Stuti Gakhar is a long way from home.
Recently, the 22-year-old sat down to talk about her Indian culture in comparison to life behind the Pine Curtain.
kAmv2<92C 92D 366? =:G:?8 :? }24@85@496D D:?46 a_`a[ H96? D96 >@G65 96C6 E@ 2EE6?5 $up] pD 2 ?FEC:E:@? >2;@C[ D96 H2D >@DE=J 4@?46C?65 H:E9 86EE:?8 96C AC6C6BF:D:E6D 7@C A92C>24J D49@@=] %9:D 72==[ D96 H:== 36 DE2CE:?8 A92C>24J D49@@= 2E %6>A=6 &?:G6CD:EJ :? !9:=256=A9:2]k^Am
kAm“x’> G6CJ 6I4:E65[” D96 D2:5] “x H6?E E96C6 7@C DAC:?8 3C62< 7@C >J :?E6CG:6H] xE H2D ;FDE 362FE:7F=] x =:<6 E96 3:8 4:EJ =:76]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mp 5:776C6?E 4F=EFC6k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmvC@H:?8 FA :? q2?82=@C6[ x?5:2[ v2<92C :D FD65 E@ =:G:?8 :? 2 3:8 4:EJ] (:E9 2 A@AF=2E:@? @7 23@FE g]c >:==:@?[ E96 4:EJ :? }@CE9 x?5:2 :D 2 72C 4CJ 7C@> =:76 :? }24@85@496D] qFE v2<92C’D @FE8@:?8 A6CD@?2=:EJ 92D 96=A65 96C >2<6 >2?J 7C:6?5D 96C6]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 8@EE6? :?G@=G65 :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ[” D96 D2:5] “x G@=F?E66C65 7@C 2 4@FA=6 6G6?ED =:<6 E96 q=F636CCJ u6DE:G2= 2?5 E96 dzD] x 8@ E@ J@82 5@H?E@H?[ 2?5 x’G6 8@?6 E@ 5:776C6?E 6G6?ED 5@H?E@H?]”k^Am
kAmv2<92C 7@F?5 }24@85@496D E@ 36 G6CJ 2446AE:?8 @7 5:776C6?E 4F=EFC6D]k^Am
kAm“!6@A=6 2C6 G6CJ ?:46 96C6]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mpCC2?865 >2CC:286Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%C25:E:@?2==J[ v2<92C D2:5 96C A2C6?ED H@F=5 49@@D6 2 DA@FD6 7@C 96C] qFE E:>6D 2C6 492?8:?8]k^Am
kAm“}@H[ J@F 7:?5 D@>6@?6 2?5 ;FDE E6== J@FC A2C6?ED[” D96 D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E x?5:2? A2C6?ED EJA:42==J DE:== D4CFE:?:K6 E96 A@E6?E:2= 8C@@> E@ >2<6 DFC6 96 :D 8@@5 6?@F89 7@C E96:C 52F89E6C] “x <?@H >J A2C6?ED H2?E >6 E@ >2CCJ D@>6@?6 EC25:E:@?2=] x E9:?< E96J’5 =:<6 E@ >6 E@ >2CCJ 2? x?5:2? >2?[ E@ <66A @FC 4F=EFC6 2=:G6]”k^Am
kAmxE’D ?@E D@>6E9:?8 E96J E2=< 23@FE E9@F89]k^Am
kAm“x? x?5:2? 4F=EFC6[ 2E =62DE EC25:E:@?2==J[ J@F 5@?’E C62==J E2=< 23@FE 52E:?8 2?5 >2CC:286]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mu6DE:G2=D 2?5 4FDE@>Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm~?6 x?5:2? EC25:E:@?[ v2<92C D2:5[ :D E@ D92G6 J@FC 9625]k^Am
kAm“%96J 36=:6G6 E92E H96? E96J D92G6 E96:C 92:C[ :E E2<6D E96:C D:?D 2H2J[” D96 D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E D96 A2CE:4:A2E65 :? E9:D 4FDE@> 2D 2 D>2== 49:=5]k^Am
