(Also read: Indian woman reveals ‘breaking point’ that led her to leave Canada: ‘It got worse’)

Pandori, who studied at Western University in Canada and has built his life around education, work and freedom, now plans to come back to India. Her decision, she says, is not rooted in disappointment with Canada, but in a deep desire to build something more meaningful at home.

Speaking to HT.com, Pandori said, “I moved to Canada in 2021 to pursue my bachelor’s degree.”

She said she has always been attracted to media, storytelling, communication and creative expression. Studying abroad, for them, felt like an opportunity to experience a different environment while gaining broader experience in the field.

He said, “A big inspiration for me was also freedom. Seeing my older brother go abroad first made me curious about how much a new environment can shape you as an individual, and at 18, I found the idea incredibly exciting.”

In Canada, he attended Western University, where he studied Media, Information and Technoculture along with a certification in Digital Communications.

“One thing I really appreciated about studying abroad was the flexibility in the education system,” she said.

Excited by the idea of ​​international exposure, meeting people from different backgrounds, learning in a new environment, and experiencing freedom for the first time, she moved to Canada in 2021.

She said, “Like many young Indians, I have grown up seeing life abroad as exciting and full of opportunities. While this is certainly true in many ways, I think the emotional reality of living alone in another country is something that you can only fully understand when you experience it yourself.”

Despite the emotional challenges, Pandori said she has no regrets. “Living abroad during some of the very formative years of my life helped me become much more adaptable, self-reliant and confident as a person,” she said.

“For me, the ‘dream life’ in Canada was never just about luxury or aesthetics. It was about growth, freedom and becoming the kind of person I envisioned for myself when I first moved abroad,” she said.

Academically, she wanted to do well and make the most of the education she had worked hard for. Professionally, she wanted to gain experience quickly and achieve financial independence while simultaneously studying.

Pandori said she worked steadily in communications and marketing roles throughout her time in Canada. She worked in social media and marketing for the university libraries, later taking on communications and marketing-related roles in the university’s technical services department and also served as a student ambassador for three consecutive years.

He said that his time abroad was not limited to classes and exams. “Personally, I wanted to fully experience everything that university life has to offer abroad, whether it be career fairs, networking events, workshops, cultural experiences or even traditions like homecoming,” she said.

Pandori also received the Sustained Excellence Scholarship and Excellence Financial Award from the university. He said those recognitions reassured him that his efforts to build a life abroad were being noticed.

Graduate with Dean’s Honors

Pandori also graduated with Dean’s Honors, an accomplishment he described as personally meaningful.

“Graduating with Dean’s Honors means a lot to me personally because adapting to a completely different educational system was initially overwhelming,” she said.

He explained that the learning style in Canada was more focused on critical thinking, discussion and application rather than memorization. It took time to adjust to that system.

“More than anything, it felt meaningful because I knew how much personal growth had gone into that accomplishment behind the scenes. Seeing my parents be proud of me during that trip was also one of the most gratifying parts of the experience,” she said.

“To be honest, the idea existed much earlier than people expected, probably during my first year abroad,” he said.

Initially, she thought this feeling was part of homesickness and the natural challenge of adjusting to life alone in a different country. But with time it became something deeper.

Pandori said, “At first, I assumed those feelings were simply part of adjusting to a new environment. But over time, they evolved into deeper reflections about the kind of life I ultimately wanted to have for myself long-term.”

Every encounter back home strengthened that feeling. She said she can see how fast India is developing, especially for the youth interested in entrepreneurship, creativity and creating something of their own.

“Gradually, the idea of ​​returning to India stopped feeling like just an emotional pull towards home and became a much more deliberate decision about where I see myself making an impact and building my future,” she said.

“Living abroad changed me tremendously for the better. It taught me flexibility, responsibility, independence and how to adapt quickly to unfamiliar situations,” she said.

She said she became more confident in herself and her ability to build a life anew in an entirely new environment.

She said, “So I will always be grateful for my experience in Canada. I really consider that phase of my life transformative and incredibly valuable.”

Also, as she grew older, she began to think more deeply about where she felt most emotionally connected and where she saw herself building a meaningful life beyond professional milestones.

