‘Should feel obligated to…’: Ex-Google techie questions NRI’s praising India, asks ‘why you’re not there’

An Indian-origin former Google engineer, going by the username Deedy Das, ignited a social media debate with his series of posts urging the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to explain why they don’t reside in India when they praise it so much.

In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Das said, “When Indians living abroad talk about how bustling the scene is India, they should feel obligated to answer why they are not living there.”

He then clarified his post saying that it’s okay to think India is growing, “but it’s not at a place you’d live because, say, air pollution”.

Das asked for clarification on “the why” the NRIs don’t want to live in India, and said, “It’s disingenuous to try to act like it’s the best place in the world to be if you’re not in it.”

“And this isn’t about not feeling proud and cheering on your own country. You should do that. Do that. But be honest about why you’re not there,” he added.

The Thursday post garnered 2.3 million views.

Netizens jumped into the debate, with one user commenting that there are “plenty of valid legit reasons” for the NRIs not to move back to India.

“meh, why ? there are plenty of valid legit reasons why you cant be living back home but still find it exciting meanwhile there’s also no reason you cant be enthusiastic about its growth while already being in a place that is giving you more,” the user commented.

“The only reason Indians living abroad miss India is the cheap labour. When you ask what they like about India, it’s mainly how they get daily household chores and stuff done through cheap labour,” another user added.

A user who claims to live in India commented on the thread saying no one living abroad should return because “India is NOT growing, and it is crowded like hell. We have more than 1 billion unwanted people who are good for nothing. This is no way to live.”