Skilled Aussie success story
Sundar Sarma, geophysicist
Sundar Sarma, a fresh graduate from the Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT) at the time, has lived in
Australia for many years. "I came to Australia in 1970,
despite the remnants of the 'White Australia' policy,"
he says.
Now an Australian citizen and a geophysicist enjoying
early retirement, Sarma is one of the many who are of
the view that life in Australia is much better than the
Indian lifestyle. "The lifestyle here is easier and more
comfortable," he says. "In India you might live a lavish
lifestyle on your private residence, but as soon as you
step out, the muck and chaos greets you."
Dual citizenship was recently passed by the Indian
parliament, but Sarma says he is unlikely to take it.
"Even though I consider myself two-thirds Indian and
one-third Australian, dual citizenship isn't on my
agenda at the moment. Having an Indian passport in
addition to my Australian is really only necessary if I
am a frequent visitor to India or I have business
interests there. Having an Indian passport gets you
favoured treatment. For me however, I don't need that."
"Australia's migration system is actually fairer than a
lot of other countries, and the immigration people try
and mix up the quota so they don't favour one particular
country." Because India essentially paid for his
education, Sarma will always retain a deep affinity for
India. "Most of my relatives live there, and I think
I've got an equal liking for both countries."
How does the second generation perceive India? Sarma's
only son, Neal, was born in Perth and is an Australian
citizen. He speaks an Indian language - Assamese - and
it is one of the few links to his roots. "Fitting in
here might be a little tough," he says, "but it's much
easier than adapting to Indian culture at this point in
my life."
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