USA, The First Impressions
Our plane left Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on the 16th of March for Washington DC. We left Delhi at 2 AM and covered about 12000kms in 16 hours. Since Washington time is some 9 hours and 30 minutes behind Indian time, we reached the US capital at about 7.30 AM on 16th morning itself. If there had been no such difference of time, we would have reached on 17th.
Barring California and a few West coast states, the US is notorious for its cold and inclement weather, with winter extending to six months. Other than the cold weather, I was also wary of the treatment we would meted out by the immigration authorities. We had almost been sent back form the Delhi airport for our tickets had, “not been cleared by the customs department” and for not having ourselves tested for covid just 24 hours before departure. We feared the American immigration authorities might be harsher.
Unlike our experience at the Delhi airport, the Washington airport authorities and the immigration officers did not create any trouble. They behaved with civility and as such we came out of the airport within half an hour. Just outside the exit door, we were picked up by our son in law in his car and proceeded towards Pittsburgh, one of the main cities of Pennsylvania and the city where our son in law works and resides with our daughter and grandson. Much against our expectations, the day was quite sunny though the air had still the nip of chillai kalan (forty days period of harsh winter in Kashmir). The highway was wide, smooth, and clean. The traffic so orderly that despite many vehicles plying on the road, it seemed almost empty. No crowd, no jam, no checking, no security forces; no roadside halt points and not even be visible traffic police. Nobody was crossing the speed limit of 50 miles per hour and all the passengers were voluntarily and necessarily wearing their seat belts. No one was ignoring the red light and the pedestrians were crossing the road at fixed spots. Not to talk of dead dogs, garbage and piles of soil, stones, and dunghills on the sidewalks. I could not find any such things along the 400 km road from Washington to Pittsburgh. There are also fixed spots for rest and refreshment. These spots are not like our Ramban, Banihal, Kazigund, or Udhampur where you find congested and dirty markets, unhygienic dhabas with open sewers, and walls for urination.
We stopped at a place called Breezewood Plaza, a secluded, beautiful, and clean building with a spacious lawn, parking slot, petrol pump (which Americans call gas station), and a fine café. The café has several washrooms which are stink-free, and equipped with clean water, soap, sanitizer, and paper towels. Be in queue, get the token, self-serve and relax while eating and drinking. Every employee from the manager to the countergirl welcomes you with a smile.
I strolled around and located a gift corner as well. If any visitor has forgotten to get a gift for his children, grandchildren or for the hosts, he or she can pick a beautiful toy, pen, book, or a garment and get it beautifully packed. Remember all these facilities are available at a petrol pump which in our state is often nauseating. In Srinagar, a pump owner at Sonawar had tried to create a similar facility but failed. I still re- call the stink of the urinal which the owner had put up. But he alone was not to be blamed; the customers too were responsible.
We reached home in the afternoon, the weather had deteriorated, and the leafless trees were trembling in the chilly winds. I thought of pheran and kangri but soon the desire vanished as the entire building of our sojourn was centrally heated and the heating arrangement was such that the warmth increases or decreases with the change in outside temperature. There was also an ar- rangement for humidity regulation within the rooms. After din- ner, I relaxed in the bed and pondered for an hour about how the Americans who migrated or rather colonized this seemingly inhospitable land have worked towards establishing the United States as the world’s largest economy, strongest military force, and the most advanced country in the field of science and technology. Nonetheless, it is not that everything in America is ideal and perfect, it has a gory history of colonialism which included the genocide of the native inhabitants. This history is also marked by slavery, racism and undue interreference in the internal affairs of other countries. Although things have improved a lot they have not changed altogether. However, reflecting on the positive features and developments of America, I think that Kashmir could be transformed into a wonderland, but we lack the will, determination, unity, discipline, and the spirit of self-sacrifice. These are tough blockades but not unsurmountable.
However, reflecting on the positive features and developments of America, I think that Kashmir could be transformed into a wonderland, but we lack the will, determination, unity, discipline, and the spirit of self-sacrifice. These are tough blockades but not unsurmountable