US envoy returns to his roots in Jalandhar

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 21

It was an emotional reunion for Richard Rahul Verma, the newly appointed US Ambassador to India, who visited his maternal grandmother’s home in the Basti Sheikh area in Jalandhar on Thursday.

Tears rolled down from the eyes of the people present there when they met the diplomat whom they fondly remembered as ‘Ruchi’.

He even met his childhood friends who specially came from far-flung places to meet him after 40 years. He had last visited the city in 1974.

“It feels great to come back in this capacity. My father had left this place around 50 years ago with just $24 and a bus ticket in his pocket. I am happy and proud to be back at my roots,” he said.

Residents had decked up the area with balloons and frills to welcome the US Ambassador. Though the local administration had made ample security arrangements, a majority of them were removed at the behest of the Ambassador minutes before his arrival as he wanted to spend time with his friends away from public glare.

He even surprised his family grocer Siriram Chabra by visiting his shop located nearby. “He remembers everything! He recalled that as there was no refrigerator at that time, a huge block of ice used to be brought from a nearby shop every day. He also said that there used to be a swing in the veranda where he used to sit with his father during his visits to India.

“Richard said that during summer, the family used to sleep on the rooftop as it used to be too hot inside,” said Rakesh Gupta whose father had purchased the house for Rs 50,000 from his grandmother Maya Devi, a school teacher in the nearby Government Girls School here.

Later, Richard visited DAV College, the alma mater of his father Kamal Dev Verma who studied there during the turbulent time of Partition from 1948 to 1952.

Richard presided over the annual convocation ceremony as the chief guest. Addressing the students, he shared with them the impact Punjab always has on his life. He said that whenever his father used to meet some Indian, he would tell him that they are from the same place (Punjab).

“I kept on telling him that it is practically not possible for one billion people to be from the same place. Later, when I got the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the capacity of Assistant Secretary at the State Department at a reception hosted by the White House, I informed him that I am from Jalandhar. He looked towards President Barack Obama and said that we are from the same place,” said Verma.

Earlier, he along with college principal BB Sharma took a round of the old heritage building where his father studied.

Verma also attended a seminar organised by the North Indian Chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industries. While applauding their contribution in the bilateral trade between India and the United states, he said that the investment from the northern region had increased from 19.6 per cent in 2010 to 53.2 per cent in 2013.

He said that the region could play a significant role in taking the trade from $100 billion to $500 billion in the next few years by investing in the field of education, industrial trade and tourism.