An NRI from Chennai who lives in Sydney took to Reddit to rant on the judgment they face for ‘abandoning’ their roots and settling abroad for a better life.
The user stated that he has been living in Sydney for 25 years, and he rarely ever talks about life outside due to the response he gets.
“I don’t talk about my life in Sydney because most people think NRIs are puluthees who talk only about their foreign life,” he wrote. Puluthees is a Tamil slang or a street term often used in a derogatory manner to call someone out for being pretentious, arrogant, or fake.
“I also know some of my friends work in IT and are trying for onsite opportunities, so I don’t glorify NRI life in case they feel bad. So when someone asks me how life abroad is, I simply say, “It’s good,” and move on.”
However, there was one incident that had riled him.
“During my recent trip to Chennai, one of my friends really pushed me. He kept asking if I miss India and Chennai, and I kept telling him, ‘Yes, I miss my parents.'”
His friend proudly spoke about the country’s advancements, from convenient delivery apps like Swiggy and Blinkit to the ease of hiring domestic help and enjoying a comfortable lifestyle, arguing that NRIs miss out on all this in pursuit of money.
“I lost my patience and explained to him how all the things he is describing as an advantage are actually labour exploitation due to cheap workforce,” the user recounted.
He proceeded to advise the younger generation to pursue life in foreign countries and not let family or community influence their decision. He mentioned how even though Tamil Nadu might be doing better than other states in the North, “life in every way is better in any Western country than in Chennai.”
The Reddit user explained, “I can walk freely in the streets without fearing dog bites, I have pedestrian footpaths, I have parks, clean air, etc, nobody judges me based on caste/class. These are not NRI puluthism—this is the actual truth. So if you get a chance to live or settle abroad, grab it with both hands. Don’t listen to your friends and relatives.”
The post received mostly supportive comments, as a large number of them agreed with his sentiments.
“I’m a British Indian. I spent my childhood till I was 11 in the UK, my family are still based in the UK. I second what you say. Even if we don’t talk about it, people find a way to annoy us. It’s the scarcity mindset. Screw them,” one comment read.
Another user wrote, “I will be massively downvoted for saying this, but this is the absolute truth – I’ve noticed that people in Chennai are the most jealous of anyone perceived to be doing better than them and they love to insult them to try and demean them and elevate themselves.”
“I lived in England for about eight years and had to return to India due to personal issues. Even though I make good money here, you just can’t get the same quality of life like in advanced Western countries!” a comment read.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Khadija Irfan Rahim | 
