4 Jammu Redefining
A
By Manu Khajuria,
Works at British Red Cross
S I walked to the park for my morning run today I crossed the Civic
Centre parking area. They had a sign which said "Citizenship
Parking". It meant that many who have applied for British
Citizenship will be taking their Oath and pledging their allegiance to their
new Country and her Queen. Hence the need for extra parking space
today. I saw many Indians walking in, dressed in their best. And all I felt
was deep sadness, a sense of loss and failure.
I have always been Patriotic. I almost did not marry the love of my life
because he was planning to move to the US. I was one of the biggest
reasons why he chose to stay with an Indian Company at a time when it
was a piece of cake for anyone in IT to
move to the US. Happily enough as
destiny would have it, we have travelled far and wide with that Indian
Company and on our Indian
Passports.
A few years back, a younger,
more hot headed me could not
understand why people chose to
give
up
their
Indian
Passports. It made me angry
and resentful. I wanted to
shout (ridiculously enough)
Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande
Matram in their faces. I wore
my Indian Citizenship as a
bright red cape around my
shoulders, if not a halo on
my head. In my mind
those who chose to give
up
their
Indian
Citizenship, were abandoning their Country of birth. I saw it as an easy
way out. Cowardice. Escapism. Lack of Integrity.
Life and time have enabled me to see their point of
view too. And that was the start of sadness and a
sense of failure.
I have seen a small town, high school graduate, a widow
with a one year old child, move to the US and live a life of
dignity and relative comfort. Her daughter, going to the same
school as other more affluent children and exposed to almost
similar opportunities. I shudder to think how different it could
have been for them in India.
I know a Mother whose child has special needs. And yet here, the child
has access to the best services and most importantly equal opportunities. Why will she go back to a Country where meeting the most basic
needs of her child like access to schools, public places will be a huge
challenge for her?
Another friend works hard to meet ends meet. She is a single parent
with a job which does not pay much. Yet her child attends the same
school as my children. The differences in our incomes has not prevented her child from getting quality education. Going back would mean
sending the child to a Government run school. The state of our government run, subsidized schools leaves much to be desired.
Different people, different reasons. I try to and understand their
Jammu Redefining
| January 12--January 26, 2014
reasons. Sometimes its about money and opportunities, and more
often its about lifestyle and easy access to basic services. Albeit
some reasons of 'practicality' and 'convenience', I will never understand. Since to me, my passport is more than a document.
The anger has gone, leaving behind a sense of shame and failure. I
feel, I failed all these people who do not want to live in my country anymore.
Me and my Nation have also failed those, who live in my country, but
still hang onto their Foreign Passports like a security blanket. My Nation
has failed to win their trust.
I wonder how we reached a point, where we congratulate others on
acquiring a new Citizenship status and actually celebrate it.
I secretly hope for the day when my children who are naturalized
American Citizens, having been born there, as adults will
choose Indian Passports over their American ones for a love
of the country.
Food, water, security, health, education and equal
opportunity is what every man wants. I do not
blame all those who give up their Indian
passports. If man is in a fight or flight
mode he can never develop. And
every man has a right to live and
in a place of his choice.
Having said this I will not lessen
the work and sacrifices of all those
who have done so much for India.
Those friends, relatives and
acquaintances who work in different sectors, working hard to
make a difference. They had a
choice and they chose to do
this. I live in awe of them.
I cannot undermine individual responsibility for the state
of my Nation. One of my
nightmares is being driven to
a situation, where I am forced
to seek refuge or citizenship in a
country other than my country of birth. I
see enough people at work who have been
driven out of their lands, uprooted, lost and yearning to return. I am grateful for the the choice and the
freedom to live in my homeland. And even more grateful to
the people who make this a possibility.
I hold onto my Indian Passport proudly. I am still not in a place
where I take it lightly. My identity and my passport has given me
much. I am proud of it. My Nation is my Mother…chaotic but mine.
My Passport has given me strength to face racist barbs head on. I will
not cower because I begged you to take me in. I belong to India and I am
here only for a reason. It gives me these words. A Voice. A Stand.
Durlabham Bahrate Janama…its a rare privilege to be born in India.
I truly believe that. I am grateful for being born in my country and into my
Philosophy. But I wait and work towards a day when the Indian Passport
will be cherished and sought after.
So I may be happy for people and my many friends because they are
getting what they wanted, but I do not have the heart to congratulate
them on this day.