US envoy returns to roots in Jalandhar
Friday, 22/05/2015
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JALANDHAR: For US ambassador Richard Rahul Verma, it was a nostalgic trip on Thursday to the house and school of his maternal grandmother at Basti Sheikh here.
Students of Government Girls Senior Secondary School welcoming US ambassador to India Richard Rahul Verma at Basti Sheikh in Jalandhar on Thursday.
Verma, who was “visiting his roots”, as he mentioned, second time since 1974 when he was just 5, turned emotional on finding the signatures of his granny, Maya Devi, in the teachers’ attendance register of Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School near Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi in the locality and took pictures from his mobile-phone camera. The school also presented him with copies of the signatures.
The ambassador smiled when he read in the register that his grandmother would get `322.50 a month for teaching social studies in 1967, and he was surprised that the records were so well maintained, for which he even appreciated the school authorities. In a 15-mintue interaction with 20 students, later, through an interpreter, Verma talked about the value of hard work, consistency, determination, studying, and parental guidance.
Replying to Class-10 girl Komal, who had asked him what was required become an ambassador, Verma said: “Higher studies, hard work, and good values.” To Nisha of Class 11, who wanted to know his educational qualification, the envoy said he had studied first engineering and then law.
In a chat with the media on the school premises afterwards, he said he was overwhelmed to visit the school where his granny had taught for many years. “I will come back when I get a chance,” he said. Before coming to the school, he went to his grandmother’s house at Chaiaam Mohalla opposite Ram Mandir and interacted with the Gupta family to whom Maya Devi had sold the property. He visited another house in the same narrow lane where had played with other children in 1974.
He went over to the shop of Shree Ram (82) on the street, like he had done many times in childhood. In the afternoon, he was at DAV College, where his father had studied in 1948. The college presented him with copies of signatures of his father on an admission form. The ambassador then laid a plaque outside his father’s old classroom.
In his address at the college to 919 graduates and post-graduates, he said his father, like most immigrants, had left his wife and children behind when he came to New York in 1963 with borrowed $24 and a bus ticket to Northern Iowa. “My mother, brothers and sisters came over a few years later,” he recalled.
“My father taught us brothers and sisters to be proud of our roots,” said Verma, telling students that wherever life takes them, they should be proud of their country.
FOR BETTER TRADE TIES BETWEEN ASIAN REGIONS
Verma advocated better trade relations between South East Asian Nations and Central Asia saying it would be beneficial for the public. He stressed that the region had the most bifurcated trade links which was a major drawback that was stalling commerce from thriving here.
Emphasising on the India-Pakistan ties, the US envoy said the countries must put in serious efforts to end their tussle and improve bilateral ties.
Addressing the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Jalandhar Zonal Council at a hotel here on Thursday, Verma said the US is issuing more visas to Indians and their numbers were growing with each passing year. He said that in 2014 alone, around 1 million visas were issued to Indians with the almost negligible rejection rate of applicants with proper documents.
