NRI Expectations from India - Are They Too Much?

chillibreeze writer — Leena Adwait

I would define NRIs as a species that though not physically present in India; emotionally could possibly be nowhere else. In fact, like they say distance makes the heart grow fonder.

When an Indian leaves the Indian soil, he is greeted with shock at the realisation of how attached he is to his motherland. Being one of them, I would say so with confidence on behalf of the entire NRI community.

Gripped with all such emotions, most NRIs dream of returning to their motherland one day. They may be unsure of the day and the time, but deep down in their heart they want to. A few lucky souls do fulfil their dream. And thus begin the mind-games of matching reality with expectations.

For any person moving countries, there is lot of anxiety along with the excitement in mind. So when it comes to moving back to his motherland after what seems like ages, there is bound to be a state of mixed feelings. Along with the joy there would be certain expectations and pre-conceived notions.

They say that if you never expect, you would never be disappointed. But the human mind never learns its lessons, and when it comes to Indians, it gets worse. Indians are a breed hugely driven by emotions and feelings; expectations are a by-product of these attributes.

After having lived in countries where cleanliness and an individual’s private space are hugely regarded, where laws are strictly adhered to, India could be a difficult land to adjust in. Let’s face it, everybody has some or the other grievances about the country they live in. It does not make their love for the country any lesser. So how are NRIs any different?

Let’s look at it from the
NRI point of view.

Have you ever been able to ride the public transport in Indian cities without anybody having bumped into you sometime? The answer is a definite no. After having lived abroad, one cannot help but wonder as to why can’t a man respect another’s space back in India? Its not that the cities in other parts of the world are not crowded, but you will not see anyone stepping on another’s shoes. Even in a queue, people maintain a respectable distance from each other.

Shabby roads and contaminated surroundings have become a way of life for an Indian today. The people living in other countries are as much or as less human as those back in India. What is it that provokes such ghastly acts back home then? Whatever happened to ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’? If we keep our homes clean, what instigates us to litter and spit on public properties? It is the public who ultimately suffers, and you and I are public.

Traffic sense! What’s wrong with the drivers? Why doesn’t everyone stick to their lane? These are questions to which individually nobody has answers to, and collectively, nobody wants to think about.

Let me not even get started on the corruption and other problems. Milk made impure with water, government officials taking bribes, thieves turning into politicians, pedestrians using the road rather than the footpath, no open spaces for children, I could ramble for pages.

These are issues that do bother you even when you are in India. But after having lived elsewhere and having moved back, they become a major concern. You also start wondering why basic amenities in life have become a privilege in India.

These are not great expectations. It is about people getting into the ‘nothing can change this’ mode after having had to bear it for years that causes trouble. And only when someone gets out of that well and moves out to the vast ocean, does he realise things could be much better. And it is no big feat. Just needs each one to do his job and abide by their respective duties.

However strongly I may feel about these issues, I believe that there is no place like home. And even though you may own numerous houses around the globe, your home will always be India.

Yeah, we know there are these problems and some more unaddressed ones as well. But humans are adaptable creatures. And it would do no harm to stop cribbing and making an effort to getting settled in. After all, if you are an Indian, you know the problems that you are bound to encounter in daily life. If you are not prepared to face them and do not have the patience, you might as well stay back where you were. One needs to remember that efforts will bring about change, but Rome was after all not built in a day.

All said and done, I believe that too much or too little is always a matter of perspective. A half filled glass looks half empty to some. What and how you perceive things depends on your outlook towards life in general. So take it easy guys. Do not judge someone and say he is expecting too much. Also you NRI, go back home and try to bring about the revolutionary changes rather than sit and complain. The bottom-line is NRI or RI, each one of us loves that I.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.

—About our writer: Leena is a Chartered Accountant by profession and writing is her passion.

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