Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mistake the fact that he cares very deeply about what he does, and
even more deeply about the country he calls home.
There are those who think every Westerner in India should be a
missionary, but that overlooks the good to be done in countless
other ways - not to mention painting the whole vast land as a charity
case, rather than a richly varied, vibrant nation - and Bob Wright
tends not to brag about the numerous other ways in which he does
his adopted homeland good.
In a long, spacious room above the main clubhouse, I sat at a well-
laid breakfast table with Bob Wright and his wife, Ann. Every bit as
handsome and vital as her husband, Ann Wright, though born in
England, is now a passport-holding Indian citizen, and has spent as
much of her life in India as Bob, who was born there but has not
become a citizen . . . yet. Surrounded by the exotic mementoes of a
lifetime in the subcontinent, they both talked of childhoods in India,
while scrambled eggs, toast, and endless pots of fine Darjeeling tea
were served.
I pictured the paradise of colour, animals, and vibrant life a child
would have remembered sorrowfully on returning to the grey skies
of England, as the Wrights had. Both said that India, for a child, had
been a wonderland. They are both trying to save this wonder for
future generations to enjoy. Besides the club, Ann and Bob are
involved with supporting orphanages and old peoples' homes, as
well as various endeavours to save India's wildlife from extinction.
I asked Bob what it was about India that, often in spite of itself,
retained a special place in the heart.
'Well, it's certainly not the mystique,' he said. 'It's the variation of
people, surroundings. But it's the people, by and large.'
'How hard is it to watch the gradual and steady deterioration of
Calcutta?'
'Very, very sad. But it's happening elsewhere, as well. Look at
London. Standards are deteriorating - which is worse than things
falling down - standards of business, ethics. Of course, the decay of
buildings is sad, but the decay of human beings is sadder.'
'Is the simultaneous arrogance and lack of confidence you see in
the post-independence generation a consequence of colonialism?'
