2. Do you plan to return to India to settle down?
Not in the near future.

3. What do you like most about being abroad?
Exposure to the world.

4. What do like least about being abroad?
Missing homeland and relatives.

5. Would you be concerned about raising your family outside India?
No

6. What are your thoughts about marrying outside your immediate community, someone who speaks a different language or practices a different religion?
Does not matter.

7. What would be the first thing you would do if you became the Prime Minister of India?
Take firm , realistic, steps to eliminate poverty. Settle the Kashmir problem in a respectful manner. We are losing 10 crores daily in Kashmir without any positive results. Kargil cost us 10,000 crores.

8. What do you think are India's greatest strengths?(max 3)
1. Fertile land
2. Network of rivers
3. Dedicated work force

9. What do you think are the biggest problems facing India? (max 3)
1. Extreme poverty
2. Finacial bleeding in Kashmir
3. Corruption

10. Do you think that a presidential form of government would better serve the needs of India's democracy?
No.

11. For whom do you have the highest regard amongst living Indians?
Vajpayee

12. Do you think that the national obsession with Cricket has helped or has it hurt India as a sporting nation?
Yes

13. What do you think are India's greatest achievements since Independence? (max 3)?
Nothing. Israel is as old as indepedent India but is selling arms to India. We could not make good fighter planes or tanks and are puchasing it from small countries such as Sweden, South Africa, Israel etc.

14. What is your favourite pastime?
Social work in slums while I was in India. Here it is just social activities.

15. What is your happiest memory?
Graduation with distinction.

16. What's your most memorable journey?
Kodaikanal on honeymoon.

17. What is your ultimate food dish?
Fish.

18. What are your favourite movies? (max 3)
None

19. What are your favourite books (please list authors as well)? (max 3)
I read magazines only.

20. A message from you to other NRIs
Fight against extreme poverty under which 400 million of felloe Indians live.

- Meera Melwani Safat, Kuwait

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The views of this column are the author's own, and do not necessarily represent the views of NRI Online.