Why best grooms are from India? Russian feminist unravels...

**ashok321** · 06-09-2012 09:32 AM

The best grooms are from India.” This is not the tagline of some Indian matrimonial agency, but the much-publicised view of writer and publicist Maria Arbatova. A few years ago, she created a bit of splash by declaring with panache that “it’s time to start importing grooms from India to Russia.” She returned to her favourite theme recently at a workshop in Estonia titled, “How not to be Alone,” sparking renewed interest in the desirability of Russian women marrying Indian men.

Arbatova, famous for the television talk show “I Myself” in the 1990s, should know better. She has been married to an Indian for several years. It’s her third marriage, and she glows when she says it’s the happiest one. Shumit Datta Gupta, a financial analyst who speaks excellent Russian, has already been living in Russia for more than 25 years. Arbatova is his second Russian wife.
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“My husband has undoubtedly retained all the best traits of a true Hindu. He is open, considerate, religious while having a degree in physics and generous while working as a finance manager,” says Arbatova. “In many ways, he is stronger than me on the inside. Shumit looks very gentle on the outside, but if he’s made a decision, it’s useless to argue with him about it.”

Above all, Arbatova appreciates Indians for their gentle, humane qualities. “Indians love anyone who is accommodating, but they especially love children. In Russia, Jewish people are considered the most caring fathers. Compared to Indian fathers, the Jews are simply callous, cold egoists,” says Arbatova. “In terms of character, there isn’t anyone in the world closer to us than the Indians. They are just as open, lazy and dreamy.”
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The demographic crisis in Russia and the badly skewed sex ratio –- there are more women in Russia than men -- have lent her pet idea about importing grooms from India added credibility. “Indian men are a better match [for us] because they’re closer to Russians emotionally. Besides, the success of Indian soap operas in our country suggests a similarity in the idea of a family of Russian provincial girls and Indian suitors”.

Why best grooms are from India? Russian feminist unravels... | Russia & India Report