Dom Moraes’s “Approaching Santa Cruz Airport Bombay” stands as a poignant exploration of identity, displacement, and the complex emotional landscape of return for the diasporic individual. The poem, through its understated yet potent imagery and a deeply contemplative tone, delves into the pervasive theme of alienation, revealing it not merely as a geographical disconnect but as a multifaceted psychological and cultural estrangement. Moraes, himself a figure straddling multiple worlds, imbues the speaker’s voice with an acute sense of being an outsider looking in, even when confronted with the supposed familiarity of his ancestral land.

This profound sense of alienation is woven into the very fabric of the poem, manifesting through the speaker’s detached observations of Bombay, his emotional distance from the bustling city, and, most tellingly, his internal struggle with a fractured sense of self. The journey from the sky to the ground mirrors a descent into a reality that defies expectations of homecoming, substituting warmth and recognition with a stark, almost clinical perception of a place that feels simultaneously overwhelming and utterly indifferent. Through these intricate layers, Moraes crafts a powerful narrative of un-belonging, making alienation the central emotional and thematic pillar of the poem.

The Disjointed Landscape: Geographical and Visual Alienation

The poem opens with the speaker’s aerial view of Bombay, and immediately, the imagery chosen by Moraes establishes a tone of detachment rather than anticipation or fondness. The land is described as “flat, brown,” and the city as “patches of mud and smoke.” These descriptors are devoid of any vibrant colour or inviting detail; instead, they present a landscape that is undifferentiated, barren, and obscured. The “haze” and “smog” further blur the outlines, creating a visual metaphor for the speaker’s inability to clearly perceive or connect with the reality below. This initial aerial perspective is crucial; it positions the speaker as an observer, physically distant from the ground, which mirrors his emotional and psychological distance. The land is not vibrant or welcoming but rather indistinct, a mere collection of features that lack the specificity that would evoke a sense of recognition or affection.

As the aircraft descends, the details become slightly clearer, but they do little to alleviate the sense of estrangement. The “slums like stained, square teeth” and the “smokestacks vomiting” are harsh, unromanticized images of urban decay and industrial pollution. These are not the comforting sights of home; rather, they signify a harsh reality, a struggle for existence that the speaker observes from a position of relative comfort but complete detachment. The airport itself, Santa Cruz, acts as a liminal space – a non-place designed for transit, not belonging. It reinforces the transient nature of the speaker’s connection, a mere point of entry and exit, rather than a place of rootedness. The physical environment, therefore, serves as the primary canvas upon which the theme of alienation is first painted, depicting a place that is unfamiliar, unwelcoming, and starkly different from any idealized memory or expectation of “home.”

Cultural and Social Alienation: The Human Landscape

Beyond the physical environment, Moraes masterfully portrays the speaker’s cultural and social alienation through his interactions, or rather, lack thereof, with the people of Bombay. The poem mentions “faces,” “hands,” and “turbaned men,” but these are observed from a distance, generic figures that fail to register as individuals with whom the speaker shares a commonality. There is no warmth, no recognition, no “waving” or “shouts” of welcome. The absence of these human connections is palpable and deeply unsettling. The people are part of the landscape, like the “slums” or the “smog,” viewed through a filter of detachment. This objectification of the local populace underscores the speaker’s profound social isolation.

The implied language barrier, though not explicitly stated, contributes to this social void. The speaker’s internal monologue is in English, a language that likely sets him apart from the immediate sounds and chatter of the arrival hall. This linguistic separation acts as another layer of the cultural chasm. Even if the speaker understands the local tongue, the absence of direct engagement suggests a deeper barrier – a cultural dissonance that prevents genuine interaction. He is not a participant in the life of the city but an external observer, a tourist in his own ancestral land. The very markers of Indian identity – “turbaned men” – become symbols of his foreignness, highlighting how a return to his ethnic origin does not automatically translate into cultural assimilation or belonging. He is ethnically Indian, but culturally and emotionally distinct, a testament to the dislocating effects of prolonged absence and immersion in another culture.

Emotional and Psychological Alienation: The Fractured Self

Perhaps the most profound dimension of alienation in the poem is the emotional and psychological estrangement experienced by the speaker. This is not just an alienation from the external world but an internal fragmentation, a crisis of identity. The “haze” and “smog” that obscure the city can be read metaphorically as the blurred lines of the speaker’s own identity – a sense of being neither fully “Indian” nor fully “Western.” This liminality, characteristic of the diasporic experience, leaves him feeling “unmoored,” lacking a stable sense of self or belonging. The city, which should theoretically be a source of roots, instead highlights his rootlessness.

