फॉर हिअर, ऑर टू गो / FOR HERE OR TO GO

by Aparna Velankar

For here, or to go?` This question is always asked at the McDonalds all over the world. It means that whatever you have ordered, are you going to eat it here or do you want it as a parcel? Some 40 to 50 years ago, when the middle class Maharashtrians decided to break their mentalities to cross the oceans to reach the North America in search of a new life, they were continuously asked this question; "Are you going to stay here and be Americans, or are you going to return to India once you have earned enough?` These people had only a few dollars, a ticket for the journey, a baggage weighing 20 kg and a firm mind set to fight the unknown destiny. With this meagre capital they landed up in a far away land, 10 thousand miles away from their motherland; where the night was day and the day was night; actually. The first generation of Marathi people landed in the North America. This book presents the story of their struggle, story of their unbearable strain, their tremendous hardship, their guts, the wealth they acquired, their shining glories and yes their lonely defeat too.

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2007