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The all consuming aspiration of large
numbers of Punjabis to settle permanently abroad can sometimes
assume bizarre forms.
One such is the sight at the main
sanctum of Gurdwara Sant Baba Nihal Singh Ji Shaheedan in Talhan,
a small settlement 10 km east of Jalandhar, which looks like a
child’s nursery. That too of a child obsessed with aviation. It
is littered with dozens of toy aeroplanes of various sizes and
colours.
The planes are all devotees’ offerings.
They offer them in the hope that the Lord will bless their
efforts to board one such flight and get away from India for
good. It works, many devotees insist.
Exactly a year ago, when she first
applied for an American visa, Rajwinder Kaur, 27, faced all
kinds of difficulties.
She offered a toy plane at gurudwara
and, lo and behold, two months later, her visa was cleared.
“She has been living in the US for 10
months now,” said her brother Daljit Singh, resident of Talhan.
The family had an Akhand Path
(recitation of the holy Guru Granth Sahib) conducted at the
gurdwara a few weeks ago to thank the lord.
Similar was the case of Jagjit Singh
who had a work permit to live in Britain, but wanted to emigrate
to the US.
“His passport was inadvertantly damaged
by his little daughter,” said his father Gurmail Singh of
village Ghai Nagar.
“When he applied for a US visa with his
new passport, he was turned down. But we offered a toy plane at
the gurudwara and the embassy reversed its decision. He is now
settled in Miami.”
Around 40 such planes are offered at
the gurudwara every week. “We don't approve of such
superstition, but the devotees’ faith is so strong that we allow
them,” said gurudwara manager Balvir Singh.
Several shops have sprung up in the
vicinity which sell these toys, greatly overpriced at Rs 125 to
Rs 450 each, depending on size. |
