Summer is here in the U.S. The festive season begins for all “Indian” organizations, after a dormant winter. Telugu/Telangana organizations are especially big into these celebrations.
There are at least seven nation-wide organizations (including an organization recently launched) that celebrate their conventions. And, of course, there are tens of local organizations in each city/state where the community is bigger and these local organizations do celebrate their festivities without a miss!
Here is a little background. All national Telugu organizations in the U.S. celebrate their biennial three-day conventions on a grand scale and they spend at least 2 – 2.5 Million dollars each, excluding their pre-convention kick-offs and competitions they organize in each big city for fundraising.
In addition to the organizations’ spending, guests also spend on their travel and stay as they have to travel from different places to the location where the convention is held. Almost all of us know how these conventions are held. Two of the Telangana organizations announced two “First” conventions this year, have to see if they will continue the tradition of others and celebrate annual/biennial conventions.
Coming to the point why I am writing this is when I was visiting India and discussing with friends, I often heard that NRIs are “Non-responsive Indians”. I felt bad being one of the thousands of NRIs. Also felt sad because many of the NRIs do respond to the crises, they donate, they do fundraisers, and they discuss and debate in “social media” on the most burning issues. Some of them even travel to places and help the ground situations. But, after looking at this year’s drought and the way people are dying, looking the unresponsiveness from the most influential, affluent and highly educated “Organizations”, it feels like it is true that NRIs are Non-responsive Indians.
All these organizations should think what is being achieved in these conventions. Taking the example of this year alone, there are 5 such conferences happening in the US, a small conference costing $ 500K and big ones spending around $ 2.5 Million each, altogether, they altogether would be spending anywhere between 10 Million to 12 Million dollars. One can imagine what all can be done with that kind of money. Each organization has “service” (seva) in their tagline. They really have to introspect how much percentage of their spending is on real “service” compared to the spending they do for these conventions.
These conventions became the symbol of their existence for these organizations. Of course, celebrations are part of life, but why so many of them? Can’t all organizations come together and celebrate one big convention? All organizations invite the same political leaders (whoever is in power) and all of them invite almost the same film stars and there are several instances where these guests from India shuttle between these conferences, as all these happen at around the same time.
These politicians became leaders and came to power, because our brothers and sisters back home voted for them, not NRIs. Those film stars became famous, because our brothers and sisters back home watched their movies. But, the same brothers and sisters back home are suffering, they are dying with drought and negligence, they are looking for help. It may not be the duty of these organizations to provide help, but at the same time, we don’t have any right to claim those leaders as ours and those stars as ours.
Most of the NRIs are educated and saw a world bigger than people back home did. NRIs have to think out-of-the-box and provide necessary help to our own people. Sacrificing a mere three days of fun (normally, each convention is for three days), is not a big deal. Those film stars and politicians don’t’ lose anything if these organizations don’t bring them to U.S., but a family can live for 1 year just with the price for one business class ticket you provide for those stars and politicians. At least, 5–10 students can pursue their education for whole year, just with the price one ticket you buy for those guests.
By the way, what do those film stars and politicians do by attending these conventions? They come to these conventions, appear on the stage for a maximum of 5 -10 minutes, that’s all. But, these organizations publicize them for almost 6 months. They enjoy their vacation with your money, they are treated with red carpet, and I don’t think they have this kind of treatment even in India. What is the return on investment for these organization? Answer is, leaders of these organizations get selfies with stars and politicians to post them on social media!!
True, it is very true. These conventions are a big hoax. Out of the three days, day 1 starts as a banquet, which is a trumpet blowing event for their leadership and “big” donors. Day-2 is all about having each one a session of their “interest”, you hardly find people attending these sessions, unless a celebrity is in there. Day 3 is all about a “Prime-time” show, where all stars are on stage for a few minutes. There were instances where fights broke-out at food stalls, because the supply is less. What do the attendees of these conventions do? Half of them come and meet their friends and relatives at one place, they drink, eat and play within their hotel rooms, the other half come and go through the vendor booths to buy clothes and jewelry. It is time, even the people attending these conventions to re-think and find out where they want to spend the money they are spending.
All NRIs speak foul about politics and how divided we are as a country. But, why do we need these many organizations in the name of Telugus. Fine, since the state is divided back home, having one for each state is justified, but why so many? If one agrees or not, these organizations are divided by caste, looking at the names of their leadership will tell you the facts. Within the caste, if somebody is not elected into the leadership, they start a new organization. How long will it go on?
Every organization has “Culture” and “Service” in its tagline. We really have to introspect what contributions these organizations are making to promote “culture” here in the U.S? How many next generation kids even understand what a “Telugu Festival” is? I am sure, these organizations will extinct with the “First” generation immigrants, there are no takers from the second generation, they very well know how divided these people are and what actually these organizations do. Some of the organizations have more leaders than members in them, if you see any of their press releases, you will realize that the content of the press release is buried somewhere inside a huge list of “same” names in every press release.
Coming back to the situation back home, it is really heart wrenching to see the news of people dying due to lack of water. Not everything can be done by government alone, there is also so much that all of us can do. One phone call to a person outside of Hyderabad will explain you the ground situation in our villages and towns. Isn’t it our responsibility to react? If not doing anything, at least, can we standby them instead of celebrating when our brothers and sisters are in a pathetic situation? Why can’t we show an example by canceling a celebration (convention) and try to show some solidarity by asking all your members to donate that convention amount to a charity back home?
Even though, all NRIs are not part of these organizations, fortunately or unfortunately, they represent all NRIs because they are the ones going to the media and claiming to be the representatives of all NRIs. So, having these organizations non-responsive, all NRIs are becoming Non-Responsive Indians. Also, on the positive side of having one or two of these organizations is, they are doing extremely good work, even in the case of unfortunate events such as somebody dying here in the U.S. A couple of organizations do a brilliant job in sending bodies of the deceased and helping out the families with any medical problems.
But it is time these service motives and spirit are extended to the whole range of activities that the organizations do. Time for the charity and ‘culture’ of solidarity with Telugus extended to the less privileged sections of our own people back home. Time the dubious label of ‘Non-Responsive Indians’ is peeled off and we become one with the last man in need back home.
a
ll opinions expressed in this article are individual opinions of the author, Narra Gopi Krishna