She said, “I think ‘meaningful’ means two things to me today. One is creating something that feels connected to who I am personally and what I really care about, and the other is creating something that contributes positively to the people and communities around me.”

(Also read: ‘Need fees for school, need job for fees’: Indian woman in Canada says she’s stuck in a ‘loop’)

She has always been attracted to fashion and events and is currently working on a resort wear label called Vivasio.

“I always wanted to create a fashion brand in Goa that was based on authenticity and individuality rather than fast-paced trends,” she said.

Apart from fashion, she is also interested in creating community based events and experiences that bring people together.

“Especially today, when so many young people experience loneliness despite being constantly connected online, I think it’s more valuable than ever to have real-life experiences and create community,” she said.

He said, “Yes, absolutely. I think professional success and personal satisfaction can sometimes be very different things.”

Previously, she linked success to external milestones such as a good job, earning good money, building an impressive career, and achieving stability. But over time, he realized that those achievements did not always guarantee emotional satisfaction.

“Earlier, I associated success primarily with external milestones – getting a good job, earning good money, building an impressive career, and achieving stability. And while these things are important, I gradually realized that they do not automatically create emotional satisfaction. This feeling became stronger during my stay abroad. Even though I was happy with the direction of my academic and professional journey, I also began to question what actually made me feel purposeful beyond productivity or achievement,” she said. Said.

She also volunteered with an Indian NGO and taught underprivileged students to speak English online. That experience gave him satisfaction that wasn’t tied to money, titles or career achievements, he said.

“Today, success for me means building a life that is emotionally connected, creatively fulfilling, and connected to the kind of impact I want to make long-term,” she said.

She said, “Most importantly, Canada introduced me to people, cultures and experiences that tremendously shaped me as a person. I will be forever grateful for that.”

At the same time, she realized that the emotional and community aspect of life with which she grew up in India was difficult to replicate abroad.

“Canada gave me incredible opportunity and growth, but culturally, life there is much more individualistic and independent,” she said.

She said she misses the close family ties, spontaneous social interactions, festivals, everyday warmth and social energy of India.

He said, “There is a certain energy in India, be it the people, the social atmosphere, the festivals, the conversations or just being surrounded by belonging, that made me feel emotionally connected in a way that was difficult to fully replicate abroad.”

He believes that more young Indians abroad are now reconsidering the idea of ​​settling abroad permanently.

He said, “I think in the past, settling abroad was often seen as the ultimate definition of success. But today, people have come to define success more personally rather than socially.”

He said India’s changing professional landscape, especially in entrepreneurship, remote work, startups and creative industries, has led many youth to realize that opportunities and satisfaction do not exist outside India alone.

“In the past, many people may have felt hesitant to even admit that they wanted to return because it could be misinterpreted as ‘giving up’ or ‘failing.’ But increasingly, people are realizing that choosing where you want to make your life is an extremely personal decision and returning home can be a conscious choice, not a compromise,” she said.

(Also read: Indian woman’s graduation ceremony in Canada goes viral as desi mom urges her to dance: ‘Balle-balle do’)

For Pandori, the next phase isn’t about starting over. It’s about coming back with a fresh perspective.

She said, “Canada gave me experiences and lessons that I will always carry with me and I’m grateful for that. Now, I’m eager to see what I can build from those experiences at home over time.”

After 127 years, the repatriation of the Piprahwa remains was truly historic and a journey of its own. In May 2025, Sotheby’s Hong Kong auctioned ‘The Piprahwa Gems’, which was discovered in 1898 by the British colonial surveyor William Claxton Peppe at Piprahwa in present-day Uttar Pradesh. Brahmi inscriptions on it were identified as belonging to Gautama Buddha himself, along with bone fragments and offerings placed at the time of his Mahaparinirvana. India’s Ministry of Culture soon intervened to stop the auction and repatriated the remains to India on July 30, 2025. To celebrate this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the international exhibition titled ‘The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One’ at Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi on January 3, 2026. “After 127 years of waiting, India’s heritage is back, and the country’s treasure is back. The heritage is back home,” he said.

