New Delhi
18 February 2006
French President Jacques Chirac would not be staying in New Delhi
long enough to become familiar with most things Indian but as some French nationals
living in India have found out, it does not take too long se faire un ami (to make a friend)
in a foreign land.
Fabienne Cetran has only been in India for over a year but she is already feeling herself
at home. With a little help from the French expatriate population living in Delhi, she
knows which market to frequent for the best buy and can count Indians among her
friends.
Fabienne is one of 160 odd members of Delhi Accueil (or Delhi Welcome), which helps in
the integration of expatriate French men, women and children. "Everything is made
available so that the newcomer is immersed in the country as gently as possible,"
according to the Embassy of France in New Delhi.
Indians who can speak French are eligible for membership. "We have about 35 or 38
Indians as members," Ms Fabienne Cetran, secretary of Delhi Accueil, told this
newspaper. The Delhi Accueil was founded in 2005. In its earlier avtar, it was known as
Groupe Francophone.
"We organise parties and conferences so we can meet regularly. We also help new
families settle down in Delhi. We also have a letter (publication) and website," the
president of Delhi Accueil, Ms Aranda Nathalie, informs. She has been in India for less
than three years.
A designer, Sunaina Suneja has been a member for over seven years. Having done a
Masters in French, she finds the group a perfect place to brush up on her language skills
and also to showcase India to the French. "Actress Sonya Jahan of "Taj Mahal" fame is
the newest member," she says.
To further the Indo-French social and cultural ties, the president of FIAFE (Fédération
Internationale des Accueils Français et Francophones à l'Etranger) will travel to New
Delhi on March 10 to inaugurate Delhi Accueil's new office inside the compound of the
Alliance Francaise in Lodi Estate.
The Embassy of France says 831 members of the French community are registered in
the New Delhi territory that includes cities like Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and
Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. Another 658 are registered in the Mumbai territory of
whom a few live in Bangalore.
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