The speaker’s lack of emotional resonance with Bombay is a critical indicator of this internal alienation. There is no joyous reunion, no nostalgic pang for childhood memories, no comfort derived from familiar sights or sounds. Instead, the tone is one of quiet resignation and a subtle anxiety. The phrase “no one waves, no shouts, no laughter” emphasizes the emptiness of the encounter, mirroring the emotional void within the speaker. The city is silent to him, devoid of personal recognition or affection. This absence of human warmth and connection exacerbates his feeling of isolation, reinforcing the idea that “home” is not a geographical location but an emotional state of belonging, which he evidently does not find here. He is a stranger to the land of his birth, and, by extension, a stranger to a part of himself. The past is not a comforting presence but an elusive one, fragmented or non-existent in this specific context, offering no solace or anchor.

Alienation from Time and Memory: An Elusive Past

The theme of alienation is further accentuated by the speaker’s disconnectedness from time and memory. Unlike many narratives of return, “Approaching Santa Cruz Airport Bombay” offers no romanticized recollection of a past. There are no vignettes of childhood, no familiar landmarks evoking nostalgic warmth, no sense of continuity with a personal history embedded in the city. The speaker’s present experience of Bombay is starkly immediate and devoid of any comforting echoes from his past. This absence of a vivid, personal history linked to the place contributes significantly to his feeling of being an outsider. The past, rather than being a reservoir of identity and connection, appears to be either forgotten, irrelevant, or simply non-existent in this context.

The disjunction between an imagined or remembered past and the harsh reality of the present is a common trope in diasporic literature, but Moraes handles it by largely omitting the nostalgic element. Instead, the focus is entirely on the present moment of arrival, which is fraught with unease and a sense of displacement rather than joy or relief. The future, too, seems uncertain in this context, as the arrival does not resolve the question of identity or belonging; it merely highlights its persistent ambiguity. The speaker is caught in a perpetual present of non-belonging, untethered by a meaningful past and facing an unclear future in a land that should be “home.”

Existential Alienation: A Universal Human Condition

While rooted in the specific experience of a diasporic individual returning to India, the poem transcends this particular context to touch upon a broader, more universal theme of existential alienation. Moraes implicitly raises questions about the fundamental human need for belonging and the profound disquiet that arises when such a need remains unfulfilled. The speaker’s inability to find comfort or connection in a place that, by birthright, should offer it, speaks to a deeper existential void. It is a contemplation of the individual’s struggle to find meaning and a place within a vast, often indifferent world.

The poem suggests that alienation is not merely an external condition imposed by geography or culture, but an internal state of being. The individual can be surrounded by people and be in a place supposedly of their origin, yet still feel utterly alone and disconnected. This underscores the idea that true belonging is an internal construct, an emotional and psychological state that cannot be simply conferred by physical presence. The poem’s quiet despair and the speaker’s detached observation invite readers to reflect on their own experiences of seeking connection and navigating the complexities of identity in an increasingly globalized and mobile world. It transforms the specific experience of a returning Indian into a metaphor for the human condition of often feeling lost, even in the most familiar of settings.

Dom Moraes’s “Approaching Santa Cruz Airport Bombay” stands as a masterful portrayal of the multifaceted theme of alienation. Through vivid yet sterile imagery, a detached narrative voice, and a profound exploration of both external and internal disconnections, the poem meticulously constructs a landscape of un-belonging. It vividly captures the paradox of returning to one’s ancestral land only to find oneself more estranged than before, a powerful testament to the complex emotional and psychological toll of displacement and cultural hybridity.

The poem’s enduring power lies in its ability to articulate the subtle nuances of this alienation – geographical, social, cultural, and deeply personal. Moraes avoids overt emotional outbursts, instead opting for a quiet, contemplative tone that magnifies the speaker’s profound sense of isolation. This understated approach effectively conveys the quiet despair of a soul adrift, unable to anchor itself in a place that should naturally provide roots and a sense of identity. The poem thus serves as a poignant reflection on the enduring human quest for belonging in a world that often leaves individuals feeling fragmented and disconnected.