Comments on: Answers to Questions About My Life in India #1

By: Sharell

Sharell — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:37:41 +0000

Hi Sachin, I understand how you must be feeling, and the situation with the men in Delhi seems to be particularly bad. It makes me glad I live in Mumbai. No doubt it will be a big adjustment for her, and you will feel inadequate to protect her from it all. It’s a tough situation. No matter how you try, you just won’t be able to make everything normal. She will have to do most of the adjusting and accept India how it is, unfortunately. It will be difficult to start off with, but will get better as she gets used to it here.

As for marriage, you’ll need to have civil ceremony at the Registrar of Marriages in your area. You’ll need to apply at least 30 days in advance of the date you want to get married. It’s not possible to become an Indian citizen so easily. I think the person has to be living in India for 9 years. The first year after marriage, she will be entitled to an X visa (a residential entry visa, without the right to work). She can then register herself with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office and get a Residential Permit. Then after one year of marriage, she can apply for a PIO (Person of Indian Origin) Card — it’s valid for 15 years and gives her the entitlements of an Indian citizen, except for voting rights and the ability to buy agricultural land.

Here’s a link to more information about getting married. http://www.whiteindianhousewife.com/2008/05/how-to-legally-marry-an-indian-in-india/

Hope this helps!

By: sachin

sachin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:57:26 +0000

hi Sharell, this is sachin, i do live in delhi, well i also keep thinking about the same problem that u told here on this website. i have good relation with a girl, she is from russia, now we r thinking to marry, but the problem is same, though my family, relatives, and society everything is cool , all r open minded, all r ready for our marriage, but the problem is that, when i think how we both will go to market, what will be the reaction of simple rikshaw wala, taxi driver and shopkeeper, i just do afraid of it, i can manage with her, i m ready to protect her , but still i worry a lot about her security, he speak russian and english, she is trying to learn hindi also, and i m trying to learn russian language, the problem is not my family,, indeed the problem is this cheap society, she has visited to india once, and i noticed that everyone stare at her as they never seen a girl, its very pity for indian society, i can understand how could she think that time, but i tried to make everything normal, but sometimes, it was really hard for even me to neglect the looking way of other people, i had fight also, ahah but with who who i can fight, i mean i cant stop others to not to stare at her, and when i think about it, i feel so sad, anyway, i want to know some indian marriage procedures like how to register her as indian citizen or like that, plz do help me, thanks in advance

By: Sharell

Sharell — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:39:04 +0000

Hi thequark, I like your explanation about Indian society and everyone’s roles — it’s so true people don’t know how to react when they can’t slot someone into their appropriate place in the matrix! It can be quite amusing sometimes to see their confusion.

By: thequark

thequark — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:41:59 +0000

The Indian staring habit is an annoying one even when it is not lecherous. I have caught myself doing so and I have reflected on it a lot, it is almost a reflex I would say, we can’t help it.

Only explanation I give to myself is that in Indian society every one has a role to play, whenever you meet someone you have to place him somewhere in your matrix to set your behavior. Is the other person older than me, is in higher/lower caste, status, is he from same region as me, etc. So a “prejudice” element is always present which can be unnerving (violation of privacy), harassing (lecherous staring) and even assuring (not in public but in familiar setups). There is this always an evaluation to set the social behavioral protocol. One has to embed every thing in the her/his context. This goes for a toss when a white person is seen (or for that matter any one who seems outsider or non-familiar) and this prolongated evaluation makes people stare (the harmless ones, who don’t have bad intentions)

This is what I think about the phenomenon. I don’t support/disdain it but now I proactively try not to stare at people.

By: Ramit

Ramit — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:27:33 +0000

Yeah Laureen the starer!

By: Reenu (Laureen)

Reenu (Laureen) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:35:15 +0000

Hey Sharell..yes, I totally know about the staring thing. OMG, people would almost get into the auto just to look…they couldn’t figure out if I was Punjabi or Middle Eastern…the hazel/green eyes confused them I guess. It is very unnerving…and I found myself doing the same thing..waving and at them.

By: Nik

Nik — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:44:56 +0000

Chee Chee, why don’t you post a picture of yourself or post a blog? The way you describe yourself and the way men react to you, you must look something like Aishwarya Rai.

I do have a sneaking suspicion that you are just some old, over the hill pale white woman though

By: Oliver Morgan

Oliver Morgan — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:57:20 +0000

I travelled just once in a mumbai local train and that was it for me, everytime i’m in mumbai now i always take a taxi.

By: Sharell

Sharell — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:03:56 +0000

Hi Ajay, D.Jain is right. Your wife should still be entitled to a PIO card. The rules are as follows.

“Originally launched in 1999 the Indian PIO Scheme (Person of Indian Origin) is a long term Indian visa service which is available to any person who has at any time held an Indian passport, was born in India or is the grandchild or great grandchild of an Indian born in India and living there as a permanent resident.

The scheme also applies to the spouse of any qualifying applicant as defined above.”

I’ll answer your questions in the original post.

By: Abdullah K.

Abdullah K. — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:11 +0000

@ Shaunak Goshwami – “Are you Iranian ?”

No. I am an Indian.