Is The Current India Better To Live Than Abroad ?

I have not faced this
They may be jealous of you.that's why bashing

 

Lot of Indians has this nature of saying what they have in mind without thinking about the impact it has on others. Most people don't say it to hurt but it hurts nevertheless. Better to learn to ignore comments like these.

 

Stop talking to this friend

 

Hello Anika,

How are you
I live abroad - Australia. I can relate to the post.

There is no doubt that current India is much developed than what it was a few years before. Today's India has pretty much every brand that the developed countries used to boast of and people are able to afford too , if not as much as NRIs. And now the "Made in India" thing has caught up. So India is a happening place and people living in India are not actually missing out a great deal.

Having said that, "America is not doing good" is a feeling fed into people's minds by the news channels which have nothing positive to talk about. And its human nature to fall for such news because it invokes feelings like, "aah good we did not move to the US", "There is a reason why that USA match did not work out for our child".
Such news channels cannot show the truth and have no guts to question the injustice in the home land but will be ready to magnify the news of the bigger nations.
Even after so much of chaos post election results, America is still the most wanted nation for students, companies.
Does this not say something?
So, take it easy dear.

When this kind of conversation happens again, tell your friends that America is not as bad as they think.
It is still the leading economy of the world. Every nation has its own positives and negatives.
India may have Starbucks but no one bothers about emptying the bins out side Starbucks ! I am not making this up - been to India a few months back - to Starbucks to grab a cuppa while waiting for a friend. The Starbucks inside was clean and tidy - outside was like a trash pit. And the sound of constant honking while driving, and the people who openly bribe traffic cops.
America may have had a few downs but that's not the end of America. Tell her to visit America to know the difference better. Unless she sees it she wont understand it.

Tell your friends that America gives you certain benefits which India will not be able to give you ever - PRIVACY and experiences of snow in winter, joy of multi colored maple leaves in autumn and swim suit luxury in Summer. And that you get to exercise the basic right of a human being (which in India is mostly a luxury) - not being judged for what you wear and how you cook and how you clean the house - all this and the Starbucks coffee in clean surroundings - inside out, so they don't need to pity you for anything. Tell them this is a choice you made and you are happy about it. So they being sorry for you or sending some pity your way is useless and meaningless.

Have a good day dear.

 

This has happened ALL my life. I grew up in the US, so whenever I came to visit my relatives, I had to hear some level of US or NRI bashing. My grandmother, who desperately wanted us to move back to India, would say that all the conveniences of the US, we can now find in India. I agreed, because there are some really nice things available in India, that aren't available in the US, but it didn't bother me all that much, because the US was my home, and I loved it beyond compare. It wasn't the malls and the starbucks that made me happy. It was simply just home, and I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted, without asking anyone (I'm a verified dependent when I visit India). Oh, and I am partial to bathtubs and toilet paper... My mother, on the other hand, would feel hurt by it, because she too wants to return, but because she is married to my father and stuck with old time mentality, she's stuck in the US. My grandmother's words come out of a place of love, so it's easy to forgive and let go.

But, after my marriage, in my In-laws family, I hear A LOT of US and NRI bashing. It doesn't bother me, since I hardly have to point out flaws in Chennai - the bribery to get anything done, the Sasikala and political stuff, the lack of good house help, the extreme heat that causes intense unproductivity, the unnecessary amount of family drama, water problems, etc. But the NRI bashing just makes me really uncomfortable. It's often seen as putting on airs, when you start conversing like an American, and ask about how do people like their jobs and what are the fun things to do. Instead, you're supposed to complain about the weather, the help, the corrupt government, and the restaurant food. People would get offended for simple things like not visiting them during your 2 week visit - even when you already saw them at the wedding reception. I digress...

Anyway, as a 3rd party bystander, I hear a lot of this by people who feel inferior about something in their life, and need to make themselves feel better by feeling "sympathy" toward a person that they think is doing well. People are always saying how the food is so good in India, and that we're all "Paavam" in the US... which is funny, because I cook pretty well in the US, and I'm highly satisfied with the Indian food I'm making. The people who actually end up staying with me, always comment that the chicken and mutton in the US is so much better and the veggies are so fresh - so how are we "paavam"?

 

Couldn't agree more on this.
The fruits and veggies are so fresh and tempting to eat. The pollution is so less. The corruption is so low.
Sympathy is a channel for people to release the negativity from their system

 

Oh dear,
Yes India is getting better, so tell them you are happy for them and for India. Who will not get happy to see our homeland prosper?

But, do not fret over this. You have no control on what people talk about and their jealousy.

And, since when did we start to define the quality of life, based on the availability of brands? STRANGE correlation.
Next time someone gives you an example of a brand, totally ignore it.

Like other ladies mentioned here, just the mention of "rampant dirty corruption" is more than enough to shut their cribbing and jealous remarks. You know what when someone criticizes this country, it comes from a very honest frustration of their own. So remember that the next time someone talks about this topic.

Besides that when you miss your homeland and family, do talk to people who support your emotions- not to ones who takes advantage of it and make you sadder. Choose good friends to call and avoid these frenemies.