300 hundred words donot do justice to why i think it is important to know who I am and where I am coming from.

Something I wrote for a publication-
Advantages of knowing one’s root, language and culture in this era of world citizenship

-Amrita Datta, Tulane University,
New Orleans, LA
Dated: 26th august’08

While going global, and, east meets west is not a bad idea, in the long run when one takes a step back, to look at things from a third person perspective, the idea of world citizenship lands, most, if not all globe trotters and citizens of the world, if you will, in a grey area, namely identity crisis.
While you, as citizens of the world are able to make intelligent wisecracks on the open french food market and seem to have developed a taste for wasabi and raw fish, how comfortable are you in your own skin, or how much do you know about the land of your forefathers? In essence who are you and what makes you different from any other person reading this article?

To know who you are and where you come from, is imperative, and more so in today’s era.
And while I am not a great believer in building a microcosmic community feeling, I nevertheless take a pride in the fact that I am firstly an Indian, and then a cosmopolitan Bengali.
As I see the sun go down on the banks of Mississippi, I close my eyes, to smell the water, transcending myself to the banks of Haridwar, with its chiming bells and thousand lights. That is who I am. So many such things, give me a sense of belonging, keep me rooted, keep me cocooned, keep me going, so no matter where I am or who with, I know I have a long line of ancestors and an unparalleled history in terms of culture, traditions, religion and faith over looking me. That to me is all the advantage I need.