Chinese By Birth, Indian By Heart

[Guest guest]

KOLKATA (November 21, 2006): A Chinese-medium school is perhaps the

only remnant of their culture among the Chinese community in Kolkata.

 

And yet, the Chinese-medium school has few takers. Today, there are

just 50-odd students here. Most of the others go to English-medium

public schools. And the reason for this swing is evident.

 

"We consider India as our home now. I have never been to China," says

an Indian Chinese in Kolkata.

 

"We have adapted to the Indian culture and this feels like home. I

have never thought of going back there," says another Indian Chinese.

 

Today, as Chinese President Hu Jintao comes calling on India, this

community seems almost indifferent to the visit.

 

Having adapted to the Indian environment, they say they feel more

Indian than Chinese.

 

In fact, many of the Chinese in Kolkata now worship Goddess Kali at a

temple in Kolkata's China town. The one thing they have held on to is

their cuisine. After the closure of tanneries, from which most of them

earned their livelihood, many Chinese families have opened

restaurants. It's these restaurants that now drive their economy.

 

Their children have been born and brought up in India. For most of

them, China is perhaps just another country on the world map and the

only thing Chinese in their lives now are their lessons at the

Chinese-medium school and the awesome Chinese food that many Indians

swear by.

 

SOURCE: CNN-IBN. Chinese by birth, Indian by heart. By Himika

Chaudhuri. Updated Tuesday , November 21, 2006 at 20:52

URL:

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india-takes-over-a-little-china/26705-3.html