Ranjit Dhaliwal is a Canadian citizen. His parents migrated to Canada before he was born. And in the 25 years after he was born there, Dhaliwal never got a chance to visit India.
Ranjit Dhaliwal is a Canadian citizen. His parents migrated to Canada before he was born. And in the 25 years after he was born there, Dhaliwal never got a chance to visit India.
He knew nothing about his roots, except for the drawing-room stories he heard of his parents’ experience in India. He longed to know more about his roots, he longed to see India.
And now, he has got his chance. He has set foot on his native land, thanks to a ‘Know India Tour’ jointly organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and Incredible India.
Dhaliwal, along with 66 more foreign students of Indian origin who never got a chance before to get a feel of their roots in India, are currently on a 10-day tour of Maharashtra. In Mumbai, they will be visiting places like the Film City and the Elephanta Caves.
They will be going to the beaches in Ganpatipule, the strawberry plantations in Mahabaleshwar, Warna Milk Factory in Kolhapur, wineries in Nashik, Pune, etc.
“I have always wanted to know where and how my parents lived in India,” Dhaliwal, who is studying criminology at a Canadian University, told DNA. “Since my parents migrated to Canada before I was born, and never came back, I knew nothing about my roots. This tour is helping me know my native land.”
Another student, Vishal Sharan, 25, a citizen of Fiji Island, has come with his friends on the familiarisation tour. “We are a group of youngsters of Indian origin. We decided to make this journey to know how our ancestors lived. My family is from Uttar Pradesh. My parents have always encouraged me to learn about the land of my forefathers,” Sharan said.
The tour group includes students from the UK, the Caribbean islands, South-East Asia, South Africa, etc.
“We want to motivate more and more NRI youngsters to learn about their motherland. When they go back home after seeing India, they will cherish the beauty and culture of our incredible India. They will be proud of their roots,” MTDC managing director Avinash Dhakne said.
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