It’s really hard to believe that I’ve been in Chennai for 2 months: it still feels like a dream. Our departure from Cameroon was quick, with a one-week stop in the UK for a brilliant Course on South Asia at Kings. The perfect induction into Asia after 4 brilliant if challenging years in Africa.
Working in India has been a long-term aspiration for me and Bhakti, who has had a lifelong love affair with the temples, people and food of the South is over the moon.
The people of Chennai could not have been more welcoming: we were a little nervous about the reception we might get, but Southern Hospitality remains friendly and generous, and the genuine interest in our Indian origins has helped us feel at home.
But the story of the posting so far is Kerala, Kerala and Kerala. The visit of their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall to Kochi and Kumarakom for 4 days will help them appreciate its natural beauty – not for nothing is it called God’s Own Country – and its strong cultural traditions. But it’s also an opportunity to understand how the state and its people are tackling challenges posed by urbanisation and the need for sustainable urban development and regeneration; the tension between ensuring habitat conservation for wildlife while securing the rights and traditions of forest dwellers including tribal communities; the pressures on Kerala’s health system with the rise in middle class diseases including diabetes and heart disease; and the role of technology in supporting the delivery of a 21st Century Education fit for a globalised world. Their Royal Highnesses are closely involved in these areas of work and each is a sphere with heavy UK engagement, by Government and partners like the British Council, and by British companies. For us, this is an opportunity to showcase the value that our partnerships with India do to improve people’s lives every day.
It won’t be easy, and my colleagues in India have already set the bar astonishingly high (see the photos of Their Royal Highnesses at Rishikesh), but I’m confident that, thanks to the Chennai team with sterling support from Delhi colleagues which has done brilliant work, it will be a fantastic four weeks.
It could even be a perfect week. If Arsenal can just beat Man United…