Visa Power!

This blog was published in the Times of India NRI section.

"Panchi, nadiya, pawan ke jhoke....Koi sarhad na inhe roke,

Socho tumne aur maine kya paaya insaan hoke...."

Does anybody remember this song from the movie "Refugee"? It didn't make too much sense back then, in terms of a global meaning to it. But, now that I am supposedly an NRI (Non-resident Indian, as opposed to the many hilariously invented versions of NRI), and that I go through all the painful bouts of paperwork for Visa processing, the words of this song make much more sense. Wouldn't it be nice if we, too, like the elements of nature flow across borders without being tied down by technicalities? Believe it or not, it feels like you are appearing for an exam, by the time you finally reach for your Visa interview, after you have gone through the immense amount of paper work. And the atmosphere there does not help either. You see ecstatic people jump up and down after their visa gets approved and then, you see other people looking lost and completely blown off their feet, because their visa applications were rejected. It is intriguing how the human mind feeds off of the pheromones from other fellow human beings. The excitement in the air, the tension, all of it takes a toll on you and even if the visa is not such a big deal for you, you start getting restless too.

At one of these visa interviews, I was wondering if it was always this difficult to travel. I simply can't understand why somebody wanting to visit another country should be stopped from doing so, unless maybe, they have a criminal background. Why has the art of appreciating the world around you been made so challenging? I double up with laughter imagining about the Cave-Man standing in never-ending lines, waiting to be accepted to cross the border over from Manganese Cave to Magnesium Cave. Or maybe, he wanted to travel longer distances, all the way from Manganese Cave to Volcano Crate. And what if, he wanted to move to the coveted "Land of Opportunities" - "The Diamond Valley"? Would he have had to face stricter rules and more stringent questions at the interview? As amusing as that thought is, evolutionists would vouch for the fact that nothing of that sort existed. 

Why think back so far? Let us think about Jules Verne and imagine if he had considered these visa hindrances  when the protagonist of his book, Phileas Fogg decides to circumnavigate the world in 80 days. I am not even sure if, the book, set in 1872, even mentions anything about any official paperwork. Because, if you look at the history of Visas, until World War I (1914-1918), there wasn't even a need for Visas. So, I am guessing Jules Verne could not have imagined how tough it would be to write about travelling around the world today, without dedicating a few chapters to the adventures and misadventures of obtaining entry into a country!

One of my relatives recently embarked on a year-long World Trip and I was in complete awe of them. Who would not love to travel the world, look at ancient ruins and modern architecture rise neck-to-neck? Who would not want to taste the actual cuisine from the real country of origin, rather than have hybrids, like Indo-Chinese or Americanized Italian food? Who would not want to learn by experience and really envision what the History and Geography books said about the world? I would definitely want to do all of this and would want to possess multitudes of stories to pass on to the future generations. But, and the 'big but' here is, would I want to go through the hassles and the tensions of all the paperwork and visa processing? I do know for a fact, that some countries are pretty lenient on their entry rules, and it would be a lot more easier to plan a trip there. For the rest, that have strenuous procedures, it would be a big deterrent to have to go through all that. 

I am a true dreamer and if I had one power or wish granted to me by my personal Genie, it would have to be Visa Power- the power of flight, the power of freedom, the power of liberty. I have a bucket list that I think has new things added to it everyday, but for the most part, it is just the list of places I want to travel to, that keeps going up. And for me, if travel was Visa-free, I would be on wheels all the time. I like to think and also have convinced my husband that if it weren't for travel and touring, the world would come to a stand-still. All the developments in knowledge, technology, art, music, food, etc. over the years, are a result of the global exchange of culture. If not for easy travel, we might never have seen the Renaissance and might not have been able to appreciate the artistic phenomena of that time. I don't know how true my theory is, but for now, if my husband buys it, and feels that he should support the culturally proactive group (which I claim, I belong to), I am more than satisfied. 

Although the practical aspects of this wish could make it a little flawed, all I can imagine is how culturally aware each of us could be, thanks, to this power. Of course, there is the other big boulder of expensive travel. But, as they say, "There are some things money can't buy, for everything else there is Master Card". I am not sure if adding something to my wish would be too much to ask for. But, my ideal wish then would be to conjugate Visa Power and Master Card - Go Get It!