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Travelogues
India Revisited
During
Christmas holidays (2003), my family and I went to India for a short
vacation. Apart from our hometown Mangalore, we also visited New Delhi and
Agra as well as Calicut in Kerala.
I found India a resurgent country. This was not the country I left decades
ago nor was it the one I used to visit regularly. There seemed to be a
distinct change since I visited here only three years ago. People for the
most part are happier and one can see progress everywhere. The economic
tide is rising and all the boats are lifted. Gone are the days of failed
experiments in socialism. Indians have embraced capitalism with open arms.
They have also become extremely competitive in the world markets. The
label “Made in India” is proudly displayed. This is not to say the
problems of crumbling infrastructure are all gone but there is an
awareness and determination to make improvements. People also realize that
this will take time but the trend is in the right direction.
I spent three weeks in India, mostly as a tourist. This is an account my
trip, with some anecdotes, and my observations and impressions of India in
general.
The Cricketers Dared, a Despot Snared
As expected it was a long and arduous journey. The way to combat fatigue
and boredom in a long flight is to be resigned to its inevitability. If
one is mentally prepared to the tediousness of it before one steps on the
plane, the ordeal becomes more tolerable. The only thrill during the
flight was to read in a BBC newsflash that the despot Saddam Hussein was
ferreted out of his hole in the ground. My co-passengers took the news in
stride and if they had any emotions no one bothered to show it.
Incidentally, the capture of Saddam Hussein took place as our plane was
flying over the Middle Eastern air (perhaps over Baghdad).
India seemed to beckon with open arms, in all her glory - and
shortcomings. My first foot on the soil of India gave me a feeling of
thrill and rush. I had to spend a lot of time in the wee hours of the
morning in Mumbai airport. Like the old name of Bombay it has shed, the
city has made an attempt to improve facilities in the waiting lounges of
the airport. The second test cricket match between India and Australia was
projected on a large television, which was being watched by everyone in
the airport. India was chasing a mammoth first innings total of 556 runs
by the Aussies and Rahul Dravid was playing a gallant innings with a knock
of a double century. (India eventually won the match, a crowning
achievement – I was told).
The efficiency of Indian authorities in the airport struck me as something
different from my previous experiences. The processing in the immigration
and customs was definitely a breeze, compared to yesteryears. I was also
amazed at the ability of the people to spot the NRI’s (a prefix to my name
since I left India). However much I tried to blend in, I could not shed
this image of being an outsider (foreign-returned is the term used), in my
own country. My attempts to be an Indian were always shattered when the
baggage handlers or the hotel boys or the guides treated me differently
(always expecting a fatter tip.) Even the attendants of the Jet Airways
coach (a courtesy service that takes one from the domestic airport to the
international airport), expected money from the NRI’s. This asking for
tips was despite the fact that they had shirts displaying, in bold
letters, ‘Courtesy Service – NO TIPS PLEASE’. When I questioned the
attendant he brushed it aside and said that the words printed on his shirt
were meant for people who could not read!
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Continued
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