We landed at the Dubai Airport last winter. We were visiting Dubai after a gap of ten years to spend some time with my daughter and family. On the way to their house, I could see new buildings, roads, bridges etc. Dubai is as brand new as the flashy new cars on it’s beautiful roads and flyovers.The buildings, towers, malls all look swanky and posh. For those coming to Dubai for the first time its like an El Dorado, a place of wonderment. And with a huge population of Indian expatriates working in UAE, many of their relatives and friends visit UAE as tourists. What a great change within these ten years! From an earlier flat, my daughter is now living in a villa. The area is full of trees. There is a lot of greenery, trees at the front and back of their house. The cold bit into our bones. And the cloud seeding brought in heavy showers. I felt as though I was in Kerala and their house and surroundings made me feel all the more so. Making the desert bloom, that’s what the rulers have done – a real miracle.
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On visits to malls I could see people buying and buying and buying. I thought, how many of these things are actually going to be used and how many disposed, after lying unused in the cupboards. I thought about Panchamma, our neighbor in Madurai who had some goats and cows; she would go to the shop with little money and think a lot on what to buy for the day or for the next few days – a little of this and that for a few hundred rupees. How some people splurge and waste, I thought.
On New Year’s eve we went to a nearby beach and pitched tents and watched the fireworks. There was a huge crowd there, all in holiday mood, police vehicles moved up and down to watch out for any misbehavior. As New Year dawned, fireworks display began, loud clapping and joyous laughter and cheers rent the air. At that time nobody thought that the year that would follow would still have the aftermath of covid and the world being adversely impacted by the Ukraine-Russia War. China still continued to be in the throes of covid.
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Church visits with the family were a double joy as I could see the church along with a Sikh Gurudwara, temple, mosques etc. And there was so much religious harmony. Christmas was celebrated with the same gusto, joy, cheer and abandon with lights and decorations everywhere like in India or even in the West. For a moment I really wondered whether I was in Dubai or back in India. All festivals are celebrated with equal zeal in Dubai, which speaks for the liberal, open minded and secular outlook of the rulers of Dubai in sync with a globalizing world. It is a pity that in recent years India, which had such religious harmony in the past is regressing with divides and animosities created between communities.
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A few times when we were on the road in Dubai, my son-in-law pointed out to a vehicle moving ahead of us and told us that was the ruler of Dubai. We were really astounded as unlike in India or in other countries, there were no retinue of cars and escort vehicles in front and back, nor police cars sirens wailing or other trappings of power. In India forget the prime minister and the president with their huge entourage of vehicles and police cars, even ministers down the line and chief ministers travel with all pomp and intense security, black cat commandos in cars front and back creating quite avoidable spectacles. What a contrast with the very people friendly Dubai rulers, consciously eschewing the pompousness of power. I also read in the newspaper that in one of the malls, one of the members of the ruling family, having a discussion with other officials. All of them seemed very casual and down to earth.
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Very soon time to go back to India came and packing started with last minute shopping and a few visits to relatives and friends staying nearby. Reached the airport with the family. After the initial procedures we were to move on to wait for the aircraft, and so my daughter and family stayed back, after last minute hugs and goodbyes, we moved forward.
A last look at my daughter and my heart seemed to leap out and give her a silent hug. I could see her wipe her tears and I did the same and so it was au revoir to my daughter and family and to Dubai.
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Author – Saro Abraham
