2. Do you plan to return to India to settle down?
Why should I ?

3. What do you like most about being abroad?
Don't get me started. In short, no more hanging on local trains, no more road blocks etc. .

4. What do like least about being abroad?
Hmmm.... Australian Taxation Rules.

5. Would you be concerned about raising your family outside India?
No way. I can give them the best without much ado.

6. What are your thoughts about marrying outside your immediate community, someone who speaks a different language or practices a different religion?
I think this is an outdated question guys. Let us start talking about same-sex marriages.

7. What would be the first thing you would do if you became the Prime Minister of India?
Fill up my swiss a/c, kick some plutonium tests, start riots... let me think.there is so much to do... burn some forests down so my immediate family can have a golf course all for themselves.

8. What do you think are India's greatest strengths?(max 3)
Film industry, IT industry, population.

9. What do you think are the biggest problems facing India? (max 3)
Same as above.

10. Do you think that a presidential form of government would better serve the needs of India's democracy?
I propose another 200 years of imperial rule. Bring back the British Raj.

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

12. Do you think that the national obsession with Cricket has helped or has it hurt India as a sporting nation?
Don't know about that. But I know some bookies have made big bucks, and there is more politics in the team than in the Lok Sabha.

13. What do you think are India's greatest achievement since Independence (max 3)?
Nehru's dream of a nuke aware India, Rajiv's dream of computerized India.

14. What is your favourite pastime?
Music, Western - Jazz, Indian - Hindustani and Carnatic Classical.

15. What is your happiest memory?
In India : B.C.C and my cousins, my in-laws (sigh!!). Here : My wife and daughter (BCC was our bunch of friends back at college it stood for Black Cat Commandoes. Just that the name was catchy and pretty well known on campus).

16. What's your most memorable journey?
My daily travel from Chembur to V.T by Central Railway during peak hours. Wow, the smell of sweat, cigars and bodily gases, I miss it.

17. What is your ultimate food dish?
Anything spicy and hot.

18. What are your favourite movies? (max 3)
Any Swedish movie will do.

19. What are your favourite books (please list authors as well)? (max 3)
Jataka tales, C++ programming Coplein, Playboy.

20. A message from you to other NRIs
Live as humans and then as Indians, Americans or Australians. Let us get rid of all racial prejudices and make world a better place.

- Mukesh R. Bhakta in Melbourne, Australia

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