Shall I Return?

Disclaimer: This article is not a reflection of the writer's views, it is just meant to be an open-ended discussion that promotes further thought on the delicate issue under consideration.

The question in every expatriate's mind. The one thing that is unchanging, despite all the seen and unseen successes and fortunes. The thing that always is in the back of his or her mind. The biggest sadness, despite all the happiness. The query that eats away at him or her despite having all the amenities and appurtenances of an advanced lifestyle.

SHALL I RETURN?

People may think that it's actually, "Should I Return?" But it's not so. It's actually, "Shall I Return?" The subtle difference is what really matters. There are so many things to consider when thinking about this issue.

There are many facets to this dilemma. One can think philosophically or one can think in a worldly way. To think philosophically, one might say that it doesn't matter where you reside, the work you do is going to ultimately going to benefit humankind in one way or the other. However, this line of thinking can be overturned by the simple argument that if it doesn't matter where you reside, then why can't you reside in the country of your birth and then 'help' mankind.

To be practical and 'worldly', to have no emotions when thinking about your future, one might say that one must remain in the country that gives the greatest financial remuneration for one's skills. One might also say that in the foreign country, the expat receives much better salary and consequently he or she is much better off financially. Now, the expat can utilise part of this fortune in order to help his own countrymen. Whether he does this or hoards all the fortune for himself with utter selfishness, is another matter.

The basic modalities aside, there are other considerations that an expat might think about. Once there are children in the family, he might think about going back to his own country, where the primary and secondary education is better and clean of drugs, sex and violence (at least right now, in most places in India, it is), or staying back where his children will be exposed to better opportunities by way of extra-curricular activites.

There are many such other questions that plague the mind of the expat and therefore, it is my contention that the question has no black-and-white answer, but has many gray areas that need to be considered and a solution that is acceptable to all involved parties needs to be taken pragmatically.