For this Buddha Purnima, the selection of Ladakh as the venue for the first domestic exhibition of Piprahwa relics is not accidental. This is important; It is the land of four active Tibetan Buddhist sects (Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug), whose monasteries are older than most countries, with a history stretching from Emperor Ashoka’s emissaries to Gandhara and Kashmir to the Silk Road. Notably the Silk Road was not just a trade artery, it was a corridor of ideas, monks, manuscripts and artistic traditions.

Buddhism emerged in the Gangetic plains of present-day India in the 5th–6th century BCE. The life of Lord Buddha spans across India, from his birth in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal) to Bodh Gaya (enlightenment), Sarnath (first sermon), and Kushinagar (Mahaparinirvana). These sites are centers of global Buddhist pilgrimage. And India exported Buddhist philosophy to Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan through traders, monks, and scholars.

Ashoka was considered one of the first great practitioners of what we today call Buddhist diplomacy. He sent his son Mahinda and daughter Sanghamitta to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE, and shared the teachings not as an act of conquest but as an offering. For centuries, scholars from across Asia made pilgrimages to Indian universities. Even Chinese scholars like Hiuen Tsang and Yijing traveled to Nalanda, Takshashila and other places for study. Mahavihar. Nalanda was an Indian institution, founded in present-day Bihar in the 5th century CE, which historian William Dalrymple called “the undisputed scholarly center of the Mahayana Buddhist world”. And today, India is reorganizing and reviving this heritage not as revivalism, but as civilizational continuity.

The relic exhibition is the most emotionally and symbolically influential element of India’s Buddhist strategy. The Government of India facilitated two major exhibitions in the last two years. In Thailand, between February 22 and March 19, 2024, relics of the Buddha and his disciples were displayed in four locations, attracting more than 4 million devotees. In Vietnam, from May 2 to June 2, 2025, the remains of Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh were displayed at nine locations during Vesak celebrations, drawing an estimated 18 million visitors.

Similarly, India’s Buddhist diplomacy has deep institutional roots in Mongolia also. From 1990 to 2000, India appointed Ladakh political leader Bakula Rinpoche as its ambassador, a decision that deepened India–Mongolia relations through cultural and spiritual channels. In Russia’s Buddhist republics of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva, the route of the relics produced similar scenes of deep reverence. The Ladakh exhibition builds on this, attracting global devotees and promoting spiritual tourism and people-to-people ties.

Complementing this is the Buddhist circuit connecting the holy sites of Lumbini and Kapilvastu with Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Nalanda and Kushinagar. In 2025 alone, the Buddhist circuit of Uttar Pradesh received more than 61 lakh tourists in the first nine months alone. Kushinagar’s international airport now provides direct connectivity to Buddhist-majority countries in Southeast Asia. Also interesting is how the Northeast is being integrated through a dedicated Buddhist circuit across six states, positioning the eastern part of India as a civilizational bridge to ASEAN. The year 2025 was designated as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism, with India pledging $5 million from the ASEAN-India Fund to support cultural and tourism initiatives across the region.

Under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation framework, the Ministry of External Affairs organized a nine-day familiarization visit for 50 travel industry representatives to Buddhist sites in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. A high-level Thai delegation visited Gujarat in June 2025, deepening cultural ties dating back to the era of Ashoka’s own missions. Additionally, the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, the Bodhi Yatra Initiative, and the restoration of the Ananda Temple in Bagan are not separate development projects. They are a Buddhist corridor architecture, connecting the birthplace of the Dhamma with the regions where it developed.

The second Global Buddhist Summit was organized by the International Buddhist Confederation and the Ministry of Culture in New Delhi in January 2026. Attended by diplomats and monks from nearly 40 countries, the summit provided a platform for India to articulate its custodianship of Buddhist wisdom at the highest multilateral level. These initiatives/efforts are instruments of Dhamma diplomacy, a civilizational strategy that India has been slow to name but is finally implementing as cost-effective pillars of soft power.

For more than two decades now, China has been promoting Buddhist diplomacy by hosting international Buddhist forums, funding the restoration of monasteries in Southeast Asia, attracting Theravada communities, and engaging Buddhist outreach in the Belt and Road Initiative. China has presented itself as the global headquarters of the Buddhist world. But it is ironic that the state has repressed domestic religion, destroyed the institutional foundations of Tibetan Buddhism, and incarcerated thousands of Tibetan monks and nuns during the Cultural Revolution.

