Forum Chhaya

Ahmedabad: Weekend get-togethers by Gujaratis in the US are no longer just limited to clinks of glasses and 'undhiya' parties and nostalgic exchange of gossip and news from home. In fact, more and more Indians abroad are willing to give up the comforts of a US lifestyle for the warmth of home.

The longing for home is also finding outlets in the virtual world with NRGs, and indeed, NRIs setting up online communities to discuss the pros and cons of returning to India.

Gujaratis abroad have formed special forums such as return2india.com, return2india. org and indianstudentsnetwork. com (R2I) group. One of the most active, r2iclub.com has nearly 6,250 members, some whose pseudonyms are 'restlessdesi', 'uprootedIndian', and 'want2gohome'.

The members have extensive debates on whether they should stay on in the US or leave. The plus and minus points of living in both countries are discussed and analysed.

The hangover of the get-together has a longer effect and the debates are spilling over into the virtual world. Assuring their anonymity, 'desis' keenly discuss the pros and cons of taking the plunge back home.

Most NRGs see the US as a place where they can earn good money. But settling down in an alien country away from family and friends is not everybody's cup of tea. So, they prefer dual citizenship which allows them the freedom to move back home when they have earned enough.

"Used to comfortable life in India, surrounded by maids, drivers and gardeners, one finds it difficult to cope up with snow shoveling and clearing leaves during fall in US.

Moreover, people abroad miss the warmth and affection of home," says Mahesh Vasavada, who is a regular visitor of the US and closely associated with the common fora.

The members communicate by exchanging mails and seek advice from people who have already been through the dilemma of choosing to live inn India or the US. The daily discussions on the fora range from issues like real estate, dual citizenship, finding schools for kids, what shipping company to use to send stuff back home and whether to take back an LCD or plasma TV.

Keyur Vasavada, an accountant with a renowned company in Edison, New Jersey, and a member of R2I forum says, "Making a decision to go back to India has not been difficult for me, though implementing it is a little tough. Even though I have been here for the past 11 years, I have never felt a sense of belonging.More so, I would like to raise my kids in India where the education system is better and kids turn out to be smarter." Keyur plans to return to India by 2009.

Ravi Monga, senior network administrator in New York, recalls an incident which prompted him to decide to return to India.

"I visited a friend's house during Diwali and remarked that his children seemed very excited about the festival. The kids turned around and said they were excited about Halloween, not Diwali. I don't want my kids to lose their cultural values and so I wish to go back home by 2009.”

Though most realise that adjusting back to an Indian lifestyle, traffic jams and long queues will be difficult, they are confident that they would not regret the decision to return.

Source : DNA