THE INTERNATIONAL - International Indian

[ DEsH Aur DiAsporA ]
bureaucracy in India; but there is a lot of
bureaucracy in Europe (where I have lived)
as well! It’s not a bad thing; it’s just the way
the world is. Moving back to India? Yes I will,
but not yet. When my wife and I are ready,
yes, we will.”
Indian professionals who thrive in
different worlds are people the international
marketplace increasingly has to acknowledge
are a force to reckon with. They are
independent thinkers who can hold their
own in any situation. “I am glad that I have
my own world view which is not necessarily
influenced by family or friends,” says
Abraham. “Our friends have their own views
of the world; sometimes we agree and at times
we do not. This makes for good discussion
when we meet.” He thinks westerners
generally have a ‘PhD’ in small talk and it
helps break the ice; Indians are quieter by
nature till they get to know people better.
“They follow a more cautious approach,
unlike western men and women who believe
in strong expressions of like and dislike, love
and affection and rightly or wrongly do not
shy away from public display of their feelings.
Indian men and women are more reticent in
expressing themselves.”
Being in the airline industry for several
decades, Abraham has plenty of experience
observing international business paradigms.
“On the work front I have heard many people
say that westerners make good bosses. This
may be because they respect your privacy
and personal time. But these days, with
globalization, and exposure to various
cultures, Indians too have caught on to better
management techniques and do well in
many spheres of management,” he points out.
“Indians are now recognized as professionals
- bankers, doctors, economists, IT geniuses,
scientists etc., and are considered the finest
in the world. The “crab mentality” among
Indians is also something you see less and
less these days. Indians are everywhere in the
world, and they take on various interesting
identities. But generally they are viewed as
very peaceful people, hardworking, family
oriented with a great sense of pride for who
they are,” he submits.
Abraham’s view on racism can be helpful to
those who may not have considered his take on
the issue. “Racism is not the color of one’s skin
or a person’s nationality,” he believes. “It’s a
question of being able to assimilate with people
Ashok Noah with wife Sona and daughter Andrea:
Our closest friends are those with whom we share our faith
of a different upbringing, a different way of life,
different thinking etc. I don’t think my wife or
I have ever been subjected to “racism” in any
way. We have lived outside India for over 33
years and developed an “international feel” of
things. There are a large percentage of Indians
in India who have been able to cultivate this as
well. Those who have not may need to make a
serious effort to understand different cultures
that exist. I think resident Indians are more
prone to sticking to caste / creed notions than
non- resident Indians, who because of their
exposure overseas are less inclined to follow
this attitude.”
Ashok Noah Director of Finance and
Administration, Americas, Middle East
and Africa, who has been with TNT for 24
years is of the opinion that, “One does need
a common language to relate with other
people,” “English usually has been that
language for us.” Ashok points out there are
certain ‘clicks’ one notices in society, and in
some instances language is the factor that
brings people together - The French, Italians
and Germans in particular. “I have not seen
that with people from the UK or the USA,”
says Ashok who is a Tamilian but not one to
cling to any particular community, a view
equally shared by his Punjabi wife Sona.
Two decades ago when Ashok first moved
overseas, he had no idea that being Indian
made one a second class citizen in most of the
Arab world and in the West. “My attitude to
being an Indian changed – all of a sudden,
for the first time, it dawned on me that I was
not considered as good as the ‘white’ man.
Ashok realised then that one gets a wider
perspective of the world only when you move
out of your own country.
Despite that experience, Ashok’s view is,
“Racism exists, but only to a certain degree.
Some of it is in our minds, how we approach
and live our lives and some of it is blatant and
obvious. The worst kind of racism is the one
that is practiced by Indians giving preference
to the ‘white’ man. “I have seen this both
in India and outside. I have also seen many
Indians trying to distance themselves from
being called Indian.”
Some of his experiences may have
influenced Ashok’s friendships. “Our closest
friends are those we have been able to share
our faith with. They have not tended to be from
any particular geographic region, but neither
have we gone specifically looking for Indians.
We share our faith in Christ with people from
many nations and there are no boundaries
because of our common faith. After living
many years in different countries I know that
there are all kinds of people everywhere - we
are all the same,” he concludes.
Yet, in Ashok’s experience generally
he notes that Indians are not as arrogant
as the people from the West are. If I were
generalising,” he reiterates, “people from the
west are more self-centred and selfish; their
family values are not as strong and we tend to
respect our parents more than they do.”
The Noah’s who now live in Long Island,
New York after long spells in Dubai, Australia
and England, have pretty much decided to
make the Diaspora their home and are not
inclined to return to India.
Being ‘Indian’ Ashok notes is a hard thing
to grasp. “Much of being Indian is about
sharing a common experience, language,
challenges, cricket, and perhaps the kind of
patriotism my father an officer in the Indian
Air Force instilled in us, but I am not quite
sure if Indians feel as patriotic today.”
As much as Indians in the Diaspora adjust
and adapt, make videsh their home and find
peace with all the transformations in their
lives, it seems that ‘being Indian’ and all that it
entails, will continue to be pervasive in their
psyche, no matter how dynamic.
Frank Raj is the Founder Editor
of The International Indian.
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