And as scholar Sana Hashmi has said, China is trying to build religious diplomacy with countries whose main religion is Buddhism, but its real goal is to achieve political objectives. The Buddhist Association of China is overseen by the CCP’s United Front Work Department, which mandates that all clergy must pledge allegiance to the Party and socialism. A 2007 regulation requires state approval for all reincarnate lamas, which directly interferes with the centuries-old Tibetan religious tradition. Since 2020, under the leadership of Xi Jinping, the CCP has intensified a formal Sinicization campaign, a policy designed to bring Buddhist doctrine into line with CCP ideology.

India needs to reaffirm its Buddhist roots and pursue its Dhamma diplomacy very vigorously and claim its rightful place as the cradle and custodian of Buddhist heritage. Under the leadership of Modi, 642 antiquities have been brought back to India. Each repatriation is a small act of civilizational recovery and remains diplomacy linking countries across different geographies.

Even the presence of the Dalai Lama in India is actually India’s greatest asset. Since 1959, India has been the home of the Tibetan government-in-exile and one of the great surviving centers of Tibetan Buddhist learning, scholarship and practice. It has attracted students, practitioners and seekers from all over the world. In many ways India has provided a home to the Dhamma.

Apart from this, Buddhist Circuit is being built, strengthening India-Nepal relations. The Northeast is being considered as a civilizational gateway. What can be done now is to set up an institutional machinery to coordinate efforts under a coherent principle, which clearly positions India as Dhammabhumi, the land of Dhamma, at every multilateral forum where Buddhism is discussed. This is soft power. This Act is in line with the Act East Policy, Neighborhood First and global outreach to Buddhist countries.

(Views expressed are personal)

This article is written by Chhavi Vashishtha, Associate Fellow, Chintan Research Foundation, New Delhi.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued environmental clearance for the Great Nicobar project in February 2026, citing strategic, military and economic importance. It has underlined strict compliance with ecological safeguards. The tribunal recognized the importance of the project, given India’s urgent need for maritime capabilities in the Indian Ocean.

The Great Nicobar Project is the overall development of the Great Nicobar Island. It is an infrastructure-intensive project consisting of a transshipment port, an international airport, a township and a power plant at Galathea Bay, located on the south eastern coast of Great Nicobar Island. This is an ambitious project, the cost is low ₹72,000- ₹Rs 81,000 crore has been envisaged by NITI Aayog. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) implements it. It aims to utilize the geo-strategic advantage of the Nicobar Islands and make it an important strategic, economic and defense hub in the Indo-Pacific region. This project will take 30 years to complete. Under this project, maximum attention will be given to four key areas.

The International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) is a deep water port in Galathea Bay. It is expected to handle approximately 14.2–16 million TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) annually. The greenfield international airport will cater to civil and military needs and promote tourism. The 450 MVA (Megavolt-Ampere) hybrid power complex will manage the energy requirements of the island and ensure self-sufficiency. An integrated township is also a part of the project.

The strategic urgency of the Great Nicobar Project is the main reason behind this multi-crore project. Its proximity to the Strait of Malacca increases its importance as a major strategic centre. It is the cornerstone of India’s national security in the Indo-Pacific region. This is a response to the changing geopolitics in the region, especially growing Chinese and American interests. The Strait of Malacca is an important global bottleneck. More than 70% of China’s oil imports and 30% of global trade pass through the strait. The Indian Navy’s proximity to the strait, with its naval base on Great Nicobar Island, helps India monitor traffic in the area and enhances its security posture.

