Anubha Sawhney
The Times of India

New Delhi: There's no place like home. No one understands this better than a group of interns who have come to India to be part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. PIOs (People of Indian Origin) from different countries. These youngsters are here with a mission on their minds and hope in their hearts.

Dinyar Phiroze Patel, a 23-year-old from the US says, "I remember coming to Calcutta for a family wedding when I was 10. Even at that age, I could fathom that there was no apparent economic activity in the country. Today, I am glad to see that not every car is an Ambassador and that Doordarshan alone doesnt rule the air waves."

A Thanushia who was crowned Miss Malaysia last year hosts a programme on Bollywood there. "I follow the movie and fashion industry in India very keenly," says the 23-year-old law student. This, incidentally, is her first visit to India. "I'm shocked at the disparities in this country. When we got out of the airport, there were magnificent hotels on one side and gloomy slums on the other. I have always concentrated on the history, heritage and culture that India has to offer. I didnt think reality would be so different," she says.

For South Africa's Namita Singh, it was a chance to be liaison officer with Jagdish Tytler that got her to visit India. "This is a super opportunity for me to meet and interact with youth from across the world and I'm looking forward to building bonds that last a lifetime. Especially because we NRIs tend to hold on to our culture more strongly than those living here," she says.

The one binding factor among all of them is the desire to take a little bit of India back with them and spread it all around. Dinyar, for instance, has his fundas very clear: "India is emerging as a global player. I have noticed a marked change in attitude of people in the US towards India in the last few years. The Indo-American community has played an active role in bringing about this change. There's optimism in the air," he says.

"I am determined to come back every year," says Thanushia. "There's so much about India that I want to explore and experience first hand. And there's nothing like an exchange of cultural relations to seal this bond," she adds.

For Namita this surprise opportunity spells "kismat, naseeb, taqdeer".