OCI: yes, a little.
Stranger 2: are you a hindu, muslim, or christian?
OCI: I .. I am anika.
I am part of the flock of a new international species that is confusing locals, government officials, employers, and bankers across India. The emerging group of 'Overseas Citizens of India' are not Indians, are Indians, or were Indians. We are Indians who are properly from India and just live abroad (overseas), or we have Indian heritage (that makes us 'Citizens'?).
Here are some of highlighted experiences of being part of the new breed of OCIs:
Infinite Visa: I have a 'lifelong' visa to India - sort of. Border control officials have managed to maintain a staunch business approach to the lifelong visa. The visa doesn't expire, but every 10 years one's passport does. So, when you are suddenly on your last month of legal international travel, you will also be scrambling to re-apply for your OCI card which conveniently never expires but obviously needs to be renewed with your passport.
No registration: Many visitors to India need to register with local officials. You can either be lucky and be an American, for whom registration is only obligatory after a few months (I think), or you get the really really short end of the stick and be from Pakistan, and need to visit the local police depot on a daily basis or risk expulsion from the country.
Work, Live, Play: The best thing for me is that I can work here. Americans who want to work in India need to get paid a commensurate rate to US salaries. This law is meant to protect Indians who are skilled and want top jobs, and is also meant to support Americans who will probably eventually go back to the states and don't want to be broke.
Some frustrating elements:
Banking: the majority of banks want to exploit this new class of Indians & sort-of-Indians who are bringing in remittances, savings, and taking out loans. But most banks have not really clarified the paperwork for OCI accounts, largely because the Indian Government has said that OCIs are classified as Persons of Indian Origins (PIOs), but have some different benefits. Its the square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square issue.
Needless to say, when I went to the local bank with the OCI-account forms found on their main website.. they had never seen them before, and it took 3 trips for them to acknowledge the credibility of their own paperwork.
Culture/heritage/identity: If you are Indian, you should know the culture, language and norms. Thats just the way it is. Since I don't, I am often embarrassed to admit that I am Indian, and have to go into this long and toppling explanation of my birth-place, schooling, mother's linguistic abilities, and so on.
But!
Above all, being of 'Indian origin' and having the ability to live and work here has been a tremendously fulfilling experience. I love going to Hindi classes and finally being able to speak with my grandmother. I love eating with my hands - soupy food or solid, wet or dry, spicy or.. ultra spicy. And I feel that I can understand my dad better by living in the world he came out of.
Going back to one's roots is a beautiful thing.
What are yours? Do you know? What do they mean to you?
keep exploring!
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Lots of love,
:ani