This project is a response to the Chinese String of Pearls. It is China’s strategic framework and a commercial and maritime network from the Horn of Africa to mainland China. This is important for China’s energy imports as it is an energy dependent country. This is China’s great game of power projection in the Indian Ocean region. The string of pearls include Gwadar (Pakistan), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Djibouti (Horn of Africa), Kyaukphyu (Myanmar) and Cocoa Islands (north-eastern Bay of Bengal). Through these strategic ports, China exercises surveillance and displays its subtle military power and naval prowess. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has invested in these infrastructure projects to show its strength. This is India’s strategic encirclement in the Indian Ocean region. The Great Nicobar Project is an immediate strategic response to growing Chinese expansionism in the Indian Ocean region. China’s supply chains and oil imports make it dependent on the Indian Ocean. India needs the Great Nicobar Project to respond to China. Regional dominance and maritime security in the Indian Ocean region requires India to secure its strategic depth and curb Chinese interference. The Great Nicobar Project is India’s counter-strategy to monitor Chinese interference in the region. It will be the gatekeeper of the Strait of Malacca, bringing balance of power and checking Chinese hegemony. The project will facilitate improved coastal radar network to monitor maritime activities. It is also a milestone in enhancing cooperation with the Quad (India, US, Japan, Australia) and working together to ensure a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.

The economic ambition of the Great Nicobar Project is to transform it into a global maritime and logistics super-hub. Upon completion of the project, it will increase India’s shipping revenues. This will end the long standing dependence on foreign ports. This will make India a major player in the transshipment market. India is dependent on foreign ports to transport its goods. About 75% of its cargo is shipped through the ports of Singapore, Colombo and Port Klang. The Galathea Bay port will be a real game changer, saving an estimated $200-$300 million annually. ICTT can generate annual revenue ₹30,000 crore by 2040.

This mega project could create 50,000 high-paying jobs in sectors such as logistics, aviation and energy. It will be the center of the urban economic engine. The 149 sq km greenfield township will transform the region into a place of intense economic and urban activity. The project makes Great Nicobar Island a Special Economic Zone, where a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) may be possible. Greenfield International Airport will enhance global tourism. The blue economy will get the necessary impetus. Marine resources can be transformed into economic activity.

The root of the dispute is ecology. The Great Nicobar Project is ambitious and strategically important, but the ecological damage it will cause raises concerns. The area is a pristine tropical rainforest ecosystem. The concerns are real. But over-activity is inappropriate. Geo-strategic compulsions cannot be ignored. The project will involve deforestation, habitat fragmentation, threats to endangered species (giant leatherback turtle, Nicobar megapode and Nicobar macaque), impacts on coral reefs and mangroves due to dredging and loss of natural barriers, and loss of marine nurseries. The island is vulnerable to seismic hazards. In view of these apprehensions, NTG has maintained strict guidelines for the Great Nicobar Project.

The NTG mandates strict adherence to environmental concerns and the protection of biodiversity and indigenous communities. No erosion or shoreline alteration and no loss of sandy beaches must be strictly maintained. The sandy beaches are important as nesting sites for turtles and birds. Coral conservation and relocation of coral colonies should be strictly followed. It is imperative to open new wildlife sanctuaries to protect leatherback turtles, Nicobar megapodes and corals. Two research stations are to be built at Campbell Bay and Kamorta Island to monitor biodiversity health. Eight dedicated wildlife corridors are to be developed for the movement of animals in developed areas.

NTG recommends strict adherence to the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. Independent monitoring committees should be established to assess tribal welfare and prevent interference with tribal habitat due to developmental activities on the island. Development is prohibited in ecologically sensitive areas. Mandatory compliance with the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) Notification, 2019 is mandatory. Pollution standards should be strictly followed. There is no natural water body, and its flow is restricted for developmental activities. Any violation of the above condition will result in legal challenge. A High Powered Committee (HPC) has been constituted to review the project and environment clearance.

The above challenges are real. Strict guidelines are also important. It is equally important to implement the Great Nicobar Project. The strategic imperatives and growing security vulnerabilities in the Indian Ocean region require a strategically advantageous location that will enable India to become a net security provider in the region. India’s trade, cultural, maritime and strategic antiquity in this region was very rich and time-tested. Now is the time to revive the strategic and economic depth of the region for India to emerge as a trustworthy and reliable partner. China’s aggressive policy of strategic encirclement requires appropriate countermeasures. The Great Nicobar Project is a solution to the strategic and security inadequacies. India must develop it to redefine its strategic importance. Environmental concerns are important and should be addressed effectively, not just paperwork. To make this project truly successful, genuine concern must be shown for ecology and ecological fragility.

(Views expressed are personal)

This article is written by Jajati K Patnaik, Chairman, Center for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Professor Chandan Panda, Central University of Karnataka, Karnataka.