Media Entrepreneur Loves Tracking non-resident Indians


Every year, thousands of Indians leave the country to re-locate in foreign lands. What is their motivation? How do they cope with the change? How do women in particular deal with the move and is it really as glamorous as it appears?

Young Bobbeeta Sarma was always curious to know how the large non resident Indian (NRI) community, especially women, made a life for themselves on foreign shores. But it wasn’t until one of her travels abroad a few years ago that this media entrepreneur and former ‘beauty queen’ from Assam finally got down to shooting a series of audio-visual travelogues. To start her project, she chose the most obvious subjects - NRIs from her home state. She did that because she wanted to take the world to the drawing rooms of Assamese people, many of whom harboured the dream of travelling abroad.

A trip to Toronto, Canada, to shoot a programme for the Assam Association in 2001 led to the series that Sarma called, Bidexot Apun Manuh or Loved Ones in a Foreign Land. For shooting the vignettes she teamed up with her TV producer husband, Chinmoy, and a colleague, Manas Adhikari. “We were a three-member team. Hiring technicians abroad is expensive so we did everything ourselves – right from research to make-up to sound and camera. It was like an adventure,” she recalls.

They short-listed a few families and flew around the world from time-to-time to record the interviews. From the United States and the UK to France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland in Europe, to South East Asia and the Pacific, Sarma met up women and men from diverse backgrounds and interviewed them in various settings. She wanted the interactions to be candid so the team shot in kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, in parks and, on one occasion, even in a moving car. “We stayed with the people whom we wanted to feature in order to be able to provide an insight into their lives,” she says.

It was while living in their homes that Sarma discovered that life for expats is far from easy. And yet all of them have one thing in common – they are resilient and quick learners. The first thing most do – women in particular – in a new place is to learn how to drive. “If you cannot move around on your own, you are stranded and isolated, especially in countries like the US where public transport is almost non-existent except in the big cities,” says Sarma. Many also become efficient housekeepers, expertly using gadgets like the dishwasher, lawn mower and vacuum cleaner. “There are no maids at one’s beck and call in the West, although many people do get in help once or twice a week to help in the housecleaning, if they can afford it.”

Battling extreme weather conditions is another challenge. Living in cold climes particularly has a negative psychological effect on some. “I met a woman from North England who lived by the sea and she would pine for sunshine. When the grey spells would stretch for weeks together, she would become increasingly depressed,” Sarma relates. But what people miss the most is the comfort of a large family. “They feel terrible when often they are unable to make it back home during crucial times - like an illness or death in the family,” adds Sarma.

Yet, despite all these difficulties, most of them have done well for themselves. Some have achieved super success in their careers, while others are doing their bit, albeit in more modest ways. Sarma caught up with the UK-based TV host of Mridula’s Kitchen, Mridula Bajlekar. Although she is not a trained cookery expert, Bajlekar had a passion for cooking which she developed into a rewarding career. Besides the show, she has also written several books on Indian food. Another success story from Britain that Sarma has featured is Rita Payne, an Assamese woman who became the news editor of BBC’s Asia Today programme.

But while everyone has not achieved Bajlekar’s or Payne’s level of fame, there are those who are part of pioneering ventures, inspired by their roots. Like Arunachal Pradesh native Phool Pau and her husband, Wooli, who have collaborated to run a firm, Bambootech, in Nuremberg, Germany. They design eco-homes which are creating quite a stir. The idea struck Wooli when he visited Phool Pau’s family home in Arunachal. He was fascinated by the fact that the house was built on bamboo silts (chang-ghar). Inspired by these environment friendly houses, he invented a technique through which he scientifically treated and designed the bamboo in such way that the structures they create are even stronger than traditional ones.

While Sarma, a former history student who has also worked as a child actor in films and regional language soaps, went about meeting different women across the globe and learning about their lives, she also talked to them about local lifestyles. “We talked about urban sanitation, civic amenities, and so on. They also pointed to the professionalism of the work culture there.” Making this series has been enriching at two very different levels for Sarma. First, it was a challenge to film with such a small team, but they had a great time despite the rough patches. “We were on our toes most of the time, planning much in advance according to a pre-determined time table. But despite our best efforts, there were times when things went awry. We would, for instance, miss a train by seconds, largely because of all the paraphernalia - including the camera and tripod – that the three of us would have to lug around. It used to get real tough at times.”

The second benefit was an opportunity to get to know the expats from her state, many of whom have tried to keep close ties with their roots. Assamese settled abroad are largely professionals – doctors, engineers and software professionals. “We do not have rich businessmen who could invest and contribute to the development of our state, like Gujarat or Punjab. But they can contribute with their experience and technical expertise,” she says.

She particularly enjoyed her interactions with the emerging second generation of Assamese. Many countries have a multicultural population, so while these young people have grown up in a westernized environment, they are still interested in learning traditional folk dances and songs. Sarma recalls meeting Harvard student Rima Rajbonshi who has taught Bihu (an Assamese folk dance) to her batch mates - mostly Chinese and American - although she has herself never seen a real Bihu performance.

Today, Bidexot Apun Manuh has become every Assamese’s window to the world, thanks to the national broadcaster, Doordarshan, beaming it across the state as a series for seven years running. “I wanted to show this travelogue on TV and in 2001 Doordarshan came forward. This way the programme was able to reach out to even those who live in the interiors of the State,” she says.

Sarma is always delighted when strangers – not only in towns but villages –walk up to her and talk about the show. She smiles as she recalls an occasion when an old woman came up, hugged me and thanked me for having brought the world closer to her. “That’s my reward,” she says.

By Teresa Rehman

(Women’s Feature Service)