A little more gratitude, please

Scared Indian students on their way to Poltava from Sumy in Ukraine, on March 8. File photo

I watched the unfolding war in Ukraine with horror, much like a significant majority of the world. I had no problem with Russia's war crimes, obviously, because the government of India had already said it was okay to not be appalled by Putin, so the dismay I experienced was reserved for Indian students stuck in that country with no means of getting home. Those feelings were quickly replaced by annoyance as video footage of them arriving at Indian airports began trickling in. Where was the gratitude, I wondered? Where was the joy at touching down on Indian shores? Why were they not weeping with happiness and shouting patriotic slogans as they walked through immigration?

One video that did the rounds online had a minister greeting students with folded hands. She had taken the trouble of standing for a few minutes at just the right time, smiling at students who barely glanced in her direction. I was appalled. Another minister had taken it upon himself to hand out Indian flags, most of which were ignored by students trooping past him. What saddened me was how both ministers had taken the trouble of making sure there were cameras documenting their efforts. They had taken time from their obviously busy schedules to stand at the airport for a few minutes and were simply rebuffed by students who were more concerned about getting home than stopping and thanking these elected representatives. Was there no decency left?

I tried empathising with the students but couldn't. Yes, they had probably been through some horrific experiences. Many had struggled to find food and water, apparently, and there were also reports of students being denied entry at multiple checkpoints because the colour of their skin didn't meet predetermined European norms, but that shouldn't have prevented them from expressing the right amount of gratitude for ministers standing with camerapersons to welcome them. Trauma and escaping a warzone shouldn't get in the way of reverence for politicians, because down that road lies chaos.

Students who study abroad need to understand that they are already an irritant for Indians back home. As the Prime Minister pointed out a couple of weeks ago, there is no reason for them to study in another country to begin with, given the overwhelming number of world-renowned universities and colleges already operating within our borders. These rankings may not be public knowledge because everyone knows how envious the West is of our academic prowess, but students here should know that any local Vidyalaya is capable of offering more than Oxford or Cambridge can. It's merely a question of perspective.

This is why I believe state governments should take it upon themselves to issue brochures on protocol to every student departing for a course of study abroad. They should be handed over to them along with immigration stamps on their passports and should list the things they are expected to do in the event of any future emergency requiring evacuation. If there's a minister waiting to greet them at the airport, for instance, students must be required to stop and bow down reverently. They should smile at all times in the presence of media personnel and government-appointed PR agencies, because those photographs broadcast the right image of India abroad.

A smiling student being brought home tells the world that ours is a country that cares. We care about our students and will do whatever it takes within reasonable limits to try and make sure every one of them is safe. It's how we got through the COVID-19 pandemic without losing more than a few hundred thousand lives. I also suggest students leaving the country be given T-shirts with photographs of the prime minister or ministers representing their individual states, so that they can be worn on arrival. They make for great front-page photographs.
Lastly, I believe we should encourage all the students we know to give up plans of studying abroad, preventing the need for evacuation in the event of a war. Students who study in India don't have to worry about more than the usual amount of racism and can safely get home during a communal riot without the need for government intervention. It allows our ministers to focus on more important things such as election rallies.

Our students also need to appreciate homegrown degrees more than they currently do. It's why I, for one, firmly believe that a Masters in Entire Political Science is worth more than any degree offered by Harvard, Princeton, or Yale.

When he isn't ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira

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The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper