Leaving India by Rachana Joshi

 This blog task assigned by Prakruti ma'am. This blog is based on our group discussion and in this group discussion we discussed poem: - Leaving India by Rachana Joshi. 

In this group we are 6 members, but I was absent on that discussion day hence Khushi Gauswami has given me glimpses of this discussion. So, in this discussion we covered topics: -   Background of poem, critical analysis, thematic aspects and Question bank. 

 Leaving India

by Rachana Joshi

Why did I leave India

And come to North America?

I was very young and full of naive ideas

About studying poetry, traveling, and finding true love.

North America was clean, sanitized, almost sterile.

Everything swept, orderly and shining.

The crowds were smaller, more manageable.

In Syracuse, the skies were blue,

The autumnal trees red and orange,

And the light was golden and white.

I saw beautiful pictures.

Everything smelt of plastic and perfume.

India is stark, ancient, and ugly,

Magnificent, uplifting or degrading.

In North America, there were

No ruins, no myths, no ghosts —

A naked world.

In India, all meaning comes from

Sacramental link with the Past.

We may deny history, family and tradition,

But somewhere, five thousand years

Of continuous civilization

Still live in our blood.

Here, I walk past new glass towers,

Perfect lawns and silent streets.

The air is crisp, untouched by memory.

Yet at night, my dreams return

To crumbling temples, crowded bazaars,

To voices echoing in narrow lanes.

In this bright land, I gained freedom,

But lost the weight of belonging.

The scent of wet earth after monsoon,

The call of temple bells at dawn —

They stay in me, half-remembered songs.

Why did I leave?

To find myself, perhaps.

And yet what I found

Was that I had never truly left.

For in my words, my breath, my silences —

India still whispers.

1: Based on the poem assigned to your group, discuss the thematic and critical aspects, and prepare one long and one short answer from the question bank.

Analysis of the Poem: Migration, Memory and Paradox This reflective poem explores the complex emotional journey of leaving India for North America. It opens with an introspective tone, where the speaker questions their youthful decision. The speaker admits to being “young and full of naive ideas,” driven by idealistic dreams of studying poetry, travelling, and finding true love. These dreams suggest a desire for freedom, emotional depth, and creative expression, which often accompany youthful idealism. The poem carefully contrasts North America’s apparent perfection with India’s overwhelming sensory richness. North America is depicted as “clean, sanitized, almost sterile,” highlighting order, modernity, and control. In contrast, India is presented as chaotic, ancient, and full of emotional extremes. This contrast reveals the paradox of migration: while the new world offers physical comfort and neatness, it can lack the deep cultural and emotional complexity the speaker associates with home. Use of Paradox and Contradiction The poet’s writing is notable for its use of paradox, as seen in the lines: “India is stark, ancient and ugly, Magnificent, uplifting or degrading.” This contradiction captures the richness and depth of India—a land that embodies beauty and ugliness, pride and pain, spirituality and social struggle. These paradoxes reveal that the speaker perceives India as layered and multifaceted, rather than simply beautiful or ugly. North America, by contrast, is described as “No ruins, no myths, no ghosts. A brave new naked world.” Here, the absence of history and mythology suggests a loss of cultural depth and inherited meaning. The “naked world” metaphor implies modernity stripped of spiritual and emotional context. It suggests a world built on the present moment, lacking the cultural “clothing” of myth and tradition that offers comfort and belonging. Historical Legacy and Identity Another significant theme is the connection between memory, tradition, and identity. India is depicted as a place where meaning is rooted in history, family, and ritual. The poet refers to “Five thousand years of continuous civilisation,” emphasizing a deep sense of historical continuity and inherited identity. Even when one rejects tradition, its influence remains powerful and subconscious, described vividly as something ready to “embrace us like a doting grandparent.” This metaphor evokes warmth, love, and acceptance—suggesting that cultural memory is not only binding but nurturing. Isolation and Privacy The poet also reflects on the experience of isolation in the new land. The line, “The crowds are smaller, more manageable,” highlights both physical comfort and emotional cost. Smaller crowds mean more space and privacy, but also the loss of communal life, vibrancy, and human connection that larger, chaotic gatherings in India might provide. Cultural vs. Physical Spaces Through these comparisons, the poem explores how migration often leads to living in a place that is physically comfortable yet emotionally and culturally empty. North America’s “sterile” environment seems safe and organized, yet it is perceived as lacking the spiritual and emotional resonance of India’s “myths, ghosts, and ruins.” Conclusion In summary, the poem deeply reflects on identity, nostalgia, and cultural paradoxes. The poet captures the tension between modernity and historical depth, between emotional richness and physical order. It suggests that while migration may offer material benefits, it often leads to a profound sense of spiritual and cultural loss, where the past continues to shape identity despite physical distance.

