Some members of Diaspora make frequent visits back home while others may take years before they decide or afford to take a trip. Obviously it depends upon several factors such as the financial condition of a person, availability of the time and physical health. Yet, a constant desire to visit the motherland among a person living away from the country of one’s birth is universal in all human beings, irrespective of where one lives and for how long one has been away.

Prior to a planned visit, most of the members of the Diaspora engage into discussions with the other members of their families and friends living in the West as well as back home about what to eat, where to eat, what to do and what not to do during such visits. This, in a way is essential, for, after having lived in a Western country like the U.S., one ends up losing physical immunity that otherwise acts as a protective barrier against minor infections of gastrointestinal (GI) tract and pollution-related respiratory ailments that are prevalent back home. Living abroad, especially in the countries of the West, makes our bodies susceptible, so much so that we may have difficulty in handling even the minor ailments, the very same ones amidst which we, the immigrants had earlier spent our childhood and major part of the adult living.

Why is it so? Why are we affected so easily? What is the explanation for this metamorphosis? The answer may be well known to many of us. The resistance or immunity that our people maintained back home was, indeed, the result of a small but constant dose of disease causing agents present all around in environments to which we were universally exposed and also in the foods that we regularly ate. When we transplanted ourselves in almost close to sterile environments of the West, the immunity gradually got wiped out. This loss of immunity seems to be directly proportional to the duration of time one has spent in these Western environments. As a result, our bodies don’t stay armed to fight these offending agents as vehemently as they did back home.  As a result they become susceptible.

It is an open secret that each and every individual in the West, regardless of his or her educational level and societal status, is usually well informed about the advantages of personal hygiene. Such awareness in the countries of the West makes them more cautious and careful as to how the food should be ingested and under what circumstances. Use of spoons, forks and disposable silverwares in the West is a commonplace and for good reasons. By living in this culture, the members of the Diaspora naturally start practicing local habits of the Westerners, to a greater or lesser extent. Such a habit helps in maintaining the health of the GI tract by preventing a direct contact of the hands laden with the bacteria and viruses with the food that is put in our mouth which ultimately trickles down through the tract.

Upon a visit back home, one naturally intermingles with the local population with consequent adoption of their prevalent style of eating, notwithstanding, that the time we had spent in the West did turn our bodies softer and susceptible. The diminished immunity definitely makes one an easy target and if one is not careful enough and starts using hands for the intake of food, even if  they have been cleaned enough, it may not work. This ritual of hurriedly cleaning of the hands prior to eating couldn’t be considered entirely fool proof in preventing the sickness during a short term visit by an NRI, for the water used for cleaning might not necessarily be without bacteria and viruses. The plates and utensils may also contribute to the problem because their cleaning, if at all it had been done, might have used pieces of clothes and water already overloaded with viruses and bacteria.

Here one cannot genuinely question the ability of the people living back home in trying hard to maintain hygienically impeccable conditions. But in order to achieve their objectives, awareness to keep the surroundings clean has to be factored in, which mostly if not entirely, relies upon educational level that again depends upon the resources. Given the economical conditions of the most of the people, the resources are often not optimum. Yet, the fact remains, that cleanliness doesn’t always require much resources or money. Prolonged washing of the hands with clean and possibly boiled water before and after every meal, keeping short nails with clean under surfaces, washing utensils with hot water and with a clean or disposable wash cloth doesn’t require extra- money or resources. Likewise, covering food to prevent disease carrying flies and mosquitoes from sitting on it, is effortless. It is awareness, a habituation, will and motivation as well as an understanding to keep the surroundings clean not only for the concern about one’s own health but for the health of the others. And those characteristics may be in short supply as of yet!

So much for the vulnerable body of an NRI that becomes an easy prey to the offending infectious agents on leaving the sterile environments of the West when it re-enters the previously lived-in zones where the common offending agents may be present in plenty.

Let us now discuss about the gradual change in the mental frame work of people who after arriving from different countries decide to settle here. As time passes, some among us, but not all, start turning self-seekers and self-servers with insensitive behavior towards others, particularly, after having been blessed with a good life that allowed us to create abundant resources. A few others may sometimes try to spare their resources to help tackle the issues back home. Yet, overall most of the immigrants remain mired in their own issues and well-being.

The culture of the West may turn the attitudes of some of us in such a way that they may find it difficult to open their hearts fully to the others. They may even turn a blind eye to the difficulties that our near and dear ones encounter back home and the harsh life they have to live on a regular basis. One could argue here that this is not the fault of the expatriates. Yet, it goes without saying that for each NRI that leaves his or her motherland for a greener pasture, many relatives and friends sacrificed great deal of resources to make it happen. And yet, at times, we may not even recognize it as our responsibility to lend a helping hand when they need it the most. I say this with full realization that this is not necessarily true in all the cases; as many do undoubtedly take care of their needy relatives, friends and others, sometimes even more than what circumstances would permit. In fact, a close perusal of the Diaspora members at-large brings home the fact that several NRI indeed, keep themselves fully involved in many of the philanthropic activities back home. And to them, my salaam!

Taking a stock of one’s health before leaving for a visit back home and taking all the necessary precautions is essential. Playing macho is not worth, for the tiny bacteria and invisible viruses happen to be much stronger than a six or seven feet long frame, supporting three hundred pounds plus of weight. At the same time, those hearts that have become callous and closed without any emotions or concerns for those left behind, will have to be reopened once again. They may keep on beating under the comforts and protection of strong frames, but their beats have become slow and feeble by the influence of selfish environments all around. The callous, uncaring and heartless hearts will have to give way to the dire needs of those left behind, for truly speaking, it were they who sacrificed a lot in helping us, the NRIs, to settle abroad in comfort and get there where we happen to be now.