1.Why did you leave India?
To see the world and make a better living condition for my family in India.
2.Do you plan to return to India to settle down?
Perhaps in 10 years from now. In my hometown Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
3.What do you like most about being abroad?
No one asks me what religion I belong to! Freedom of action and better scientific atmosphere.
4.What do like least about being abroad?
Being uprooted from my culture.
5.Would you be concerned about raising your family outside India?
No, I have my family (wife ,daughter,son) outside India.
6.What are your thoughts about marrying outside your immediate community, someone who speaks a different language or practices a different religion?
No problem, my wife is french
7.What would be the first thing you would do if you became the Prime Minister of India?
I would remove religion from state and make one law for everyone.
8.What do you think are India's greatest strengths?(max 3)
Human values.
9.What do you think are the biggest problems facing India? (max 3)
Population Explosion.
10.Do you think that a presidential form of government would better serve the needs of India's democracy?Not necessarily.
11.For whom do you have the highest regard amongst living Indians?
Sonia Gandhi (yes she is an indian)
12.Do you think that the national obsession with Cricket has helped or has it hurt India as a sporting nation?
It has crushed all other sports and brought us to the shameful point where we can hardly grab one or two medals in the olympics
(compare with china !).
13.What do you think are India's greatest achievement since Independence (max 3)?
Economic boom.
14.What is your favourite pastime?
Getting full professorship at the university in france despite my being the only foreign candidate.
15.What is your happiest memory?
Travelling.
16.What's your most memorable journey?
Travelling on the roof top of an express train between Gorakhpur and Lucknow.
17.What is your ultimate food dish?
Nothing to beat the Indian curries with rice and parathas.
18.What are your favourite movies? (max 3)
a. Gandhi
b. Teesri kasam
c. Pyasa
19.What are your favourite books (please list authors as well)? (max 3)
Freedom at midnight (lorry collins, lapierre).
20.A message from you to other NRIs
I get my oxygen in india, I go there at least twice a year. Be connected.
Meet Srihari Mulgund. He currently lives in Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Published - June, 2002
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The views of this column are the author's own, and do not necessarily represent the views of NRI Online.