNDRIES IN THE TREATMENT OF PEOPLE. I HAVE SINCE ENCOUNTERED OTHER BUSINESSMEN OF HIS CLASS AND NOW MY OPINION OF INDIANS IS IN THE TOILET. AND I AM NOT THE ONLY AMERICAN WHO FEELS THIS WAY. DON’T COME TO MY COUNTRY AND OFFEND ME…OTHERWISE GO BACK TO YOUR 3RD WORLD, DISEASE INFESTED GARBAGE HOLE AND SEE IF YHOU DO BETTER.
INDIANS ?????
I’m a canadian , in my back yard there is a indian family came from Gujrat they said ……….
From the exprience i got indians 1) greedy
2) selfish
3 ) untrusty
totaly indians are garbage
all indians r not same as all fingresin our hand r nt same
india is alovly country………i feel sry fr dat family
INDIANS ?????
I’m a canadian , in my back yard there is a indian family came from Gujrat they said ……….
From the exprience i got indians 1) greedy
2) selfish
3 ) untrusty
totaly indians are garbage
i WAS a patriotic indian. i do like the culture and i feel proud. it was only after i got married i realised how hard it is to survive. we married without parent’s support, now for any help i cant go to them. i’m certainly not proud about the constitution that exists and the politics. i dont feel it is a democratic nation where an individual can fight for rights boldly. every department in the government has corruption and i have suffured enough. even if i plan to migrate it is not that easy. when u have money or a politician’s influence in your family, there is no problem. when u are stuck or caught only thing to do is tickle the officers with your money. its not that i dont have money, but i’m sick of all this.
i cant be protesting, or fighting for for rights anywhere. i feel frustrated. and i just need to escape these tough conditions around me and breathe fresh air.
Yes, it’s the same here. I am very upset as you. Here, in this largest democratic country, I do not feel free. I do not have the freedom to speak or walk around holding hands with girlfriend in public places. I’m scared of my parents, relatives, neighbors, extremists, and many others. I’m still a patriotic Indian, but these factors encourage me to migrate somewhere else in the world, even in Libya.
i WAS a patriotic indian. i do like the culture and i feel proud. it was only after i got married i realised how hard it is to survive. we married without parent’s support, now for any help i cant go to them. i’m certainly not proud about the constitution that exists and the politics. i dont feel it is a democratic nation where an individual can fight for rights boldly. every department in the government has corruption and i have suffured enough. even if i plan to migrate it is not that easy. when u have money or a politician’s influence in your family, there is no problem. when u are stuck or caught only thing to do is tickle the officers with your money. its not that i dont have money, but i’m sick of all this.
i cant be protesting, or fighting for for rights anywhere. i feel frustrated. and i just need to escape these tough conditions around me and breathe fresh air.
I am surprised to hear views like this. I am from Singapore and i am waiting to get out of this place as soon as possible.
And the country that i would like to settle down in is India.
Yes, i have met many Indian expats and normal laborours in Singapore. Some of them are approachable and friendly. And i enjoy talking to these people.
Singapore is a developed country but it lacks in so many things especially the Indianness. I am tired of spending 25 years of my life here. I have become sick and tired of it.
I am surprised to hear views like this. I am from Singapore and i am waiting to get out of this place as soon as possible.
And the country that i would like to settle down in is India.
Yes, i have met many Indian expats and normal laborours in Singapore. Some of them are approachable and friendly. And i enjoy talking to these people.
Singapore is a developed country but it lacks in so many things especially the Indianness. I am tired of spending 25 years of my life here. I have become sick and tired of it.
Hi, can you tell us WHY you hate Sg? I have never even being to Sg, but I have heard it is a sort of paradise.
is that worse in india as you say guys?I was there but i recognise i have never entered in contact with authorities or people from government.I wish I could live in India because I liked the landscape and monuments I saw there. I saw it is hard to catch a job there, but I wish so much living there.Can you please help me what to do in order to get a job there and to move in India?I am from Europe, and I do not wanna live here anymore.
Why do you not want to live in Europe any more? What are the issues? Please let us know since these are very important issues.
hey dude…just saw your blog..you stated that you looking for job in india…pls email me your resume on samggdt@gmail.com
@hotmail:disqus Lets try and see what i can do for you….tk cr…
is that worse in india as you say guys?I was there but i recognise i have never entered in contact with authorities or people from government.I wish I could live in India because I liked the landscape and monuments I saw there. I saw it is hard to catch a job there, but I wish so much living there.Can you please help me what to do in order to get a job there and to move in India?I am from Europe, and I do not wanna live here anymore.
WATS UP BUDDY
well i am doin a report on india
Who ever want’s to settle down in India, let me tell you this… BE PREPARED FOR A CULTURAL SHOCK ONCE YOU’VE MOVED IN!!! Its mob mentality and superstition that dominates the minds and lives of people here rather than reason and humanity. People here are too discriminatory and too heartless and you’re only putting your and your kid’s future in darkness if you come here! Yes, its a nice place to visit as a tourist and enjoy a new experience for a few days but definitely not to settle down. There’s a reason the country is in this state despite 6000 years of existence!!! Go to Japan or some UAE if a cultural chance is what you’re seeking…
true true true