Sulekha Select: The Indian Experience in a Connected World

Sulekha Select: The Indian Experience in a Connected World, Smart Information Worldwide, 2001

Sulekha.com is a web site that is a rarity these days; not only is it still in existence after five years, it is actually thriving. It is a total online community that is the most popular one for Indians (those whose ancestry comes from the Indian subcontinent) in the world.

The site contains everything a person could want, from daily headlines to events to ticketing to social initiative to articles and columns to movie and book reviews. It also contains a section called Sulekha Select, where people from all over the world send in their thoughts on what it means to be Indian. This book collects some of those writings.

Why do intelligent, American-born Indians, with good jobs, flashy cars and MBAs still go back to India to marry someone chosen by their parents? A visiting professor at a school in Japan attends an evening musical concert. Needing to use the bathroom and understanding little Japanese, he is forced to use the nearest bathroom (Japanese bathrooms do not have the helpful male/female pictures on the door). He suddenly discovers that he is in the Ladies Room at intermission. A new immigrant to Florida is introduced to the "religion" that is University of Florida football. Another piece is about turning 40 and being thought of as a "Christmas baby." Also included are statements from one writer's personal experience or confessions from close friends: Always serve the men first, we can eat later. It is our past life's sin that we were born women. A woman's place is always behind her husband. You don't have an opinion. Be quiet and keep your mouth shut. You must have asked for it.

This book would probably mean more to me if I was of Indian ancestry, but I still enjoyed it. It certainly gives the good and bad of being a modern Indian. For any Indian who hasn't already done so: 1) visit www.sulekha.com immediately; 2) read this book. It feels very much worth reading.