Gone are the days when parents looked for prospective grooms settled in USA or the UK for their daughters. This development is in the wake of countries across the world imposing stricter immigration laws and tightening work permits. But many young thorough bred Bengalureans who left the country for education or work have chosen to make their home abroad and may not return to our city. And with many western countries plunging into administrative turmoil and becoming less tolerant towards ‘others’, it is curious that these youngsters choose to make their ‘home’ there.
Some believe that opportunities available there are ample. Ruhi Ahmed, a masters student studying in Canada, feels that, unlike countries like USA and UK, Canada has a very welcoming approach towards immigrants coming into work and study from all over the world. Pointing at the career growth prospects she says, “The reason why I would stay back and live here is because of the international networking opportunities where you have people from all over the world coming in and you have a very diverse atmosphere where you learn about different people and how different societies function. Also, the knowledge sharing opportunities you get, which I don’t think back home in India is available. Also, there isn’t much growth at home in the area of my career choice.”
According to, Dr. Pritam Biswas, a young medical professional who grew up in Bengaluru and is now based in Europe, “Though people are returning to India due to the rapidly growing economic growth, the growth is not tempered with human development. Like freedoms, equality, the choice of selecting one’s lifestyle without social persecutions and equality of opportunities without nepotism. It still has to go a long way to provide the quality of life like the West, to lure back the Indian diaspora.”
Intending on coming back, but not in the foreseeable future, Neha Prakash-Govindu, will be moving to San Diego, USA soon after completing her education in UK. “The job opportunities are higher and the work life is more comfortable in terms of working hours and colleagues (which of course may differ from company to company, but personally I feel it’s better). While there is a lot of anti-immigrant sentiments that has been emerging, it has definitely been hyped a little more by media propaganda. The strict immigration laws are an issue but the quality of life, the job opportunities and the added enhancement to the resume will definitely give an extra advantage to the job opportunities in India,” opines the young ‘Bengalurean’.
For some it is a return on investment poured into their education and career growth. Like Vishwas Begur Venkatesh, a student doing his masters in USA admits, “I have invested a lot of money on my masters here. There is no entry level job in India which would pay me enough to get back what I’ve put in. So, I need to stay here for at least a couple more years to get that money back. Also, I am in electronics field and there are hardly any electronics jobs in India. All electronics people end up working in the software sector. I don’t want to do that. Almost all electronics jobs are concentrated in the US around Silicon Valley.”
Contrary to the much publicised idea of the anti-immigrants sentiment, the youngster stresses that in spite of living in a relatively less diverse part of the US which is mostly dominated by whites, he has personally not experienced any discrimination and has found the environment very supportive and inclusive.
In a time where the Trumps and Mays of the world have redefined the concept of immigration for a better life or opportunities outside one’s own country, it is interesting that these youngsters still find the conventional idea of ‘Videsh Jaake Tarakki Karna’ is still the way to go.
— Jeevan Biswas
