On the occasion of India’s 69th Republic Day, Indians in Oman get nostalgic about what helps them stay connected with India. Suhail Khan, SIMPA’s General Manager, takes the opportunity to reflect on food, family, and festive fervour for The Week:
What started as a two-year stopover, ultimately became a 20-year journey. And not once do I rue my decision to make Oman my home. I have lived longer in Muscat than any other city in the world.
The warmth and friendly ways of the people here makes one feel at home and, with a large Indian diaspora here, you don’t miss much that would happen back in India. I tend to celebrate every Indian festival, with perhaps more gaiety, fun and aplomb than in India. Eid and the Iftaars are solemn occasions to interact with community members and then share festivities with friends on Diwali, Onam, Sankranti, Baisakhi or any other Indian festival.
We celebrate our Independence Day and Republic Day at the Indian Embassy and at the Indian Social Club displaying our spirit of patriotism and unity in diversity. And then, of course, there are plenty of concerts, shows and activities with artistes regularly flying down from India to regale us.
Cricket is also a religion with us Indians and, with the hugely popular Oman Cricket League and the neighbourhood ‘galli’ cricket, there is not much that I miss of the Indian ways.
How can we also not talk about food – we love Indian food and, with over ten Hyderabadi biryani restaurants in town and a huge number of Indian eateries all around town, one can never miss home. But then, nothing compares to mother’s food and, thankfully, the connectivity to Indian cities has been so wonderful that if you start missing home you simply take the next flight out.
Thanks to social media, there are the annual school and college reunions being held across cities in India and now, with weddings getting bigger and fatter, there are always those trips to India to indulge and enjoy the traditional fervour.
Read the full article: http://www.theweek.co.om/ISSUES/767/Never-far-from-home
