What makes NRIs so touchy about issues concerning their homeland? "They are stuck in a time warp," says Lavrenti Lopes, an Indian actor-model in Hollywood. "When they moved to their new countries they found the value system alien. So they lived in isolation, holding on to the values they came with, values that no longer exist even in India."
A lot of NRIs are stuck in an India that does not exist anymore, agrees Vidur Kapur, an Indian-American stand-up comedian. Kapur, who moved to the US 12 years ago, says NRIs even have a tough time reacting to his India jokes. A reference to bride burning, where his grandmother says, "I'll find you Indian girl. What's the harm? If you don't like her, I'll set her on fire!" does very well in India, whereas a lot of NRIs get offended because they don't want to see the country criticized in any way or to acknowledge that such things still happen. "I think the fact that they live away from the homeland makes it more important for them to prove that they have an identity in the homeland," he says.
Also, the fact that most desis, including USbased author Arnab Ray, have had to face questions such as "Do you people really burn widows ?", "Do you guys sacrifice humans?" and "Do you have modern plumbing in India?" does not help. "While some of this stems from genuine ignorance, many times they are expressions of barely concealed cultural and racial superiority passed off as humour," says Ray.
As a result, they end up spending a lot of time correcting negative stereotypes about India created by foreign media. "Many such misconceptions also result in NRIs being mistreated by host communities. So the issue isn't just about being offended. There's a social issue: it widens the cultural gap between the host and immigrant communities," says V Gangan, managing editor of The Global Indian magazine.
This explains why immigrant children are especially sensitive about movies like Slumdog Millionaire, which Ray says are filled with formulaic bits of "exotica" and "so-happy-amidstthe-squalor images". "In school, some of these kids are subjected to merciless ribbing about their 'unclean origins'. Many end up developing a hatred for India and their parents."
The diaspora's furore over hate crimes and racial profiling is understandable, says Indian-American Ash Chandler. But the stand-up comic dismisses the hullabaloo over Clarkson's show as unnecessary. Chandler feels Indians should stop clinging to "national symbols that are no longer relevant" and spending time and money on lawyers. Instead, he recommends a cheaper solution. "Switch the TV off." (courtecy:TOI-