Thinking, Learning, Questioning
The Call of the Motherland
A few years back India put in place a dual nationality programme for the Indian diaspora. If you were of Indian origin through birth there or via your parents you could apply for Indian nationality. So, why would a country whose population is over 1 billion want more people in its country? There is only one answer and that is because it’s about the Economy. They want to attract the best and brightest back, those that left and went and set up businesses in Silicon Valley and who have been some of the most able people around the world . It’s the 60th Anniversary of India since independence, since it stepped out of the shadow of centuries of occupation, first by the Moghul Emperors and then by the British. India has a lot to thank the British Empire for. The very reason major corporations are falling over themselves to set up development centres there and outsource to India is because of the structures, both political and civil instigated by The Raj. It’s coming to bite us in the ass. I can see it from both perspectives. British Indians born and brought up in this country are going to India to work and live and I can only see that accelerating over time. Nations normally worry about what comes in, they rarely care about what’s going out. Global economics and global corporations are no respecters of borders. An Indian sitting across the Globe doesn’t have get off his backside to affect your job. India is already the third largest investor in to the UK and with projections over the next five years that VC funding in India will be greater than that in the UK the rise of India is assured.
about 5 years ago
Hello PAL!
Very interesting post. As you well know, I’m peruvian but resident of Slovenia. I hope Peru will be doing the same kind of “call” some day. At this point 30% of my friends from Lima are living outside Peru, some of them are well established there and some still thinking what to do next.
In my case I think would be difficult to go back, even if the conditions would be better. Here in Europe my 2 sons are going to grow in a more “equal” environment than in Lima with so great social contrasts.
Even from far I think constantly in my mother country and I’m sure that my professional success would also, in the right moment, be beneficial for my dear country.
about 5 years ago
Hi Jose, it’s a shame that people have to leave their country because of economic and social reasons. Funnily enough, I did some work for IBM Peru for one of their customers in London.