Wednesday, February 22, 2017

The lure of Neon lights and Trump's decision to deport Illegals

Trump's plan to deport 11 million undocumented illegal immigrants are mostly of Hispanic origin, though it include an estimated 300,000 number of Indians. I think most illegals of Indian origin rather jumping borders, jump the visitor and dependant Visas by overstaying, never to return to their motherland.
Years back, an Odia officer from IFS (Indian Foreign Services) was posted in America. During the course of an interaction with him, the gentleman narrated an interesting episode of his own. 
Per Foreign ministry rules, he was entitled to bring a helping hand - an euphemism for servant. So he brought a semi-educated married, young man with family back in his village in Cuttack, India thinking he would be least likely to elope or escape. Or so he thought.
The officer, a bachelor, spent long days and evenings at work, often eating outside. Having nothing to do at home and getting bored watching TV in those days sans Cell phones and Social media, his "helping hand", popularly known as CHAKARA TOKA in Odia or NAUKAR in Hindi, helped himself by going around the city.
Slowly he started getting a taste of American life. One fine morning he absconded without informing his employer. Our IFS Babu (Officer) anticipated that his fellow Odia must have melted away, gobbled by the gargantuan city as an undocumented illegal immigrant, doing some odd job.
His suspicion turned out to be true. One evening he was in an Indian Restaurant where he saw his ex-helping hand  mopping the floor. No sooner their eyes met than the later turned away and fled. Our officer bro chased him for a while, calling his name at top of his voice, that he is going to forgive him and his folks at home are now a worried lot. 
It had no effect on the CHAKARA TOKA, as he vanished in the labyrinth of the parked vehicles. If the officer wanted he could have followed up with the local authorities to trace him out. But he let him go, allowing his co-villager pursue his American dream, returning back, gasping like the Cheetah on National Geographic Channel after a failed  attempt to catch its pray.  
The Odia escapist would never have gone back to see his family ever again. Due to expiry of his Visa and lack of proper document, he could have forever settling down here as one of the estimated 11 million plus illegal undocumented workers in America. No question he fell to the lure of neon lights and the desire to stay in the Coke land by hook or crook. Thus ended the story of the Officer and the Gentleman from his native Cuttack.
Illegal immigrations will continue as long as people perceive America as the land of opportunity and find a job. Only if they are unable to find work, they can be tempted to go back. That won't happen as long as businesses have a vested interest in hiring illegals by paying them peanuts to further fatten the fat cats and the unemployed would prefer to stay on welfare than doing menial jobs. The powerful business lobby as well as the liberal organizations like ACLU (I sense a Business backing there too) want them to stay. 
Trump has stirred a hornet nest by trying to keep his election promise and doing more than lip service by his latest attemp to deport them. He has an herculean task on hand. Only time will tell how far he succeeds in his mission.


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