There’s a sense of quietude despite the last-minute packing that’s happening at the residence of Gert Heijkoop, the Consul-General of the Kingdom of The Netherlands on a weekday afternoon. Wall hangings and paintings have been pulled down and items sent off via sea to The Netherlands, where Heijkoop and his wife, Dienske Keijser hope for a rested retirement.
After a four-decade career, which has taken him to several countries, including Canada and South Korea, Heijkoop leaves Bengaluru – his home for the last four years. It was sometime in 2018 during his posting in Vancouver that he was given the option to move to Bengaluru to set up the first consulate in south India for The Netherlands.
“I always wanted to come to Asia. So I met the Consul-General to India and she wanted me to get acquainted with Indian food. I also began by reading Ramachandra Guha’s India after Gandhi which gave me an idea of what the country would be like. In fact, I’ve even suggested the book to my successor, who is relocating from Nigeria,” he says, adding, “I think I underestimated how big the country is. There are so many cuisines, languages, and history.”
Building a team from scratch meant hunting for a location, putting together a team and getting the office functioning. This, in addition to strengthening the Dutch community in the city, albeit a small one. His 11th and final posting has been exciting and adventurous despite the two years of the pandemic. “Things are picking up again and we are issuing about 1,000 visas on a weekly basis,” he says.
The couple fondly recalls the Christmas of 2019 when the entire family, including their four sons and daughter-in-law, flew down to Bengaluru to partake in the celebrations. At this point, Keijser , who loves textiles and fabrics and found the city to be a haven for them, adds, “We took each of them to a store and asked them to pick a fabric, after which an outfit was created.” Keijser is familiar with the nooks and crannies of the city, including Srirampuram, Okalipuram and the bustling Russell Market and Commercial Street.
As he gets ready to settle into a new routine, something completely new after a 40-year diplomatic career, Heijkoop wonders what the future holds. “We are used to a gypsy life with a transfer every four years. Now, this is an unchartered territory. We are constructing a home, and I’ll probably be involved in it to a great extent – even laying the flooring,” he says. And not to forget, enjoy being a grandaddy,” adds Keijser with a laugh. The adventure in India has been like none other. And like Heijkoop sums it up, “If I had to live my life and career again, I would do it the same way.”