Ruthin Arts Network would like to thank Dr Rajan Madhok, our latest guest speaker, for a fascinating and moving talk on 8th May in the Old Courthouse, Ruthin. Many people gathered to listen to the story of Rajan’s journey, as a young doctor, from India to the UK.
After his initial training in Delhi, and arriving in the UK in 1980, Rajan worked as a public health doctor. Over the years, he worked his way up the system and held senior medical management positions in the NHS.
Rajan highlighted the events of his life by sharing some of his poems. This poem expresses his feelings about leaving India and becoming an immigrant:
The immigrant
Leaving on that jet plane
for the distant shores
dream come true
going to Britain
new start, new life
excited and daunted
Will I make it
Will it be worthwhile
Will I miss folk back home
Will they miss me
Fast forward four decades
neither Indian nor British
pulled by both
resentful of both
India of youth gone
Britain has changed too
Or is it me
unable to adapt
rootless and restless
the first-generation immigrant
Rajan’s work in the NHS took him all over the UK, beginning in the Shetland Islands. It was on retiring to Denbighshire in 2018, though, and meeting his partner Helen, that he learned to speak Welsh.
In Ruthin, Rajan went on to set up the Ruthin India Cultural Exchange (RICE), which has hosted many social events over the years, including celebrating Diwali and St David’s Day. Rajan sees this organisation as “food (rice) for the soul”. RICE brings people together from different cultures and promotes the rich traditions of Wales and India: https://ruthinindiaculturalexchange.com/
It was pleasing to hear that after many years of feeling like he didn’t belong in the UK, Rajan now feels at home in North Wales, as conveyed in this poem:
Fy adre
Home, I am darling
That’s how I feel in Wales
A place where I belong
Like a king, befitting my name*
Not out of choice, but was destined
Stuff happened so could discover
What it means to be alive and loved
Darling, I am home
(*Rajan means a king in Hindi)
If you’d like to find out more about Rajan’s journey, please follow this link to his essay, ‘My Wales – Coming Home’: https://ruthinindiaculturalexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/my-wales-an-essay-by-rajan-madhok-2023.docx-5.pdf
After Rajan’s well-received talk, people gathered in groups to discuss the Arts in Ruthin and what can be done to improve creativity and collaboration in the town.
Ruthin Arts Network hopes to host another social evening soon. Watch this space for further details!