Expatriates in our own country

"Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", said the ancient Indians: the World is one family. No other country may tell that more authentically than Indians. India is the exceptional exemplar for celebrating its "Unity in Diversity" all over the world. However, a feeling of alienation is creeping into the minds of many Indians in recent days. Indians residing in their own country sense the vibes of expatism around them at many instances.

An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of her/his upbringing or legal residence. The expatriates among native Indians are those who get alienated from their own culture and place of upbringing. As indicated above, in India, there is a remarkable cultural and religious diversity and modern India is marked for its growing sense of diversity. This has been influenced by various regions of India, namely South, North, and North-East, who have their own distinct identities.In these regions almost every state has carved out of its own cultural niche.

The native expatriates in India may have moved out of their own region or culture to another area for many reasons. The young expatriates may move out for their higher studies to an alien culture and region. The soaring rate of unemployment at many regions in India induced many of its natives to migrate from their own culture and region to another one. The high lifestyle offered by another developed area fascinated many to drift from their own culture and region. The saga of the native expatriates in India begins here.

The native expatriates in India enjoy much opulence as their counterparts in foreign countries. Most of them are relieved of their pseudo pride and hesitance to take up jobs at a new place, which were apartheid to them in their own region or culture. Most of the Indian expatriates are enlightened by the knowledge they gain from experience or education they receive from a new culture and region. The better living conditions and lifestyles in a new culture and region often prompt the native Indian expatriates to exclaim " Oh! It's just like my place."

Since pleasure and struggle are two sides of the same coin, there is another side to the opulences of native expatriotism. Native expatriates may face the initial hurdles like cultural alienation and lingustic problems at a new region in their own country. Many of them complain for being alienated from native lands due to inadequate transport facilities. They may also face cultural shock at a new place in their own country, due to incongruity in dress codes, legal issues, political issues and cusines.

Intercultural marriages are most common among native expatriates. However a dilemma arises when the kids are born. The third culture kids of native expatriate parents are often confused about their original culture. In other words it can also be told that the third culture kids realize the true meaning of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam". For them culture is universal and they may not feel out of place even if they are expatriates outside their country.

Native expatriates celebrate their own culture in a new place through diverse methods. The newly constructed Jain temples in South India and 'Guruvayoour' or 'Thanjavoor' temples in North India illustrate the native expatriate's eagerness to assert their own identity at a new place. They form their own unions and forums at a new place and urge for their community's rights. The native expatriates celebrate regional festivals and rituals with much enthusiasm at a new place. Now, a question will be well rise in the minds of all natives: Whether 'Divide and rule' policy again impends through the expatriates in our own country.