Last week Kaavya, the young Indian-American, Harvard, novelist was very much in the news, here in India for plagiarizing many passages in what may be may be her first and last book - How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life. Part of the press seemed supportive of this little copying here and there. Part of the press just reported the story.

India's literary circles were take aback by this little brown tart. Even king of diasporic literature Salman Rushdie found it distasteful. Like I said before India is very proud of the success of its diaspora especially in the United States. The diaspora is giving us much more literature than Indian writers themselves. Thanks to international publishers, who love that all American geeky-turned-pop-idol makeover story.


In a way Kaavya, crashed that image of intelligent,talented, honest, hardworking, never-been-kissed female Indian immigrant. The truth remains the immigrant can be wild, have a life and kiss his or her dollars away.




The other lady whose doing India proud is NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams. But why is the Indian press always looking for the little Indian conncetion to make the country proud. Sunita is all the all American girl. Her predecessor Kalpana Chawla studied in India until she finished her under-graduation, so the stature she achieved here in India was well deserved. Sunita Williams whose Dad is Gujrati, has been raised American, but is needlessly being flaunted as Indian.

In a way Sunita, is building that image of Indians being the the hardworking engineer, scientist and astronaut. The truth remains she is American and her Indian roots aren't really buried in Indian space or soil.

I think as a country we are obsessed with the success of our nation abroad. Not wrong. The truth is success has duly been awarded to merit and talent especially in the United States. No wonder it will always be the dream of many to build a life there, atleast your daughter could be a novelist with a million dollar deal or a space astronaut.