Uganda blues

One of our neighbors married their daughter in Uganda. The guy is from Jodhpur,
as are we and our neighbors. It happened around an year back. The couple is in
Jodhpur right now for a wedding in the family. I had a chance to meet her today
and find out about the life after marriage and in Uganda.

Her in-laws are here in Jodhpur, so in a way she is free from some unnecessary
chores. But the time she is spending with them right now is pretty much same
as that of an average Indian daughter-in-law : rather bad. I wouldn't dwell
on that though.

Before marriage, she was told that her husband would settle back in India
in an years' time. And that's why she and her parents said yes. But now
he seems to have changed his mind, or may be it was that way already, who knows?

In Uganda, they live on the second floor of a building. In the basement there is a pub.
Couple of months ago, 6 people were shot dead by a soldier in that pub. In another
incident, a thief was lynched by the mob in the main market.

Talking of food, it's the same old story for Indians. Vegetarians continue to suffer
outside India.

Among the Indians living there, which are predominantly Gujjus and South Indians,
unity is conspicuous by its absence. Factionalism rules the day for Indians. Anyone
not belonging to these communities is bound to fend for himself. And a Marwari couple
like them is neither in this group nor in that group. Hence "hum to beech mein latak
gaye yaar".
(There is a lone Sindhi shopkeeper too, who runs a grocery shop. A Gujju, just besides
him runs a grocery shop too. The Gujju's shop is always busy, as opposed to his
neighbor.)

Medical and educational facilities are pathetic there. Weather isn't very kind either.
You could sometimes see three seasons in a single day. It rains a lot there. And the
rain follows its own rules. For 3 months it rains in the morning, for next 3 in the
afternoon, and in the night for another 3 months. Malaria is the name of the game.

Elections are due in Uganda in 2011. And the Asians(Indians and Chinese) have started
to get the threats already. In the time of Edi Amin, the Indians were chased away.
This time "you will be killed", say the political goons.

All in all, she just wanted to come back to India anyhow. Given her husband's inclination,
it doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. As he would like to "save some more",
before "settling" in India.