On a recent visit to Dubai, I came across The Roaming Bihari and His Bagful of Stories [BluOne Ink], which offers an insightful, often witty and well-researched account of life and work in the Middle East.
Author Ehtesham Shahid presents stories that serve as a time capsule of some lively and challenging periods in both the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. The chapter titles themselves reflect the breadth of themes explored — The Tragedy Called Syria, The Fall of the Arab Spring, Narendra Modi’s Seven Visits to the UAE, The Abraham Accord Implications, Islamic Finance: The Ethical Quagmire, Indo-Pak Bonhomie and Skirmish in the Gulf, The Legacy of Sheikh Zayed, The Quest for Labour Justice, Yemen and the Gulf Mirage, Manifestations of Emirati Transformation, and Iran and the Geostrategic Chessboard — all among the most well-informed narratives in the book.
Shahid wears several hats — policy expert, journalist, columnist and teacher — and is associated with the Emirates Policy Center, the Press Trust of India, and several universities in the UAE. Drawing from newsroom experiences, think-tank reflections and field observations, he explores how India’s growing expatriate presence has reshaped perceptions, while also unravelling the stereotypes and realities that define the modern Middle East.
According to Shahid, the idea of The Roaming Bihari and His Bagful of Stories was shaped by the diversity of expatriate life in the Gulf. “It is an endlessly enriching and quietly inspirational experience,” he says, adding, “Behind every migrant lies a story of sacrifice — people leaving familiar worlds behind to improve their families’ futures.” These narratives form the emotional backbone of the book, and much to the author’s credit, he presents them in an engaging manner, filled with empathy and honesty.
Shahid also offers an important lesson for journalists and aspiring writers. The book is essentially a ‘rag-tag collection of stories’ gathered during his years in the media, combined with anecdotes from daily interactions with people from diverse nationalities and walks of life. The fact that these experiences unfolded amid a rapidly transforming post-9/11 Middle East makes the chronicle particularly compelling.
Another layer emerges from the author’s enduring connection with his roots in Bihar, where, in contrast, change often appeared slow. At one level, the collection therefore also reflects on progress — or the lack of it. Here, progress does not begin and end with economic transformation or political change; it is equally about social advancement and the ecosystem surrounding it.
In the book, Bihar remains an ever-present backdrop and occasional sutradhaar (narrative anchor), maintaining its own storyline — largely undeterred by its surroundings and detached from conventional yardsticks of development. The narrative moves between commentary and analysis, a style shaped by the author’s professional journey across mainstream media and research institutions.
What remains constant throughout its 30 chapters is Shahid’s reluctance to pass judgment on countries, governments or communities. The book is a labour of love that prioritises reason, balance and neutrality over prejudice, stagnation and status-quoism.
Writing the foreword, diplomat, author and politician Pavan K. Verma highlights the importance of the Gulf — not only as a source of fuel imports but also as home to millions of Indians whose remittances form a significant component of India’s foreign reserves. He aptly observes, “The Gulf is not, as some people assume, a monolith. At one end of the spectrum there is a conservative Saudi Arabia, and on the other is the modern, almost cosmopolitan super-metropolis of Dubai.” He further notes, “The Gulf and Bihar are geographically very distant, but in situations, however different the form appears, are not too dissimilar in substance.”
As Verma concludes, The Roaming Bihari and His Bagful of Stories is a must-read for those seeking to understand the Gulf countries in a clinical, informative and highly readable manner.
