COVERED DISTANCES

cold, in the mist, no movements
within, beside, infront
maybe only above
not certain,
roads, unused
nor is a bicycle lane, untouched

across street-signals
meeting hedges
and,
greeting hallows within,
along tram-lines,
left when right,
and right when left

in the fog, no movements
within, beside, infront
maybe only above
not certain,
roads, unused
nor is a bicycle lane, untouched
in the covered distances

The Sudden Rise of The Indian Expats – How And Why Everything Seems To Augur Well.

It has taken me quite a long while to tame my repertoire of words into this piece on the sudden rise of the Indian expats in faraway lands. The magnanimity and blunt truth of the matter relay findings that may be mutual but very much indelible in so many ways. Within a period of two years, I have been able to study, analyse and digest the business-minded lives of the Indian expats or to a very farther extent Indian (im)migrants here in Belgium. As a study case, I chose Antwerp, due to a lot of contributing factors. My findings may come out as very frenetic but interesting to my readership.

To begin with, Antwerp is a cosmoplitan city in Belgium, to be more specific in Flanders, which is basically the Flemish speaking part of the country. Antwerp is the capital of the Antwerp Province. It’s by far the most densely populated city in Belgium, with more different nationalities than any other city in the country. It has grown over the years since the days of Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte to become a great and lavish port city. Great cities also do attract investors, and as result the demand of  an effective labour force surges high. The case of Antwerp is no exception to this analogy. Antwerp doubles up as the biggest diamond hub of the country or even to a farther extent, in Europe. Over the years, (im)migrants and expats have plunged into the country and made their way into the city, dating as far back as in the late 60’s up until today. These (im)migrants are now part of the fibre of this city making it a success story. The (im)migrants who I can now refer to as ‘citizens’ of Antwerp are predominantly Morrocans, Turkish, Congolese and other minorities.

Antwerp has also a very strong Jewish population who in one way or the other culminate to the success story of the local economy. The diamond sector is predominantly ran by Jews. As the years blur into decades, there has been a changing phenomenon as to those in charge of the diamond industry. There is currently a very high number of Indians running the diamond industry. And this brings into mind, the question of how the Indians are good at trade.
There are many factors that has contributed to this success story of Indians in faraway lands, making noble exploits. Disputably, capitalism seems to be a major factor catapulting their surge.

Capitalism – Their capitalistic overview is something that can’t be begrudged. Anyone who opens up a business or begins a trade is literally bent on making gains with the aim of either sustaining his/her business or expanding it. This is the same overview that these Indians share, but they add a midas’ touch to it which at the end help them make tremendous inroads towards their set-targets.

Aside capitalism, there are a couple of other factors steering cautiously their cruise amidst all the financial crises that characterize today’s global trade. Sheer determination – They are very determed and driven to succeed at all cost. This adrenaline is then passed on from generations unto generations. And such a lubricant empowers them to help sustain and expand their businesses throughout the course of time.

Steadfast and Imaginative – I may say that their steadfastedness goes hand-in-hand with their foresight. They are very imaginative and are therefore able to undertake the rightful and concrete working practices. They learn from previous mistakes and as a result offer no room for another mistake. Their forecast of the success of their businesses might seem incomprehensible but they are able to follow each and every rubric they have drawn with utter diligence.

Arguably, there seem to be other factors and mechanisms contributing to their success story, but all that I would like to reiterate is that these Indian expats or (im)migrants are on the right path and as a result they are worthy of commendation.

AMSTERDAM

As the warm ambiance gradually descends into my being
have I been soaked into fairest realms of mankind, perhaps
To delve into a serene melancholy
have I been graced with uttermost receptions
May the seriousness within my eyes bring me back once more to your fervent embrace

As I sail through the crossroads
amid the water lilies that flower
no language border
May the test of time seek solace from your compassion
Whenever it sees men who wield below reproach
And encounter women with gritty egos
In your fairest embrace do I forever yearn to be

Re-echo This Joyful Song

Sing a song to the only hill
you find within the eyes of Paramaribo
The pride of the Indies
those few hills
that stand akimbo at night
and erect by dawn
Upon a certain shadow
that emanates a two-faced affair
Sing a song to the only field
you chance upon within the opulent suburbs of a wonderland
Monaco, perhaps
Let s’il vous-plaît precedes
the maiden stanza you cry out
Sing with a seething grit
like that of a teacher
whose students just excelled in a test
or like that of a girl
who just fell in love
where uncouth visions slumber
by the recurring stints of a known nostalgia
Whether you reside in a boulevard or an alley
one can never unite bananas with scattered leaves
sing in defiance to doubts
like the dexterity of the Mau Mau from Kenya
bringing forth the word ‘Uhuru’
Allow the decibels to manoeuvre
the heckles of tomorrow
and sound a caution
to the detractors of progress
who destroy the fibre of the society
Sing not
to the hills of Mountain Everest
the crossroads between the boys in Nepal
who believe in Buddha
and their folks in India
who believe in Hindu or both
not out of preference to religion
since a foreign mountaineer
may claim its ownership

Sing not
with a hat-in-hand approach
when your civil rights are upheld
lest alone
to converse about human dignity or rights
Throw no Molotov cocktails
to demonstrate your dissatisfaction
to bias and prejudice
just like how Malcolm X paints the pictures
yielded by segregation in post-independence America
those, have lost its militancy

Let your song
awaken the speech of the dumb
and the sight of the blind
Then, allow history or posterity or both
which is best qualified to reward the future