2. Do you plan to return to India to settle down?
Yes, Pune or Ooty.

3. What do you like most about being abroad?
System - its hassle free - if you follow rules and regulations nobody troubles you!

4. What do like least about being abroad?
Everybody back home - Especially during festivals !

5. Would you be concerned about raising your family outside India?
Yes, as I feel my child looses his share of Love from the GrandParents and the culural impact on the small mind at the young age.

6. What are your thoughts about marrying outside your immediate community, someone who speaks a different language or practices a different religion?
I don't mind as far as both should have high respect towards each others religion - ours and mine should not arise and they should stand by each other as there will be lots of after marriage hassles.

7. What would be the first thing you would do if you became the Prime Minister of India?
Take special measures to reintroduce our culture to the young generation.

8. What do you think are India's greatest strengths?(max 3)
1) Self Reliance
2) I.T. Power
3) Respect to all religions -one country

9. What do you think are the biggest problems facing India? (max 3)
1) Corruption
2) Population
3) Poverty

10. Do you think that a presidential form of government would better serve the needs of India's democracy?
I don't know!

11. For whom do you have the highest regard amongst living Indians?
SHRI SHRI RAVISHANKAR of Art Of Living Foundation whom I regard as my GURU and call him as "GURUJI", Lata Mangeshkar & Sunil Gavaskar.

12. Do you think that the national obsession with Cricket has helped or has it hurt India as a sporting nation?
I was obsessed with it so how can I remark? Yet players should not let down the Country.

13. What do you think are India's greatest achievements since Independence? (max 3)?
1) Self Reliance
2) I.T. power house

14. What is your favourite pastime?
Reading, surfing and cooking.

15. What is your happiest memory?
My son's birth.

16. What's your most memorable journey?
To Bangkok to meet my sister.

17. What is your ultimate food dish?
Thai food which you get on Bangkok streets Varan(daal)-Bhat(chawal)-Toop(ghee) with lime drops.

18. What are your favourite movies? (max 3)
1) Pakeeza
2) Dil to Pagal Hai
3) Lagaan

19. What are your favourite books (please list authors as well)? (max 3)
1)All Marathi books written by P.L.Deshpande - with his cassettes my son grew up     in this loneliness.
2) Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yoganand
3) Bhagavad-Gita

20. A message from you to other NRIs
Please try to keep the culture of our country with our next generation so they can be proud of being Indian.

- Swati Rajendra Jagtap, Dubai, UAE

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