Selling Naan in Kristiansand

An Indian-origin restaurateur is a face of immigrant success in Norway

An Indian-origin restaurateur is a face of immigrant success in Norway

In may,an online discussion initiated by a Norwegian newspaper centred around an unlikely topic: what should Indian-origin entrepreneur Sarita Sharma Sehjpal wear on Constitution Day,when she would lead the speeches at a ceremony in Kristiansand city? A sari or a bunad,the traditional Norwegian garment? Sehjpal settled on the former but spoke in fluent Norwegian,in front of a statue of 19th century Norwegian feminist writer Jacobine Camilla Collett. In my speech,I deliberately did not foreground my minority background. I spoke rather of surmounting gender stereotypes. In my dress however,I showcased my Indian identity. I would not have reached where I am without my Indian values, says Sehjpal,who is the face of immigrant success in this Scandinavian country.

Her story begins in the Seventies when her parents came to Norway. They initially worked in a textile factory,saving enough to buy a corner shop,and eventually started an Italian restaurant. In 1995,the family bought a bigger property and decided to open an Indian restaurant,Mother India,the first in Kristiansand. Sehjpal travelled to India and sourced artefacts that would give the restaurant an Indian touch. She hired cooks and trained them to cook the way she felt was suitable for her clientele.

Kristiansand is a coastal town on the southern tip of Norway with a total population of 82,562. It is not as cosmopolitan as Oslo and certainly not as multicultural as London. In the 1990s, only a handful of Indian families lived here. Others from the subcontinent were birds of passage, on one- or two-year assignments. For the local Kristiansander,Indian cuisine was exotic. And for them,Mother India was the start of a gastronomic journey that taught them the difference between naan and parantha,tandoor and fried,paneer and chicken.

Sehjpal narrates an anecdote from the early days of the restaurant. The curious were still trickling in. The service staff was hard-pressed. At one table sat an Indian family,at the next,a Norwegian. The Indians ordered paneer curry,the Norwegians chicken curry. The waiter inadvertently switched orders. The Indians sent the dish back. The worried waiter informed Sehjpal that the Norwegians had already started on their paneer curry. She rushed to their table to apologise for the mix-up. There,the diners greeted her with satisfied smiles. Sarita,this is the best chicken curry we have had!

The customers are more informed now. The most popular item on the menu is Indian naan bread,and its variant,chocolate naan bread. Last year,Mother India was adjudged the best Indian restaurant in Norway in a survey carried out by a Norwegian newspaper,Dagbladet.

Everybody sees the glamour,now that I have become famous, says Sehjpal.

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Nobody sees the 14 to 16 hours that I sometimes put into my work day! Mere husband ne toh haar maan li hain. He has stopped complaining about my long hours.

While her children were growing up,Sehjpal had the usual pangs of work-life balance. However,her family stood by her. I have used my cultural background to my advantage,in a positive way. You cant expect sops because you are a woman or because you belong to a minority. You have to prove yourself. It is this self-belief that has made Sehjpal the face of the successful immigrant story in Norway,as well as a symbol of India in Kristiansand. The town community acknowledged that when they chose her to give the Constitution Day speech. I feel that I am a brand ambassador for Indian food and culture, says Sehjpal. This is not a role that I sought for myself,it was something that was thrust upon me. I am surprised at being held up as a role model. I am just a woman who slogged to achieve her dreams.