Sowing and Reaping of Destiny

In the West, eastern immigrant communities may behave somewhat differently.
Many among them suffer from some form of inferiority complexes arising out
of the legacy of their colonial past. While they were in Africa, during colonial
days, Asian immigrant communities would discriminate against the indigenous
people of African origin. At the same time they would sheepishly tolerate all
forms of discrimination practiced against them by their colonial masters and the
Europeans settlers in Africa. Even after independence of the African territories,
this mentality persists to a variable degree.
For the immigrants, at the back of their minds there is always a nagging fear
that should circumstances compel, they need to be ready for the next move out.
In managing their communities, there is a mob psychology at work as well -
keep the community tightly bound to a structured set up they have known so far
and to the few leaders and rich members of the society in some form of
different/puristic religious and cultural bond. This could be true of all
communities in similar circumstances. This mentality applies also to Khoja
Community.
The recurring question of great concern for the Khoja community, especially
for those settled in the West is whether their progeny would survive as
practicing Muslims fifty years from now. It is this concern that has made them
hold on to the preservation of their Khoja identity - an outlook that has served
them well in sustaining their faith over the past century.
However, increasingly, the new generation born and bred in the West is
questioning what they perceive as narrow-mindedness and insularity of the old
guard in the community who insist upon retaining the social and cultural ethos
and modus operandi which has worked well for the community in Africa and in
the India sub continent so far. Younger generation, born in the West develop a
sense of belonging to their places of abode. They do not have lingering of any
sentimental leanings noticed among their parents now living in the West.
It is interesting to observe here that among the former East African residents of
Indian origin from different communities now living in the West, there are
many who would not wish to be introduced as “overseas Indians”. They would
rather be called as overseas East Africans, Tanzanian, Ugandans or Kenyans.
Indians in East Africa are said to have been once described by Nehru, the first
Prime Minister of India as "a bit of East and a bit of West, and at home in
neither."
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