Cast away

Sir ? Malvika Singh?s analysis of the prime minister?s suggestion to allow voting rights to non-resident Indians can be described as a bigoted interpretation of Manmohan Singh?s real intention (?Who?s in, who?s out?, Jan 24). Singh describes NRIs as those who ran ?with their tails between their legs? only because they could not survive in the ?unrelenting environment? in India. Such a prejudiced notion, however, does not match the reality. While many Indians go abroad to pursue higher studies, there are some who leave home in search of better jobs. Many of them have actually returned to serve their motherland. The prime minister?s suggestion to offer dual-citizenship with full rights of a ?first class? citizen would encourage many more NRIs to do the same.

More importantly, apart from helping India to earn much-needed foreign currency, many NRIs have also made the nation proud before the world. One wonders whether the author holds similar views on the noble laureate, Amartya Sen, who has spent much of his time working and staying abroad? Malvika Singh also criticizes the Bharatiya Janata Party for its reluctance to accept Sonia Gandhi as the prime minister of the country on account of her foreign roots. Ironically, dual citizenship, with full voting right for all Indians, would strengthen the claim of a foreign-born individual to the prime minister?s chair. The author argues that NRIs should be denied voting rights since they are not ?exploited? like those living in India. Perhaps, she is not aware that the votes of Indian citizens who are truly ?exploited? never really count in the country?s politics. In fact, if dual citizenship were to be granted to NRIs, it would not be unique to India alone. Most European countries and the United States of America also allow dual citizenship with little or no restrictions.

According to Singh, Indian residents are looked upon as ?suspicious characters? in their adopted countries. This is a preposterous idea. Most Indians staying abroad are used to a far more transparent and honest democratic system than what exists in India. The armchair intellectuals in India have failed to install a dependable electoral system in the country and have shied away from rebelling against a political system that violates the basic rights of its citizens. There is little doubt that elections in India are still won by the corrupt political parties with the help of rigged votes. Giving voting rights to NRIs might put an end to the prevailing political anarchy in the country. Finally, Singh?s contention that Indians travelling to American cities are treated in a ?despicable? manner is not true. During my many trips in the last 15 years, I have not come across a single instance of such despicable behaviour on the part of the US officials in any one of America?s airports.

Yours faithfully,
Kunal Saha, Columbus, US

Sir ? I am an Indian who has been residing in the US for sometime now. Many Indians, including myself, had left our motherland by choice because we were more enterprising and ambitious than those who chose to stay behind and blame others for their misfortune, something which Malvika Singh goes on to do in her article. She is wrong in saying that most Indians are treated like second-class citizens in their adopted countries. Perhaps she is unaware of the fact that the median income of Indian-Americans is 15 per cent higher than that of Americans.

When it comes to accepting personal responsibility, Indians continue to blame their colonial past for their present misery. Those who rail against non-resident Indians need to find out why India is mired in poverty, incompetence and corruption. That would explain why American visa offices are bombarded with applications by thousands of Indians who are desperate to escape the depressing conditions back at home.

Yours faithfully,
Vino Sardana, Las Vegas, US

Sir ? A bona fide journalist like Malvika Singh should have done a bit more research before airing her views on NRIs. Someone needs to tell Singh that millions have emigrated to other countries throughout the course of human history for innumerable reasons and the vast majority of them are not villainous traitors (or ?runaway renegades? for that matter). Unfortunately, Singh seems to care little for social history. Hers is a kind of irresponsible journalism that does nothing constructive, but merely indicts the NRI community of imaginary crimes. Singh would do better to study the history of the Indian diaspora which, undoubtedly, would help her revise her rather dogmatic views.

Yours faithfully,
Dipak Basu, Calcutta

Kajal Sengupta

Sir ? The beautifully written and sensitive obituary on Kajaldi (Feb 1) by Bhaswati Chakravorty brought back memories of my student days in Presidency College, Calcutta. Although I was a student of the history department, Kajaldi was always the obligatory ?lady escort? on any excursion from the history department. Now that I have the responsibility of supervising unruly teenagers on mid-term trips, I can appreciate how hard it must have been for her, and the blend of good humour and firmness she brought to the task. I also remember how hard she tried with the bored and uninterested General English classes. (Having to teach mind-numbingly boring texts like Galsworthy?s Strife couldn?t have helped much.) From my mother who was her junior in school, I leant that she had been an active Girl Guide ? which may have accounted for her famously brisk manner. As a former student, who has become a teacher, I salute her gracious and indomitable spirit.

Yours faithfully,
Dayita Datta, Dehra Dun