This is an experience of NRI on his visit to India in our 50 th year of independence :
This is a compilation of some of the experiences I had, when I went on an official visit to India. I am a senior project manager in a chemical construction company (in USA) and I was going to India to over see the start up of a plant being designed and built by my company. I also happen to be a American-settled-Indian. A junior technician, Steve,who is an Anglo-saxon American was also sent with me to India to aid the Indian technicians with the plant start up. I talked with the travel department into buying Air India tickets.
Being a senior executive, I was entitled to first class seats, while the technician traveled economy. So, I show up at the Air India terminal and got into the first class counter. The attendant there is an Indian lady, who refuses to acknowledge me and keeps on doing some work on her computer terminal. When I interrupt her, she replies very roughly "This is the first class counter, can't you see? Go to the end of the line at the next counter!" The next counter was economy class. "Will you please check my ticket at least?" I replied. "Sardarji aapko English nahin samajh aati? This is not an information counter, go to the end of the line!" Well of course, I got my first lesson. No matter how successful you may be, your desi bhai and bhens always think of you as Mr.cheap!
We landed at New Delhi early in the morning. I waited for my junior technician to get of the plane, so that we can go together through customs. This was his first visit overseas. I thought India being my home country, I shall be able to help him. Little did I realize that it was I who needed help. As soon as we approached the counter, the burly haryanvi jat at the counter saw me with turban and the white guy behind me, and said "sardarji aap jara side mein khare ho jao" and he said to Steve " Please sir come forward". "Oh no! you can process him first, we are togetherany way" replied Steve. Ignoring what he said the jat said "Sir you come forward, I do not want to hold you for him, you are a guest here and people of his kind we have to check more, you know all that terrorism."
That made me mad. I protested, but to no avail. The jat threatened me that if I try to stop him from doing his job, he will have me arrested.Something in me told me to restrain myself. I told Steve to go ahead and I will follow him.
To make the story short, I did not make a good impression on Steve as soon as we landed. The jat took his own time to clear me, with a look on his face, which told me his thoughts were that this guy may be living in America, but I am the king here. Well we went to the luggage area, got our suit cases and proceeded to customs. I told Steve, since we have nothing to declare, we can walk through the green line. I was wrong again. Steve could go through green line not me. And guess who stopped me this time. It was a sikh customs officer. I think he wanted to make sure that I should not go back with the impression that jat was discriminating against sikhs. He told Steve respectfully to go ahead and said to me- "Sardarji red line wich jao". Again Steve tried to rescue me "But I am with him, we are together." "Sir believe me you do not know these guys. It does not happen in your country, but here they try to smuggle every thing" and he winked at Steve. "I bet he convinced you in the plane that he can get you best place to stay and best women in New Delhi" announced the customs officer. I was mad again, but still to no avail. I told Steve to wait for me outside. The red line guy went through every thing I had, humiliated me and made mepay Rs 500 as duty. He detained me for 50 minutes, not realizing that I make$60 an hour, which will translates into Rs.2100 for 50 minutes he detained me. I was thankful that Steve was not there to see all this humiliation.
The humiliation didn't end here, the company driver who came to pick us up preferred to carry Steve's bags and opened the door for Steve. While i was waiting for him to put my bags in the trunk he said "Sardarji ,waheguru ne do hath bakshe ne warto." At the Ashoka Hotel, the counter had all the welcome for Steve, the bell boy carried Steve's bags first.
All this time Steve was protesting, telling them to take care of me first as I was his boss, but all of them just refused to believe that a brown guy can be a white guy's boss. Perhaps even fifty years of independence have not been able to flush out all that slave blood.
The second hand treatment even continued the next day when we went to the Indian company head quarters. The chief-engineer there referredto call Steve sir and shake hands with him first. But here I could control the situation. When I instructed Steve to go to plant and start checking into equipment, the chief engineer realized he has to deal with me and not Steve. Of course he apologized.
The worst humiliation occurred when I took Steve to a state emporium in downtown for shopping. Here I was supposed to guide him and help him select the right gifts for his family and friends. But the sales lady at the emporium completely ignored me and showered all her attention on Steve. When I tried to intervene, she scolded me in English, "Mister, why don't you wait till I can take care of this gentleman who is going to spend dollars, not like you who is looking for the cheapest sari for your wife you can buy." Even Steve did not like it and said to lady "Miss, what is wrong with all you people in this country. You treat your own people so bad. This gentleman is my boss,makes twice the money I make and is perhaps going to spend twice the amount I am going to spend". You should have seen the look on the sales girl's face. Steve made me walk out of the store. I guess even he could not take it any more. He told me "Your color makes things difficult for you in America but you are discriminated against much more here in your own country. And I was thinking you were joking, when you told me this back home."
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