WE, MIGRANTS!!!

Internationally, for some countries, 'migrants' is a bad word!

That is in spite of the fact that,
World's oldest democracy is a country of migrants!

Then,

Why such hue and cry against migration?
Why do some countries resist migrants?
Why is that insecurity?

Fear of exhausting their own resources?
Fear of strangers living among them?
Fear of losing jobs meant for them?
Fear of contracting the diseases the immigrants might bring?

Birds and animals migrate!
That is nature! No one complaints!

Why not humans?
Why such noise against it?

Human Migration, 'good' or 'bad'?
Human Migration,'why'?

This is not a research work I am doing!
Neither is this a survey!
Just thinking loud...!

If I proudly say that, our beloved country India is a huge country of migrants,
Will you agree? No way!
You might scorn at me if not kill me!

Yes, we are a country of migrants!
Because, WE call 'THEM' migrants!

Those who move to our neighborhood for some reason, we call them 'MIGRANTS'!

Being called a 'Migrant' in our own country!

My God! It pains!

People from Bihar migrate to Punjab!
People from UP migrate to Delhi or Mumbai!
People from South migrate to all over the country!
Lately people from North East migrate to Kerala!

This is a phenomenon alright.
But not weird.
It is destined.

But there are markable differences in their purposes!

Mostly for survival!
Few to become rich!
Very few to explore!
Even fewer to study!

Many reasons!

In a country with so much of diversity,
Is migration easy?

Different languages.
Different customs.
Different rituals.
Different ways of life.
Different cultures.

Wow, man! This is indeed a challenge!

Still we do migrate.

Yet, even after generations,
Some things that are intact cannot leave the migrants' heart!
Their own language,
Their own customs,
Their own rituals,
Their own way of life,
Their own culture.

All intact! Surviving for centuries!

This is India!

India, a country of migrants!!!

But know this...

Most of the migrations happen out of helplessness!
They migrate against heavy odds!
They are not really happy to migrate!

Most of them are very young!

The bachelors come here leaving their parents and siblings!
The married reach here as forced bachelors!

They live with empty minds.
They live with empty hearts.
They live longing for the love from their near and dear ones.
They long to see the face of their near and  dear ones.

All empty only to fill with the new ones around.

New kind of food which they have never tasted in life.
New people around who speak in a language they don't know.
New kind of living conditions,
Good or bad, it is tough.
New kind of fruits.
New kind of vegetables.
New kind of grains.

All new only to become their own very soon.

But they soon realise that,

Replacement of OWN with NOW is impossible!

And that keeps them intact!

This makes India! Our beloved India!

I LOVE MY INDIA!!!