Question-Answer

1. Discuss Diasporic Identity and raise the question of belongingness.

Definition of Diasporic Identity

Diasporic identity refers to the complex self that emerges when individuals live away from their homeland.

It often involves a continuous negotiation between the culture of origin and the adopted culture, leading to feelings of dual belonging and inner conflict.

The Poet’s Personal Narrative

In "Leaving India", Rachana Joshi shares her migration journey to North America, highlighting the emotional and cultural displacement inherent in diaspora. The poem illustrates how the poet’s identity is shaped by memory, nostalgia, and the contrast between the two worlds.

Sense of Rootlessness and Longing The poet reflects on India as “stark, ancient and ugly, Magnificent, uplifting or degrading,” revealing a layered relationship with her homeland.

Despite critiques of India’s sensory overload, the poet’s language suggests a deep emotional attachment that remains unresolved.

Contradictory Imagery and Cultural Contrast

North America is described as “clean, sanitized, almost sterile,” with “smaller, more manageable” crowds and “golden and white” light. This imagery contrasts sharply with India’s overwhelming, chaotic beauty, showing the poet’s divided sense of self.

Belongingness vs. Alienation

While the poet physically belongs to North America, emotionally she remains anchored to India. This duality raises the question: can one fully belong to a new place without losing a part of the self-shaped by origin?

Idealism and Disillusionment

The poet admits being “very young and full of naive ideas about studying poetry, traveling and finding true love,” suggesting migration was driven by idealism rather than practical belonging. The poem thus critiques the romanticized image of the West, hinting at the loneliness beneath surface order.

Identity as a Process, not a State

Joshi’s poem shows that diasporic identity is not fixed; it evolves through memory, language, and lived experience.

The poet's nostalgia for India and critique of North America exist simultaneously, shaping a complex selfhood.

Conclusion: The Unresolved Question

The poem ends without resolution, mirroring how diasporic individuals often live between worlds.

2.Write a short note on ‘Usage of Paradox’ in Rachna Joshi’s poem.

In Rachana Joshi’s poignant poem “Leaving India,” paradox emerges as a central poetic device, articulating the complex emotional landscape experienced by diasporic individuals who depart from their homeland. Through paradox, Joshi captures the simultaneous sense of loss and renewal inherent in migration, presenting departure not merely as an act of leaving but as a profound redefinition of belonging and identity. The poem juxtaposes physical separation with emotional attachment, revealing that distancing oneself geographically can paradoxically deepen one’s emotional connection to the very place left behind. One striking paradox in the poem lies in the coexistence of sorrow and hope. The speaker mourns the departure from familiar streets, ancestral homes, and cultural rituals, yet this sorrow is entwined with anticipation for an unknown future. This duality reflects the paradoxical nature of migration: the departure is a form of escape from limitations but also an embrace of uncertainty. Joshi’s imagery—“leaving roots only to plant them elsewhere”—highlights this contradiction, suggesting that leaving does not entail the abandonment of one’s identity but rather its transplantation into new soil. The paradox, therefore, underscores the idea that departure is both an act of loss and an act of renewal. Moreover, Joshi’s language constructs paradoxes around belonging. While the speaker physically exits India, their memories and cultural practices remain deeply rooted in Indian soil. The poem suggests that even as one leaves, one carries an interior “India” that resists displacement. This inner conflict—between external dislocation and internal permanence—reinforces the paradox of being simultaneously at home and in exile. The speaker’s identity becomes transnational, shaped as much by absence as by presence, which paradoxically strengthens rather than weakens cultural ties. The paradoxical tone of “Leaving India” also extends to the emotional state of the speaker. Feelings of guilt accompany the hope for better opportunities abroad. Joshi captures this moral tension by presenting migration as an act that is both selfish and necessary, an ambivalent journey motivated by individual aspiration yet shadowed by collective memory. Through this nuanced portrayal, the poem transcends simplistic binaries of loyalty and betrayal, emphasizing instead the paradoxical truth that love for one’s homeland can motivate, rather than deter, departure. In essence, paradox in Joshi’s “Leaving India” becomes a powerful vehicle to express the layered emotional and cultural realities of migration. By holding contradictory truths in tension, the poem mirrors the fractured yet resilient identity of those who leave, showing that departure is not a severance but an evolution of belonging.

Step 2: Prepare a report of the group discussion addressing the following questions:

• Which poem and questions were discussed by the group? Was there any unique approach or technique used by your group to discuss the topic?

- Khushi dealt with Diasporic Identity of Rachna Joshi and how it is represented in the poem, themes of the poem and Usage of Paradox. Later Khushi explained me briefly about this topic. As well she briefly explained Smruti and Sanket's topic.

3: Briefly present your learning outcomes from this activity.

Engaging in this discussion activity can enhance our oral communication skills. When we articulate our thoughts and explain concepts to others, it allows us to clarify and consolidate our own understanding.

Thank You.