By Deepika Shetty
Arts Correspondent
deepika@sph.com.sg

 

Name: M.M. Kunasekaran

Age: 58. Married to Vijayalaksumi, 57. Has two children, daughter Kavitha, 26 and son Kesavan, 30.

City: Chennai

Designation: Director, South Asia, MIQ Logistics

A 'punishment' posting.

That was Mr M.M.Kunasekaran's first reaction when he was asked to go to India by his employer in 2001.

Mr Kunasekaran, 58, works in logistics and had been in India since 2001. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM

The American logistics firm, MIQ Logistics, he works for was keen to develop its business there. And, having an Indian face with a Singaporean passport, meant the 58-year-old was the natural choice.

The negative view of the posting did not improve upon his arrival though.

The first few months in India, as he recalls them, were extremely difficult.

Mr Kunasekaran with his wife Vijayalaksumi (left), 57 and daugther Kavitha, 26. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM

Being away from his family was tough, and he did not enjoy the food in New Delhi. For almost a year he ended up eating at a McDonald's near his Vasant Kunj apartment.

But that was nothing compared to the physical danger he experienced.

In 2003, he witnessed a race riot near Bengaluru at first hand and had a lucky escape. Clashes between Kannadigas and Tamils had been triggered by a court ruling, which forced Karnataka to share its water resources with Tamil Nadu.

'I remember running as fast I could. When I had time to reflect I thought about how harmoniously we live in Singapore,' he says.

Being away from his family was tough, says Mr Kunasekaran. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM

It took him some time to adapt to India's work culture.

There were countless delays and even simple tasks like installing a washing machine could take days, sometimes weeks, to complete because the concept of deadlines is very fluid in India.

It took a while, but India slowly grew on him and he came to value its quirky difference.

Last month, his nine-year-stint came to an end and he returned to Singapore.

Now that he is back home, he says he misses the sounds and some of the chaos, which makes India unpredictable but fun.

'I feel more Singaporeans should experience India. You end up valuing a lot of things you take for granted when you are living in Singapore.'

Read the special report in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.