India Week

In this candid interview, she takes us through a nostalgic journey of her connection with Germany and India, while also sharing with us how the confluence of these two countries and cultures have shaped her. 

Sanika: Tell us a little about your journey to Hamburg. What are some of your earliest memories associated with Hamburg and Germany? 

Amita: I remember that when I was about eleven, my parents were packing up to leave for Germany from India. This was the early 70s. I vividly remember that I had a pair of ghungroos (a traditional Indian dance accessory made of small, metallic bells) that got left out while packing. My mother decided we will leave them back in India, but I was insistent that I wanted to take them with me. So I slipped them in my coat pocket and these ghungroos came with me all the way to Hamburg. Although this was just an object, to me, it felt like, and still feels like I took a piece of India with me to Germany. It represents a piece of my childhood and my culture which I preciously safeguarded. 

I think we gather memories and emotions in this manner. We gather impact and influence in this manner, which then, ultimately comes out through our personality. And I think that is my connection with Germany and Hamburg. I come from a very sound family- both my parents are educators. They gave me a lot of space to grow — and grow I did! Here I was, a little seedling that was taken from India and planted in an unknown space like Hamburg, only to thrive. I think a lot of who I am, and how I am is shaped by those early years in Germany — specifically Hamburg. 

Sanika: What does the Indo-German connection represent for you? Has anything changed in the way you are perceived as an Indian in Germany after all these years? 

Amita: Very interesting question. I don't think I've thought too much about it other than subconsciously, perhaps it's nice to be able to spell it out. 

I do remember that in the 70s, I was a bit of a novelty in Hamburg. Brown skin, long, jet black hair... I remember going on an S-Bahn and someone pulled my hair to check if they were for real! Once someone came and touched my cheeks to see if the brown colour would come off. But that's how it was in the 70s. My family and I were a bit of a novelty there back then. Nevertheless, it was never uncomfortable. 

Also, since my father was a working professional, there were a whole lot of people who took us in and showed us the ropes to their culture. Some families would invite us for Easter celebrations, Christmas celebrations, and other events. As such we went from being a novelty to a regular family soon enough. Moreover, since I also went to university in Hamburg, I felt assimilated there. 

And you know that Germany is a country of people who talk straight. Germans will ask you a direct, uncomfortable question without flinching. If you are in a cafe or a pub, you end up talking to people and it can be about a whole variety of subjects. A lot of my friends in university would ask me direct and pertinent questions about my cultural background, about subjects that were taboo to me, and just generally about what my life would be like growing up. Will I marry someone my family chooses? Will I go back to India? These were questions I had not directly thought of so I began to deal with them. I started seeking those answers for myself and I think that really helped me find myself. 

Now, many decades later, as I go back to Germany representing Hamburg and the Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad in a formal capacity, I observe things differently. I do have the advantage of experience and maturity so I perceive things at that level and my individual emotions take a back seat. Now it's more about a broader culture — what can I give, what can I take? It has been a very healthy exchange and learning in both ways. I have grown and gained immensely from this experience of living in two cultures. 

Sanika: As an Indian and as the Hamburg Ambassador, you regularly have to straddle two borders and identities. Are there some things that you consciously try to represent or keep away in both or either places? 

Amita: I'm glad you asked that question. I think it is important to be me. I do represent Germany in my professional role here at the Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad. So I encourage teaching students some core German values like punctuality. Moreover, at a personal level, the environment is very important to me. I grew up in Germany in the 70s where the ideas of environment and conservation made a big imprint on me. Being conscious of the environment is huge at my institute (Goethe Institute). I take that seriously and so does everyone on my team along with the students. Any unnecessary plastic is a big “No” here. 

I also represent myself as an Indian woman no matter where I am — with both, its advantages as well as disadvantages. A few years ago, there was an Indian film that was screened in Hamburg and I was on its panel discussion. The film was “Lipstick Under my Burkha.” I did not think it was inappropriate to speak openly about women's sexuality and violence in the Indian context. Because I genuinely think that it is an important issue that really represents and affects a large number of Indian women even today. So I do feel that I naturally represent India and am an Indian. I may think globally, but ultimately I have a lot of Indianness and it is perfectly alright to be a part of a global community from a space that I call my own. 