kAm“p?5 H96? D@>6@?6 5:6D[ H6 92G6 2 C:G6C 42==65 E96 v2?86D[ 2?5 A6@A=6 36=:6G6 :7 J@F AFE E96 2D96D :? E96 C:G6C[ 2== E96:C D:?D 2C6 H2D965 @77[” D96 D2:5] “x7 J@F 32E96 :? E96 H2E6C[ :E’D 36=:6G65 E@ E2<6 J@FC D:?D 2H2J E@@] xE’D 2 G6CJ D24C65 A=246]”k^Am
kAmv2<92C 8C6H FA :? 2 EC25:E:@?2= w:?5F 9@FD69@=5] tG6CJ J62C[ 96C >@E96C 72DED 7@C 2? 6?E:C6 52J] xE’D 2 EC25:E:@? 36=:6G65 E@ :>AC@G6 E96 9FD32?5’D 962=E9[ >2<:?8 E96:C >2CC:286 =2DE =@?86C]k^Am
kAm“$96 86ED FA 2E d 2]>] 2?5 72DED 2== 52J[ 2?5 H96? E96 >@@? 4@>6D @FE E96J 62E[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 3:886DE 76DE:G2= :? 96C C68:@? :D s:H2=:[ E96 w:?5F “76DE:G2= @7 =:89ED]”k^Am
kAm“(6 2=D@ 92G6 w@=:[ H9:49 :D G6CJ D:>:=2C E@ E96 4@=@C CF?[ H96C6 H6 ;FDE E9C@H 2C@F?5 4@=@CD 2?5 H2E6C 2?5 92G6 7F?]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mp 4@=@C7F= 4@F?ECJk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmv2<92C 56D4C:365 x?5:2 2D “G6CJ 4@=@C7F=]”k^Am
kAm“tDA64:2==J @FC H655:?8D[” D96 D2:5] “~FC H655:?8D 2C6 C62==J 7F?]”k^Am
kAm(655:?8D :? }@CE9 x?5:2 2C6 EJA:42==J >@C6 4@=@C7F= 2?5 =:G6=J E92? H655:?8D :? E96 $@FE9[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D 2 =@E @7 52?4:?8[ 2?5 E96 H9@=6 72>:=J 4@>6D E@86E96C] %96 3C:56D>2:5D 9:56 E96 8C@@>D>6?’D D9@6D 2?5 2D< E96> E@ 8:G6 E96> >@?6J[” D96 D2:5] “%96C6 2C6 9@CD6D 2?5 6=6A92?ED[ 4@=@C[ 7@@5 2?5 52?4:?8]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m~A6?:?8 FAk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm“%C25:E:@?2==J[ x?5:2 H2D G6CJ 4@?D6CG2E:G6 2?5 ?@E C62==J E@@ @A6?[” D96 D2:5] “qFE :E’D 492?8:?8 2 =@E]”k^Am
kAm(6DE6C? 4F=EFC6 2?5 tFC@A62? :?7=F6?46 92G6 >256 :ED >2C< @? E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D @3G:@FD=J :?7=F6?4:?8 @FC 4F=EFC6 E@@[” D96 D2:5] “%96 @=56C 86?6C2E:@? :D DE:== 2 =:EE=6 D<6AE:42=] %96J 42? D66 H92E :?7=F6?46D :E 92D @? E96 J@F?86C 86?6C2E:@?[ 2?5 9@H :E’D :?7=F6?4:?8 52E:?8 2?5 >2CC:286] xE’D E2<:?8 2H2J E96 EC25:E:@?2= 2DA64E @7 x?5:2? 4F=EFC6]”k^Am
kAmv2<92C >:89E 36 2 AC:>6 6I2>A=6 @7 E92E] {:G:?8 :? E96 &]$][ D96 92D 56G6=@A65 2? 2AAC64:2E:@? 7@C p>6C:42? 4F=EFC6[ 2?5 6G6? p>6C:42? 7@@5 — 2=E9@F89 D96 25>:ED E92E E@@< D@>6 E:>6] $96 5@6D?’E <?@H :7 D96’== 6G6C 8@ 324< E@ x?5:2 7@C 8@@5[ 3FE @?6 E9:?8 :D 7@C DFC6 — D96 H:== 2=H2JD =@G6 96C 4F=EFC6]k^Am
kAm“x7 J@F 86E 2 492?46[ J@F D9@F=5 567:?:E6=J 8@ G:D:E x?5:2[” D96 D2:5] “xE’D 2 362FE:7F= A=246[ 2?5 :E’D 5:776C6?E] xE’D @?6 A=246 J@F 567:?:E6=J 92G6 E@ G:D:E]”k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.