Texas: Terrible Torrential Tragedy

And, TEXAS, TAXIS (Driverless), and TAXES (Big 'n' Beautiful).

About the Author

Karan Bir Singh Sidhu, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Punjab cadre, is the founder of The KBS Chronicle, a platform known for its independent, nuanced takes on politics, society, governance, and diaspora affairs. He writes regularly on national and international issues, blending historical insight with contemporary relevance.

His elder son, who has been living in Austin, Texas since the COVID-19 pandemic, serves as the Honorary Tech Advisor of The KBS Chronicle. The family’s cross-continental presence lends personal texture to many of the author’s reflections on global events and cultural intersections.

When the Fury of Nature Strikes: Reflections from Afar

The past few weeks have borne witness to catastrophic floods ravaging parts of the world. Cities submerged. Fields transformed into lakes. Roads turned into rivers of uncertainty. Homes—once centres of joy and security—vanished beneath the waters. News channels beam live coverage of boats replacing buses and helicopters lifting out children clutching schoolbags, toys, or each other.

As the scale of destruction grows, our hearts grow heavier. For those of us with family spread across continents, every message, every call is a tiny breath of relief. “We’re safe.” Two words that mean the world.

Our son, fortunately, is in Austin, Texas—well away from the current disaster zones. But when the fury of nature unleashes itself, distance is a fragile defence. Floods, fires, earthquakes—they do not heed borders, political boundaries, or predictive models. They remind us that our dominion over the planet is, at best, conditional.

In moments like these, one is compelled to reflect not only on what has been lost, but on what holds us together: our connections, our faith in systems, and our yearning for continuity. And sometimes, reflection opens the door to something else entirely—a new perspective, perhaps even a smirk of humour.

From the solemn, we now pivot gently to the quirky and the curious. Because Texas—as many who live there, or merely observe it, will testify—is not just a state. It's a theatre of contradictions, a laboratory of innovation, and a republic of attitudes. And for our extended Indian audience—from Bengaluru to Boston, Gurgaon to Galveston—that makes it particularly fascinating.

Texas: Republic, Rebels, and Resilience

Let’s start with history. Texas is the only state in the United States that was once an independent country. From 1836 to 1845, it existed as the Republic of Texas, with its own flag, army, and even diplomatic missions. To this day, Texans remind you—sometimes with pride, sometimes with irony—that they didn’t join the U.S. so much as merge with it. That swagger never left.

The Lone Star Flag (which still flies alongside the American one) embodies this fierce independence. The culture, too, is uniquely layered: part Southern charm, part Western grit, part corporate dynamism. Where else would you find cowboy boots in boardrooms, churches turned into cafés, and oilmen backing tech start-ups?

For many Indians in Texas—now among the fastest-growing immigrant groups in the state—this eclecticism resonates. It feels oddly familiar. An openness to paradoxes, a flair for negotiation, and a deep respect for food and family? That’s practically a Punjabi wedding.

April, 2022: Austin Downtown, Texas.

Austin: The Intellectual Rebel

Austin, the Texan capital, is a creature apart. It is blue in a red state. Liberal in a conservative belt. Eclectic in a world that prefers uniformity.

Nicknamed the "Live Music Capital of the World," it’s also home to a booming tech scene. Google, Amazon, Apple—all have major operations here. So do hundreds of start-ups and venture funds. It's no surprise then that many Indian engineers, scientists, and data architects have made Austin their home.

But there’s more to Austin than algorithms. Its university (UT Austin) is a top-ranked research institution. Its food trucks offer everything from brisket to biryani. And its slogan—“Keep Austin Weird”—is a proud declaration that conformity is optional, and creativity is welcome.

Juneteenth: Justice, Delayed but Delivered

While Texas often conjures images of independence and industry, it also carries a deep moral history.

On June 19, 1865—more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation—Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, to announce that all slaves were now free. This day, now celebrated as Juneteenth, marked the real and symbolic end of slavery in America.

In 2021, the United States finally declared Juneteenth a federal holiday. It’s a sobering reminder of how long justice can take—but also how vital memory is to freedom. For Indians, particularly those who come from histories of colonialism and social hierarchy, Juneteenth resonates at a deep emotional level.

It reminds us that justice is not an event. It's a process. And often, it needs to be fought for, remembered, and celebrated—all at once.

TEXAS, TAXIS (Driverless), and TAXES (Big 'n' Beautiful)

And now to the triple-header of Texan oddities and innovations:

TEXAS: Everything's Bigger

Texans don’t whisper. They announce. From oversized pickup trucks to 72-ounce steak challenges, everything here is designed to be “bigger and better.” That includes ideas. Texas leads the U.S. in energy production—not just oil, but also wind and solar. It's also at the forefront of education reform, policing debates, and yes, culture wars.

For Indian audiences used to the sprawling scale of Delhi or the electric chaos of Mumbai, Texas is instantly relatable. It has space, ambition, contradiction—and endless highways.

April, 2022— Austin, Texas.

TAXIS (Driverless): Ghost Riders in the AI Sky

Driverless cars are no longer sci-fi. In Dallas and Austin, companies like Waymo, Cruise, and Tesla are deploying fleets of autonomous taxis.

You order a ride. A sleek vehicle pulls up. No driver. Just sensors, algorithms, and a dashboard you dare not touch. For a state steeped in tales of cowboys and trailblazers, this is the new frontier—driverless, seamless, eerily quiet.

For Indians used to haggling with auto-rickshaw drivers or giving detailed left-right-left instructions to cabbies, the idea of riding without conversation is both thrilling and disorienting.

It raises profound questions, too. Who's liable in a crash? Can machines navigate moral dilemmas? And will driverless taxis ever understand the uniquely Indian instruction: “bas yahin corner pe left lena”?

TAXES: Big, Bold, and Deceptively Clever

Texas has no state income tax. This makes it incredibly attractive for high-net-worth individuals, start-ups, and corporations. You earn more, you keep more. Simple?

Not quite.

To compensate, Texas has high property taxes and robust sales taxes. Real estate is expensive. Essentials can cost more than expected. But for the entrepreneurial and the mobile, the tax code here is still a net win.

The Indian diaspora, particularly professionals in IT, healthcare, and engineering, find this model refreshing. It aligns well with the ethos of merit-based reward. Yet, as with everything in America, the debate on taxes remains never-ending—and deeply political.

From Bharat to the Big Bend: An Emotional Geography

Texas is not just a dot on a map. It’s a metaphor—for scale, freedom, risk, and reinvention.

As Indians, we relate to it in unexpected ways. It evokes something ancestral: a vastness of spirit, an openness to chaos, and an unshakable faith in making things work.

In a world where floods wash away certainty and climate events redraw maps, Texas reminds us that contradictions can coexist. That a place can honour Juneteenth and embrace AI taxis. That a region can once be a republic and now be a republic of ideas.

And for those of us watching from afar, knowing our son lives in a land that embraces both its scars and its dreams is a strange comfort. It may not prevent the storm, but it prepares the spirit.