But then again, I will do that the other way around as well. Here in India, I constantly, albeit carefully, try to quote my experiences from Germany — I say carefully because one can easily get into the habit of being a little judgemental and bringing in a holier-than-thou attitude. It is fine to talk about the obvious unhappy things but I don’t want to be preachy when comparing these two countries and cultures. I simply try to understand and share the best of both worlds. How can I enhance the quality of life through the various learnings of different cultures coming together? Only then can the boundaries be broken and we can create a positive outcome, a harmonious coexistence. 

Sanika: How did you become HamburgAmbassador? 

Amita: Julia Dautel in the Ministry of Culture and Media — she and I have been working on several projects for more than ten years now. We were sitting over a cup of coffee in Hamburg one day and she seemed to think that I would be the right person to be an honorary representative of the city. I was quite reluctant as I was not sure I had capacity to take on any more work. However, she was insistent that I was already involved in and working on all kinds of projects that fit exactly on the lines of what the Ministry believed in and wanted to promote further. After some more convincing on her part, I agreed to take up this role. 

I must say that it has been a wonderful experience and very rewarding too. Wonderful because I get to learn and explore many new facets of Hamburg, which I would not have known otherwise. I feel privileged that I get to meet members of the Hamburg Senate and represent the interests of the City-State of Hamburg. I also learn so much more about trade and corporate connections, as well as other cultural aspects. During the 2017 India Week Hamburg, as a guest of the city, I was invited to stay at the Guest House of the Senate of Hamburg, which is a fabulous, old heritage building along the Außenalster. That stay is marked as one of the most beautiful experiences of the time I spent in Hamburg. I still have fond memories of that. 

Sanika: What do you think of Hamburg when you go back today after all those years? 

Amita: Every place changes and evolves in its own way. But Hamburg and Germany overall have a way of making spaces and cities grow in a mindful way. Hamburg is a very special city in that sense. It is one of the few places where you go back and it seems to have become even more beautiful than when you left it. There are so many places that are exactly the same in Hamburg as I remember. So every time I go back I feel I am home in the same sense as long ago. It is a very special feeling. 

Sanika: What are some of your favourite places in Hamburg? 

Amita: The harbour. Definitely a walk along the harbour, and the old tunnel at Landungsbrücken, and then a boat ride. That's what I remember from my earlier days. As a child, I remember that if any visitor was coming to Hamburg, we took them to Landungsbrücken. And really, how often have I been there! Then, of course, there are other places like the Alster and the University. Also, I grew up in Othmarschen so that neighbourhood will always be very familiar to me. 

Sanika: Are there some things that you miss in India? 

Amita: I miss being able to walk alone at night as a woman. To be able to be with yourself unhindered, unaccosted, out of the maddening crowd. I think that is missed. Yes. To an extent, I also wish we had more green spaces and parks. With the combination of various water ways, the green, the clean and pedestrian-friendly city, I long for this frequently. 

Sanika: What do you think is the role and contribution of India Week Hamburg? 

Amita: I think it's wonderful that Hamburg celebrates India in this way. It is a great opportunity for us as Indians to connect with the city not only at an economic or business level — which of course it is, but also at a cultural and personal level. Of course, without the economic connection, we would not have such a lasting and sustainable relationship. 

I remember one year when India was a guest nation at the harbour celebration — the Hafengeburtstag in May. I am in Hamburg around that time to attend the Hamburg Ambassador's meet. During that particular year though, I saw there were bhangra and garba (Indian folk dances) performances at the Hamburg Harbour. It felt so good to see that! So one certainly does feel good that Hamburg has been giving India a respectful space in its socio-political connections and has the desire and the inclination to connect with India. 

I feel that deeper connections are being made since the India Week Hamburg has been going on for some years now. Also, the team working on this is genuinely interested and passionate about curating a holistic mix of activities in the event. They bring forth ideas and India-Hamburg connections that actually matter. It is so important that the people organizing the event know India and know Hamburg. It is only with that background can one go beyond the superficialities of both cultures. 

I think India Week Hamburg is a great opportunity that Indian agencies need to pick up on and actively take part in. For example, in the domain of education- there is so much to be explored in the two countries in the area of research and education. I find India Week Hamburg to be a great opportunity while being such a lot of fun too!

Author: Sanika Diwanji