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| Anita Panda |
The ‘Diasporic Indians’- I see them through my lens,
Aspirant migrants in quest of greener pastures and an affluent life
Departing their homeland with aching souls and haunting nostalgia stabbing their hearts…
They hold onto their Indian roots,
As tenaciously as their soaring ambitions and heirloom treasures!
Caught up in dual identities and a strange cultural limbo
Part Indian, part American, torn between their Indian roots and immigrant status
Scattered far and wide from their native shores.
Do they feel rootless? Do they feel trepidation? I ponder as an outsider and observer,
Leaving behind India and kith-and-kin, now a frozen snapshot in time!
They’ve built a home away from home in a distant land
Transcending geographical boundaries and their enviable cultural heritage.
Denizens of a conflicted world- with mixed up Indian traditions and practical Americanism,
Dubbed- ‘The American born confused desis’ sometimes!
Navigating the push-and-pull between their Indian lineage and the American life
Grappling with dual identities and cultures stoically.
They battle racism, discrimination and a sense of alienation too,
Belonging yet not belonging with all their fears!
Seeking solace in close-knit Indian cocoons and communities
Celebrating their rituals, languages, traditions with passionate fervour.
Their joys and pathos, trials and triumphs make them gritty survivors!
The ‘Diasporic Indians’- resolutely carving their niche’ and unique identity
Achieving, outperforming, even surpassing their American peers.
The cultural bridges flaunting India’s ‘soft power’ proudly,
Catalysing India’s progress and development
Bolstering its image on the global stage.
A dynamic and formidable force!
Forging multi-layered connections and creating bi-cultural pools
Writing bold new narratives with their loves, lives and parenthood in a migrant land.
‘Global citizens’ shaping annals of modern world and history,
From tech giants, financial wizards, intelligentsia and political leaders wielding their influence
Sundar Pichai, Rishi Sunak, Indra Nooyi, Satya Nadella to Deepa Mehta making India proud!
The Wealth generators augmenting Indian economy with copious capital flows,
Creators of technology and innovation!
The NRI brigade creating a vibrant new India overseas.
Adapting, exploring, innovating and reinventing their lives in an alien land,
They leave behind an indelible impact and a complex legacy for their next GEN!
Ah! This is how I see the Expatriate life…
Anita Panda is a Mumbai-based bilingual author-poet, spiritualist, a former Features writer, passionate nature lover, Blogger, flash-fiction writer & an aspiring TEDx speaker. A self-published author of ‘GENESIS’ (2021), Anita is a prolific writer with her work published in several Anthologies & prestigious publications. A crusader and warrior, she strives to break through social stigmas and empower women in a still patriarchal India. Her debut book in English- ‘SONGS OF MY SOUL’ (2023) is a collection of forty-seven poignant poems. She is currently working on her debut book of Hindi-Urdu poetry soon to be published.
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