JOIN USWhen 20-year-old Sonia Begum, a second year student of biomedical sciences in King’s College, London came to India for the first time in August, she couldn’t imagine that the Delhi’s markets can have any semblance to those in London.
However, her stereotypical impression of erstwhile British colony changed drastically when she visited Hauz Khas Village for the first time recently. “The place looked quite similar to England. I simply loved the atmosphere and people there,” said Begum.
Her co-traveller - Connor (who only uses his first name) – a second year student of history from the University of Edinburgh, will also go back to his mother country with a feeling of ‘awe’ for India. “After having met students from Delhi University and the people on the roadside, the most striking difference which I found between India and England is the attitude of people towards work. Back home, people have a laid-back attitude towards work whereas Indians seem to be always geared to put in long working hours,” he said.
To illustrate his point, he recounts his experience of going to Amritsar in a tourist bus from Delhi. “Our driver was behind the wheel for 12 hours at a stretch, slept for just five hours and again drove back for 13 hours to Delhi. When I asked him if such long journeys take a toll on him, he told me that he only needs two hours in a day to freshen up and to pray to God. This approach is incredible.”
Sonia and Connor are part of 86-student delegation from UK universities who visited Delhi under a UKIERI (UK-India Education and Research Initiative) programme called ‘King’s College London Engagement with India’ to experience Indian culture, history, tradition, politics and the economy.
On her visit to DU’s SGGS (Sri Guru Gobind Singh) College of Commerce in Pitam Pura, Satnam Bhogal, a BBS student from Kingston University told Metrolife, “Indian campuses are smaller in size when compared to those in England. But the methodology of teaching is more or less the same in both the countries,” she said.
Despite being a student of commerce, Bhogal enjoyed her historical sojourns the most, especially her visits to Hazrat Nizammuddin, Jantar Mantar and Taj Mahal. “Listening to the Sufi music at Nizamuddin was truly an incredible experience which I can never forget in my lifetime,” she said.
While defining the spirit of Delhi, Connor calls it ‘diverse’ and said, “Connaught Place is a market catering to the foreigner tourists and genteel crowd of Delhi whereas mere three metro stations away, you have Chandni Chowk which is like a different
world altogether.”
All in all, the young ambassadors from United Kingdom enjoyed the capsule dose of India delivered to them through a month-long excursion in the capital city with some cursory trips to Amritsar, Jaipur and Agra. “I was touched by the special treatment given to us in Amritsar when a sweets shop was opened for us 20 minutes after its closure in the night,” said Connor.
To sum up the trip, founder of IndoGenius, Nick Booker, also an alumnus of King’s College and India partner of the programme says, “A large number of companies in UK have Indian connections. Either they are set up by Indian entrepreneurs or produce goods which are eventually sold in the Indian market. Such companies expect their employees to understand Indian sensibilities and that can happen only if you visit the country. This trip is probably going to fill that gap for 86 young citizens of UK.”