Indians and Americans are more similar than different; that is what my experience in America has taught me.
For instance, similar are the family values, the hospitality, the friendliness, the warmth, the adaptability and acceptability of different ethnic groups. Yes, both the countries are great democracies. On the flip side, it is terrorism that both the countries are trying to overcome and put an end to, albeit more with peaceful terms than with war.
It was a chilly April noon when the members of the Group Study Exchange (GSE) program by Rotary International (RI) came out of the JFK Airport April 16. Each one of us wondered if we could endure the cold for a month or so, but the warmth of the American people, beginning with Grace Connolly District, 7780 GSE Committee Chair to all her fellow Rotarians, our host families and practically each and every American that we came across raised the mercury levels.
As we touched the virgin land of Maine (virgin because it is untouched with pollution of sorts – be it environmental or cultural), it was like paradise on earth. Coming from an urban area, Maine seemed to be like a breath of fresh air for me, though every summer I climb the Himalayan ranges up north in India, which has a similar climate.
Yes, we all were in the lap of nature and I am glad that I was destined to come here for the GSE program. I could not thank our Rotary District 3030 Governor Sanjay Vani, GSE Chair Dr. Nikhil Kibe and Team Leader Advisor Shishir Hiray enough for giving me the opportunity to explore this country.
Despite the similarities, there are certain misconceptions in the minds of the people of both countries. This GSE program has certainly helped bridge them.
Americans are very curious about different cultures and most of them have a fair knowledge about India and her people. A few, however, were ignorant.
For instance, I was shocked to learn that some people perceived India as what it used to be some 60-65 years back. Why, they even asked me about snake charmers! I have not seen one in all the 38 years of my life.
One particular question that intrigued me was – ‘Do you have washing machines in your country?’ and I said to myself, ‘for Pete’s sake, in an era of globalization this is a very silly question,” but the warmth of the Americans kept me in check and I explained that free market economies and multinational corporations have resulted in new products being launched in a number of countries at the same time.
India is fortunately one of those countries. I don’t mean to hurt the sentiments of people here; but I am just being plain honest. It is better to be so rather than carrying misconceptions back home.
As a representative of my country, I would like to present her in better light in the foreign shores. Right from perceiving India as a land of snake charmers, beggars, magicians, semi-nude Godmen, to a dirty and filthy country in the days of the yore; to a country of terrorism and communalism in the recent times, India has been grossly misunderstood.
Why, even today one can see foreign tourists clicking photographs of beggars and slums. I can proudly say that I have been able to change this picture and promote my country’s rich cultural heritage, its unity in diversity; to present it as a democratic sovereign republic, advocate its pool of talent in every field and its powerhouse of knowledge.
I must give all the credit of being able to do so to the Americans, for had it not been their enthusiasm and genuine thirst for knowledge about India, it would have been difficult for me to convince them. I have learnt a lot about this country and have wiped away many preconceived notions as well.
Right from our ancient sages who spoke about quantum physics in their spiritual discourses, to kings and scholars; to the very dynamic monk Swami Vivekananda who spoke about equality, brotherhood and fraternity on a global level at the Conference of World Religions held in Chicago in 1893; to our former president APJ Abdul Kalam – India has a lot to project itself in positive light.
While propagating about my country, it has also been a pleasure and privilege to know about the culture and geography of the host country and I will share it with my fellow countrymen when I go back to my motherland.
One of the major misconceptions that I had (and I guess most of my countrymen have) about America was that there were little or no family values here. I must apologize to all my brothers and sisters of America that I was terribly wrong and would change this perception amongst Indians back home.
I have seen close-knit families and people married for as long as 20-60 years. While back home, extended families are a norm; here most people prefer living close to their parents’ home so that they could care for them. I feel that we could definitely learn to give each other more space – of course without separating from our extended families, and the Americans could learn to be a bit more close-knit – without of course sacrificing their own space.
All the misconceptions, I believe stem from what the media portrays both the countries to be. By media I mean the movies.
Being a member of the fourth estate myself since the past 10 and a half years, I have watched and have been a part of the media’s rising power, which, if coupled with responsibility, can work wonders for the society and for the world at large.
As a journalist, it has been a pleasure and honor for me to learn the working of the media in a foreign country while sharing the same about my country. It has been an exchange of knowledge and I am grateful to my fellow journalists in America for all the respect and cooperation that they have given to me.
That we live in extremely sensitive times is brought home to us every moment in various ways, whether through the print or through the electronic media. Terrorism is no longer restricted to a particular land or continent and neither is India the only target for terrorists any more.
Terrorism has assumed gigantic proportions and a global “reputation.” This global terrorism, I believe, could also be tackled to some extent by the media, for the pen is still mightier than the sword.
GSE is the best platform to do so with journalists across the globe interacting with each other. I am still one of those who belong to the old school of thought, where journalism is concerned, and that is to inform, educate (and also to entertain) the society in an objective and right manner.
The members of the Group Study Exchange (GSE) program by Rotary International (RI) landed on the American soil in April, but it seems as though we are not in a strange land among strange people.
We all would take a lot more back home than just the scenic beauty and would miss our American brothers and sisters. It has created a strong bond between us and these fond memories would linger on our minds forever. To quote Thomas Friedman, the world is indeed flat, and I am glad it is.
(Sumita Sarkar is a correspondent with The Nashik Times, The Times of India, Nashik, Maharashtra, India.)
