Why an NRI?

Why did I leave my country? Why does any one leave his country? The possible answeres I could look were

1. Better opportunities for quality of life.
2. Better Job opportunities.
3. Better health care facilities.
4. Cheaper living conditions.
5. Moving next to / with a person you care about (family, friend, lover).

Stupid!!!! Wasn’t I when I left India. None of these reasons applied to me. I left India because I was bored.

Bored !!!!…… Bored of what? Of being at a place where I grew. Where I learnt what it is like to work and earn your bread. I wanted to explore. Test my knowledge and skills. Challenge is what I was looking at.

What I forgot was I am a man of few needs and desires. I never wanted hundreds of horse powers taking me to office. Nor did I ever wish for a palace to live in. No, I do not have an ambition to leave my GenNext with a sliver spoon.

I came to Dubai in 2007 with no major dreams. Just wanted to work and collect my self. Before long I realized, I couldn’t bear my loneliness. I always thought I could. Trust me an alien land makes you more lonely than a single man could be. Got married. Earlier I had one lonely soul to tackle. Now I have two. Like me, my better half isn’t a big fan of ultra modern life style.

Why am I here? When I am not learning anything anymore. When I am not growing as a person. When the roads don’t own me. When the people don’t seem mine. When my parents are not with me. When they are growing old and sick and I cannot take care of them my self. Am I selfish? No I am not. I am giving them everything that money could buy. But they do not need money. They need me. But then, they might live with some shortcomings.

Money has its own attraction. I wont be earning even half of what I do here. I have everything in abundance now. Hence I may overlook power of money. Tomorrow, I might not have the strength or adaptive nature to go to a new land to earn. I need money for the future. For myself. For my next generation. For my parents. They deserve the best. I might slog but they need to be cozy. They need to be protected.

I shall continue to slog. To live in an alien land. To survive unpleasant climate. As they say “ Apno Ke Liye…. Apno se Door”

From An NRI

INDIA FAULTERED, PAKISTAN FOULED : CRICKET HAS BECOME POLITICAL

What happened today in Mumbai was shameful and every Indian must be ashamed to the treatment given by the IPL franchises to the 11 Pakistani Players on Auction. Pakistan is not slated to play any international Cricket in the IPL 3 slot and hence the excuse that availability of Pakistani players was an issue is totally false. The decision by the franchises is not only incorrect cricketing wise but has insulted Pakistan as a nation.

Why were the Pakistani Players asked to get NOCs from the Pakistani Cricket Board, why were they are to get their VISAs sorted out, why all the drama over the deadlines when you knew that the franchises would not be able to pick the Pakistani players under Government pressure.

India accuses of Pakistan of 26/11 but then we cannot be at war with our neighbours indefinitely. It is so easy in India to create an Anti Pakistan Environment. Activist television channels package anger. Many seek hot pursuits of terrorists and the destruction of terror camps across the border, the government finds itself besieged. Sending troops across the border is, of course, not an option, but the popular mood usually demands a demonstration of action, and it was very easy for our politicians to use cricket as a tool of appeasement. Today the franchises took an easy option ….. an option to please the people and the government.

In the end, I must say Cricket will be a causality. Make no mistake, Pakistan is World Cup T20 champions and they were runner up in the 1^st edition. No one knows to play T20 better than the Pakistanis. We have been stolen with an opportunity to see the best in action.

Pakistani Players and nation as a whole would be upset with the way they were treated by Indians. I, as an Indian apologise. Initiatives like Aman Ki Asha need to reach more people than they are doing right now. I hope common sense will prevail and we get to see people to people contact between the two nations.