S.A.I. 4-18-13 BREAKING OUT: An Indian Woman's American Journey

Padma Desai, Gladys and Roland Harriman Professor of Comparative Economic Systems and Director, Center for Transition Economies Department of Economics, Columbia University
Chair: Natasha Kumar Warikoo, Assistant Professor, Harvard University, Graduate School of Education
Padma Desai grew up in the 1930s in the provincial world of Surat, where she had a sheltered and strict upbringing in a traditional Gujarati Anavil Brahmin family. Her academic brilliance won her a scholarship to Bombay University, where the first heady taste of freedom in the big city led to tragic consequences-seduction by a fellow student whom she was then compelled to marry. In a failed attempt to end this disastrous first marriage, she converted to Christianity.
A scholarship to America in 1955 launched her on her long journey to liberation from the burdens and constraints of her life in India, with a growing self-awareness and transformation at many levels, as she made a new life for herself, met and married the celebrated economist Jagdish Bhagwati, became a mother, and rose to academic eminence at Harvard and Columbia.
How did she navigate the tumultuous road to assimilation in American society and culture? And what did she retain of her Indian upbringing in the process? This brave and moving memoir, written with a novelist's skill at evoking personalities, places and atmosphere, and a scholar's insights into culture and society, community and family, tells a compelling and thought-provoking human story that will resonate with readers everywhere.

[@discoshisco931]

Honestly, many things in India have changed. It seems to me that this woman still carries India of 1950s in her mind, which can of course make a good memoir. But some of her comments about modern day India disturb us Indians a little bit. They come across as arrogant remarks from a privileged person. She has luxuries and seems that she has time to spend on her mind and psychology(on the upper levels of Maslow, self actualization) and she can get judgemental about the poor society of India. I am quite sure she had never to choose(like a rikshawala or safaiwali) or even worked intensively like a social worker who is pursuing a socially unprivileged person to choose between going to work uneducated to survive or get education which a person first doesnot understand how it can help. And still India is changing. Historically, India did perform. They freed themselves from mighty British without organized army and with Dadabhai Naoroji- Gandhi led politics. It is a stable country going towards political development. Why cannot you see? Now about women. Yes they are supressed, but they are progressing. Many mothers tell daughters that they are equal to sons. Many women tell their daugthers not to follow blindly the rules of bad traditions. They tell them not to discriminate between boy and girl foetus. You don't believe because you read newspapers and positive change is not much news material, unfortunately. We live there as women and we progress. Many widows have better lives because they have had educated and have financial independence. Yes they do have. Try to seek and you will find positive change. I mean Indians are after all not stupid. They are transforming continously. Thousands of Indian girls share ambitions with their parents who help them get better education and business. I have been sent by my parents to study abroad because I wanted to do it and they did keep saving for my education. And yes, troubled marriages exist for sure. But conversion for getting rid...ridiculous, atleast sounds for us today. 1955 was different, no doubt. (No, with due and deep respect to mine and all the world religions, we dont like conversions which are done for some purpose(out of fear or to achieve better status, favours, facilities or divorces.) And please accept it as you would also accept jews not liking missionaries too. And please dont take it harsh on this woman personally. It is not wrong to do what one has a calling for, even if it is changing your religion. And Indian government can be forgiving, because the laws were evolving and still evolving in 2014. All these aftermaths of colonization.... But, generally, usually, mostly, all the time, women in India dont need to convert to get divorce from troubled marriages. I wouldnt do it too. And, the rate of conversion is still more when they are getting married than getting divorced. Although Indians have gotten very cool about Inter-faith marriages too. Modern Indian women just divorce when it needs to be done. Divorce rate is increasing as women are trying to live their own lives. But yes, they are not self-centred. They want to have perfect work-life-balance. After all, for a woman Indian (or American or Japanese) at heart family comes first. She doesnot throw baby out of the bath just to attain career or family. She doesnot start bashing her family or country or whatever, yes she endures but she accepts, enjoys, celebrates too. She loves but loves tough. Indian women read lots of books. They are nurses, teachers, professors, doctors, lawyers, not only in USA but also in their own country. They have abolished caste discrimination by law, and I would even say it has started creeping out of the heads of people. And yes, no not only in high society of Bombay or Bangalore, but in the new generation of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Believe me, in another 50 years, caste differences are extinct and obsolete and there are no discussions anymore. And the Indians who change the world are not all exposed to Harvard. They know how to think consciously (without colonized or reverse colonized) minds. There are writers who write books, poems, memoirs in India and they do get their private space, living in India. Its not America where you might get left alone and, probably, it might happen, that no one will bother if you live or die. And we do have concept of treating persons as persons, without looking at their economic or caste or whatever background. We do respect, some of us are bad too. And yes Indian girls are fighting rapes and molestations, just like this particular writer's own daughter. I am very very sorry for being personal, but she said that she tried to lay out whole truth and this has been her personal story. So, if she cleans her linen in the public, she cleans. I dont say India and Indians dont need lot of tremendous change. USA can be and are an example and inspiration and even partner and helper for development. but please stop this snubbing attitude of bashing, arrogance and coldness and measuring and comparing here, in this country, is all better and there are no poor people and no power cuts and so I am better. Well may be if Madam Desai had stayed or come back to India and made her hands dirty with real work of economic and political reform, it would be even better for your soul and that of the world. You might have gotten a Nobel Prize instead of your now wealthy, intelligent braindrained, psychoanalytical immigrantish bookwormish materialistic and cozy lifestyle. But greatness is not about achievements and awards but about loving and respecting all, equally, those who are your own and who are also not your own.

[@rozminhall]

I believe you are the one who has a privileged view. I study development economics here in India. Speaking on bases of data sets and facts. Women are suppressed here, whether we talk about sex ratio or education gap or wage gap. Speaking from personal experience…nothing much has changed. I had to struggle a lot to complete my education. And I have fought to earn and study because I was denied college fee. I suggest you read development reports on India by world bank. An Indian who is liberated won’t be disturbed by the realities of our country but will be propagate positive change. Ironically they won’t defend our country’s drawbacks nor discuss people’s personal choices on KZbin. Padma Desai’s memoir carries her struggles well.

[@rozminhall]

She taught Economics in Delhi School of Economics for 9 years but our country did not support her ambitions because of our lack of reliable research infrastructure. She was also denied full time professorship to less qualified man with a mediocre undergraduate degree.He has a family to feed they said. I hope you see the problem.

[@jyotivig3666]

The fellow (discoshisco931) who wrote the above has no idea what he's talking about. Padma Desai unlike this fellow spent her years studying the economic issues that plague Indian industrialization. Her contributions and courage to seek truth is something this dude can't even comprehend.@@rozminhall