Kanwal: I grew up in Kanpur. I left Rawalpindi when I was of 2 years and so I don’t have any memory of Rawalpindi or Pakistan. My earliest memory is of Firozpur. Firozpur is after we cross the border from Pakistan to India and the reason I remember Firozpur is because of a flood, which happened. There was a flood in Firozpur and all I remember is water everywhere and that is my earliest memory. We were an army family so we moved around from Firozpur we went down to Secunderabad in South and then went to Pune and then moved up to UP to Agra. We finally settled in Kanpur in 1954. From 1954 to 1963 I was in Kanpur and that is when I went to IIT Bombay. My family stayed in UP when I came to the US.
By the way I did go back to Rawalpindi twice over the last 3 years and to Pakistan. I went to see my village and the school where my father went to school. I sort of spotted the house where I was born, but I was not hundred percent sure because all the landmark signs were there except the house was not as described by my mother. So maybe the house was re built. We were very well received at Rawalpindi, they honoured us a lot.
Kamla: So what prompted you to come to the US because in the 1960s people were going to UK, US was not the option for many people?
Kanwal: No that was 1950s and you are talking about the 1960s. IITans right from the start went to the US. In the 1950-1960s people went to UK and early 1960s they were being sent to Russia by the government of India. The IITans started in mid 1960s going to US so there was not even a thought of going to any other places. When I applied everybody was going to the US.
Kamla: And how much money did you have in your pocket when you came?
Kanwal: Those were the days when I had with me $ 8 but it was a very great amount of money. There was the plane fare and living expenses for 2-3 months which was already pre paid. We only carried $8 with us in cash. We had 3-6 months to become self sufficient here, but most of us would get money paying jobs at the university itself. And then work around the Christmas holidays and by the first year summer holidays rolled we had done two jobs. So after I was here in 6 months I knew I am going to survive and after the first summer I knew I will do very, very well.
Kamla: When you look back at your journey what are some of the things you are very proud of and some of the things you think you still have to achieve?
Kanwal: I don’t know. I still have to achieve anything because at my age of 63 you have to have a different perspective. I have my kids now and looking at their success and their future. I did very, very well for the humble start I had. I was the third child; I was an awkward child and a little clumsy and with some speech impediments. Getting into IIT probably was the biggest achievement because back then it was a very tough competition and once you are at IIT you are able to compete and work with the best in India. So we came to US and within weeks we knew we were very competitive in our classes as IIT prepared us well. So, US education turned out to be a lot easier than any of us had imagined in terms of our effort and how as we stood to compete and of course at jobs we did extremely well. Coming from India where you had to compete for survival to US where there is almost no competition. Even though we talk about a competitive society at the same level as we have in India it was a cakewalk.
Kamla: So you think you have achieved everything in your life?
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