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SWARN (A SIKH) IN USA - 1950's
 

SPEAKING TO VARIOUS GROUPS
TV appearance on two consecutive Sundays has already been mentioned.
Typical questions at such gatherings used to be:
What are the basic tenets of Sikh Religion?
Details about my family?
How long were my hair and turban?
Would I marry an American?
Do people in India sleep on the streets?

On the political side, there were queries on India and Indians' attitude towards Britain and Russia.
I cannot resist quoting myself at one gathering when questioned on broader Indian national issues:
"Freedom brought its complicated problems to India and the Nation needs time to develop a stable economy. The average Indian has no grudge against the British. They left in a very cordial atmosphere. There are as many British officers there as in the past. He expressed need for American aid. In speaking of Russia, he said, 'We are not against Russia, but against the political system there. The Nation needs private investment to raise its living standard, now regarded as one of the poorest in the world".
No wonder the local Librarian asked me how come I was the largest borrower of books on India. I had to learn about my country in these three years to answer the variety of questions thrown at me. I made some good friends who ensured that I was well looked after socially and otherwise. Moundsville turned out to be too small a town for me. I decided to shift to a service apartment in a larger town, Wheeling.
It was with a heavy heart that I left for Europe enroute to India visiting UK, France Spain, Italy, Greece, and Egypt. I also got an opportunity to work in Austria for a couple of months. But that is another story, an interesting one too.


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