Notes on the meeting of January 5, 2011

Dear Friends, 

President Kurian Abraham spoke about corruption in the first, second, third and fourth estates of the country. “The whole country is talking about corruption,” he says. Kurian also spoke about the change in global weather and how it is upsetting the calculations of all.

Table Topics was by me. Subjects included the rise in the price of onions and the performance of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan.

The guest speaker was Sunita Rappai, a Kerala-born woman who grew up in England and now lives and works in Cairo. She spoke about life in Cairo and of the similarities between Egypt and India. “Both are ancient civilizations and have suffered from colonialism,” says Sunita. “There is a strong sense of family and male domination. Egypt, like India, is a deeply hierarchical society.”

Sunita then spoke about her life in England and her love-hate relationship with India. “I am probably a BBCD (a British-born confused desi),” she says. “I don’t belong anywhere.”

She also criticised Kerala and called it “an ideologically bankrupt state. There is a brain drain. In many families that I visited, all the children are either in America, Canada or the Gulf. There is a lack of opportunity for the youth here.”

Sunita’s mother, Mrs Mary Rappai also spoke about how she went to England many years ago and the experiences there as a newcomer.

It was a wonderful and thought-provoking evening.  

Thanks to all those who took the trouble to come. It was a full house!

New Year Resolutions: Some suggestions by Venu.

More members, training programmes, guest speakers, tours and get-togethers.  

The time to renew the annual subscription has come. Please bring a cheque next week.