2. Do you plan to return to India to settle down?
No, but I think that it is inevitable (due to job market for the computer engineers). I would like to settle in Hyderabad.

3. What do you like most about being abroad?
I got a chance to look at life with a new perspective. And I am learning to live independently.

4. What do like least about being abroad?
I miss my parents who are in India. I miss the smell of earth when it rains.

5. Would you be concerned about raising your family outside India?
No. Though I am not married , I am confident that I can raise my family without any problem any where in the world.

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, unless it bothers the freedom of one of the couple.

7. What would be the first thing you would do if you became the Prime Minister of India?
Oh, I would do so many things at a time. First I will make Kiran Bedi as head Jailer for all the jails in India.

8. What do you think are India's greatest strengths?(max 3)
1. Farmers
2. Women
3. Scientists

9. What do you think are the biggest problems facing India? (max 3)
1. Corrupt politicians and higher officials.
2. High illiteracy and thereby population and poverty and pollution

10. Do you think that a presidential form of government would better serve the needs of India's democracy?
No governament can help Inidan Democracy unless people in India try to understand and raise their voices against injustice, and that too if they do it collectively.

11. For whom do you have the highest regard amongst living Indians?
Medha Patkar, Arundhati Roy, Kiran Bedi, Baba Amte, Mahaswetha Devi, Swarajyam, M.F. Hussain...

12. Do you think that the national obsession with Cricket has helped or has it hurt India as a sporting nation?
It did both. It got a place for India in sports world, and it did hurt with the match fixings.

13. What do you think are India's greatest achievements since Independence? (max 3)?
Non-alignment, Scientific in various fields like Astronomy, Information Technology, Medicine, Literature

14. What is your favourite pastime?
Reading Books, Writing Poetry, dreaming, working on my website.

15. What is your happiest memory?
Climbing onto a Mango tree, sitting on its trunk comfortably and reading "Lenin"

16. What's your most memorable journey?
Hyderabad to my village.

17. What is your ultimate food dish?
Andra dish, Gongura Dal with roti made from jawar flour

18. What are your favourite movies? (max 3)
1) Braveheart
2) Ankuram
3) Sakhi

19. What are your favourite books (please list authors as well)? (max 3)
1) Outsider- Albert Camus
2) Whitefang- Jack London
3) Maha Prasthanam- Sri Sri

20. A message from you to other NRIs
NRI or RI you are still "I"

- Mamatha Ridge Field Park, New Jersey,USA

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