God is an NRI. Actually it is such an obvious truth that I don't even have to say it.
An NRI lives in a place other than India and comes for much-celebrated short visits. Reminds me of Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Christmas and Janmashtami. Right? God is an NRI.
Where God lives, you have blue skies, bluer waters, flower and fruit filled gardens and smooth pathways where stylish vehicles glide carrying angelic beings. That's right, God lives elsewhere than in India.
In India we have ungodly filth, poverty, corruption and exploitation . Rotten people running our lives with ill-gotten wealth and ill-concealed incompetence. No God here!
When God comes, we celebrate with noisy joy and heap fabulous hospitality on Him in return for trinkets. Sounds like an NRI, right?
The arrival of an NRI is at inconvenient hours, and when they emerge, there is hardly any resemblance to the selfies posted on Facebook. These fair weather visitors are here for the good food, good clothes, happy shopping and attention of doting people. They brag about how the 8ft snow pile in their frontyard was cleared in a jiffy on barely a thought (it means a mere phone call) by wondrous beings and wonderful machinery. It all sounds unbelievably like heaven and we imagine, what a mountain of ice-cream to eat! Sounds like where God lives, right?
Have you wondered why our godmen soon acquire a fake foreign accent and look listlessly as they focus their grace exclusively on their NRI bhaktas? Obviously they are in close touch with God.
Have you wondered why 90% of the time Modi is calling on NRIs to come and make in India, believe in India, be proud of India? He is secretly saying all these things as a prayer to God.
Did you know crossing the ocean is a time honoured metaphor in India for becoming an NRI? Or becoming one with God?
Don't wait for God. Fix your life. Don't save the mangoes, jackfruit, pickle and sandige for that elusive guest from far away. Enjoy it while you're here. Let's show what we can do here. God help us!
