“India has everything except freedom, cleanliness and higher pay” — A Returnee’s Reflection
A young Indian woman, Jigeesha Gupta, recently stirred conversation with her honest reflection on returning to India after five years in London. According to the article in The Indian Express, she said:
“India has everything except freedom, cleanliness and higher pay.” (The Indian Express)
Her statement opens up a layered discussion about what drives Indians abroad, what they gain, and what they find when they come back. Below we explore her journey, what her words tell us about India’s strengths and weaknesses, and the broader implications for young Indians considering their future.
Her Story — Five Years in London & Then Home
Jigeesha left India at 19 and spent five years in London. In her own words, London “raised me” — through loneliness, breakthrough friendships, jobs that broke her and others that built her. (The Indian Express)
Returning home, she says she’s not the same person who left; she’s come back “as a woman with fire in her soul.” (The Indian Express)
And yet, despite the growth abroad, her evaluation of India is stark: while India offers much, it falls short in crucial ways — freedom (in her frame, presumably personal & societal), cleanliness (public hygiene, infrastructure) and higher pay (economic opportunity relative to cost of living).
What She Really Means — Reading Between the Lines
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Freedom: Having lived abroad, one often experiences broader personal choices, less social constraint, smoother systems. Returning to India may remind one of structural limitations: gender norms, bureaucratic hurdles, safety concerns. Jigeesha’s use of “freedom” likely spans personal, professional and social realms.
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Cleanliness: Public infrastructure, urban cleanliness, sanitation, air quality — these are persistent challenges in India. Her London experience may have raised her benchmark for what decent urban living looks like. Upon return, the contrast becomes sharper.
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Higher Pay: Earning abroad often gives an economic lens: the same job may pay much more, the cost of living may still be manageable, and savings possible. Back in India, salaries may be lower (even for comparable roles) while costs of living (in cities) are rising. She highlights this economic gap as a key reason her return includes a sense of loss in some respects.
India’s Strengths — Why She Says “India has everything”
Despite the critique, Jigeesha acknowledges India’s strengths — cultural richness, familial connections, vibrancy, potential. As her Instagram post suggests, coming home feels like a next chapter with pieces of two worlds. (The Indian Express)
For many returnees and Indians abroad, the magnet of home includes:
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Deep family and community roots
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Cultural familiarity and lifelong networks
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Opportunities in a growing economy, especially in new sectors (tech, startups)
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Lower cost of living (outside major metros) and sense of belonging
The Gaps She Highlights — Why They Matter
Freedom — When personal autonomy is constrained, whether by social expectations, gender norms, legal/bureaucratic hurdles, the sense of being “free” can erode. Returnees comparing systems abroad often notice these constraints sharply.
Cleanliness & Infrastructure — If you’ve lived in cities with reliable services, clean public spaces, efficient transport systems, coming back to crowded, polluted, under-infrastructured environments can feel like a downgrade. This isn’t just comfort — it affects health, mood, and productivity.
Pay & Opportunity — Economic mobility is a major driver of migration. When returning means taking a pay cut (or stalling growth), the emotional and financial calculus changes. Especially for those used to higher salaries abroad or remote work for global teams, India’s mismatch becomes harder to ignore.
Broader Implications — For Indians Abroad, Returnees, and India Itself
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For Indian youth abroad: This story echoes what many feel — the ideal of returning home is emotionally compelling, yet the lived realities may clash with expectations. It suggests the importance of researching and preparing for reintegration: infrastructure, job markets, lifestyle differences.
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For returnees: Reintegration is complex. You bring back skills, perspectives and ambitions — but you also face dissonance. Adjusting mindset, managing expectations, and choosing the right city/region matters.
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For India: The critique is a signal. India’s growth story is incomplete without upgrading quality of life — not just GDP growth but infrastructure, governance, job quality, and social freedom. If India wants to retain talent (and attract back diasporas), addressing “soft-factors” (cleanliness, freedom, quality of life) is vital.
Key Questions Going Forward
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Can India create conditions of freedom (social, economic, personal) that match what global-mobility returnees expect?
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Will urban infrastructure and public cleanliness improve fast enough to meet rising benchmarks?
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Will salaries and job opportunities expand so returning Indians don’t feel the economic sacrifice of coming home?
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How will returnees negotiate their dual identities — part foreign-exposed, part rooted in India — and channel their experiences into change?
Final Thoughts
Jigeesha’s frank reflection — “India has everything except freedom, cleanliness and higher pay” — is more than a personal statement. It’s a mirror held up to India’s ambitions and gaps. It shows how migration isn’t just about geography, but about values, expectations, identity and quality of life.
Returning home is not always a “return to the best of both worlds”; it can be a reunion with a country you love, but also a reckoning with its real-world constraints. For India to truly win the hearts of its diasporas and returnees, the story must evolve — from “growing economy” to “thriving, free, clean and equitable society.”
If you like, I can dig up 10 more stories of Indians returning home post-abroad, summarise what they found good and what they found challenging — to map patterns of return-ee experience.
