We are the People - Kunal Gandhi

Written by Paul Scannell

Arriving from India to Dublin’s Mountjoy Square on a vague promise of lodgings, Kunal Gandhi admitted  his new surroundings were initially less than reassuring. ‘The cab driver scared the shit out of me’.  In search of opportunity, he had emigrated to Ireland in 2015 with an unnecessarily heavy bag  and his life savings of €1000. Recalling attempted muggings he laughs, ‘My body is huge. Don’t  touch the Teletubby’. Indeed, the building that became his first Irish home might have burst at the  seams. ‘There were four in each room on a very very big bed.’  

‘I was depressed in those first weeks. it was shitty cold’. With his savings gone on rent and student  fees, he was forced to ring his father in India to ask for help. ‘You chose to go. If you need  anything, don’t call me.’ ‘My mother was sobbing’. His Irish dreams were quickly slipping away. An  older compatriot he met at an Indian festival soon after gave advice that shifted his focus. ‘Stay  away from any helping community. Grow your own space. You have to be local to be local’. 

Finding work in an Indian restaurant in Swords, Kunal’s initial role was preparing meat and chopping onions. ‘In my life, I thought  I would never touch beef. It’s against my religion’. Throughout those difficult months his last call  home hung heavy in his head. Driven by the inescapable motivation of a father’s expectation, he  was pushed to succeed. ‘Either you fail or you learn’. 

In spite of the fact Indian immigrants consistently rate in the top global percentiles for educational  achievement and earning capacity, outdated perceptions persist. Dismissing these antiquated  stereotypes with humour Kunal joked ‘people still see us as the land of snake charmers’.  Defensiveness seems entirely absent from his character. ‘When someone undermines you, you  laugh at yourself, or you laugh at them. A billion Indians can’t produce 11 good footballers but we  give you doctors’. Confidently pointing out that Ireland’s richest man is Indian, it appears he aims  to emulate his countryman’s successes.  

Turning adversity to one’s advantage seems to underpin Kunal’s self-belief. ‘Only a person that can  think bad of you can tell you how good or bad you are’. With a grounded wisdom in his approach to  prejudice, he perceives the initial coldness of locals as a forgivable fear of difference. ‘In the first  month nobody would talk to me’. Whilst never ignoring the challenge of being the ‘other’, he simply  refused to dwell on it. ‘You have to be successful in your own eyes.’ This nuanced philosophy  affords him an inspiring confidence in the underlying decency of others. ‘People open up when  you’re good to them’.  

Offered a role in the finance department of Hays Recruitment, Kunal undertook his next challenge with

zeal. Quickly recognising his commitment and hard work, the firm cut his probationary period short. He achieved a permanent position as a payroll specialist in 2019. With his studies  completed, his family travelled to Dublin for his graduation ceremony. ‘My father was whistling in  the auditorium. I had tears rolling out of my eyes. That’s my father and he’s rooting for me’.  

The values of Integrity and diligence rate highly in Kunal’s estimations. Being seen as a good  example for the next person is an honour worth more than money. ‘Indians are proud people’. He  embodies the heart of the immigrant story; fighting for a rung and hauling yourself upward. Of 64  immigrants in his class, only nine remain in Ireland. With his new foundations growing ever more  stable, he gets to offer a hand up the ladder for others, altruistically finding jobs and giving support. He has allowed adversity to hone his strength. ‘People used to think I wasn’t good enough’. 

With a contagious optimistic smile he adds, ‘I like when people challenge me’.

Listen to Kunal explain his story on the We Are The People podcast.