Punjabis at large

The wanderlust of the Punjabi is indeed legendary. There is scarcely a place on this earth where the indomitable Punjabi has not settled, and even conquered. From restaurant owners in Dresden (Germany), to taxi drivers in New York, one finds them everywhere. Not that their own land, Punjab, is a difficult place to live in. Pleasant and hospitable environs make Punjab’s towns and villages, happy places to grow up and live in, by and large.

In fact, the craze to travel abroad has increased in leaps and bounds in recent
years. Every second Punjabi family can boast of at least one or two members migrating abroad and flourishing in those foreign lands. The Punjabi’s spirit is well known, and so are the grit and determination which come naturally to him. Nowadays, this passion to settle abroad is often replaced by a lust for just wandering about. Punjabis are indeed giving even the redoubtable Gujaratis and Bengalis a run for their money by packing their bags and taking off for distant shores almost at the drop of a hat.

On a recent flight, one was witness to this compelling Punjabi urge to travel, in all
its glory. A Punjabi family- Pappi and Bunty (the parents), Dolly, Sunny and Twinkle (the children) - was seated in my vicinity and it was quite amusing listening to their banter. Having lived in Chandigarh for most of my life, and having learnt to understand all but the most ‘theth’ of all Punjabi accents, one couldn’t help smiling at the conversation being carried out by the bubbly lot.

“I am going to buy two mobile phones from London”, declared Twinkle. A tight
slap was promptly planted by her mom, Pappi, on her cheek, at this outrageous declaration. “Don’t you know that we get better and cheaper mobiles in Jalandhar?” she admonished her youngest one. “But Mamma”, protested Twinkle, who was otherwise used to getting about 15 tight ones on her cheek every day, “Bambi my friend had got two brand new hand sets from the UK when she went for a holiday with her family last year”. At this, her dad Bunty, a portly well attired pleasant looking man, intervened and said “Baby, Twinkle the place to buy mobile phones is Dubai, not UK.
In fact London is one of the most expensive cities in the world”, he added, knowingly. Twinkle made a glum face and decided to sulk for a while at this parental torpedoing of her plans.

“We must visit the Queen’s palace, the London bridge and Big Ben”, announced
Sunny. “I have my new digi-cam with me and we will download all the pics later and e-mail them to all our relatives”, he added with a gleam in his eye as his parents smiled with pride. “Buckingham Palace”, added the patriarch “is the name of Queen Elizabeth’s palace. We will also see the London Eye and the Wax Museum!

“I know, I know!” exclaimed Dolly.” It’s called Madame Tussads! Shahrukh Khan’s
statue is there too.” she added breathlessly.This pattern of discussion ensued for most of the journey and by the end of it I was pretty much clued up about who-was-going-where-to-do-what-with-whom-and-when. The tireless energy and joie de vivre exhibited by this bunch exemplified to me the enthusiasm and willingnessto- learn that most Punjabis display almost every day of their lives.

The sameness with which many of us lead our lives may have a stabilizing effect
on us. But it is the spirit of adventure and the keenness to do something new, to explore vistas hitherto unconquered, that makes life exhilarating and for some, worth living.

Having visited many villages during the course of my field postings, and having met people who had never ever traveled out of their “block” of villages, I realize when I see the Punjabis in action, just why they have been able to out do most other Indian communities.

This “lust” for all things “phoren” and the craving to migrate to Canada for
example, became even more evident to me when I enrolled for a French class some years back. I realized that some of my new classmates were keen to pick up complicated nuances of French at the very earliest. This zeal emanated in them from the fact that the Canada consulate gives extra points to visa-seekers who know the French language.

A Punjabi couple whom I know closely, and respect deeply, travel abroad twice a
year to visit their children, and their grand children, even though they do not have a very hi-fi life style otherwise. They obviously feel that their travels are much more worth spending on than trendy gadgets in their household. Their modest means do not prevent them from undertaking the transcontinental adventure over and over again.

Having had the pleasure of making lasting friendships with many Punjabis, I
realize that some of their “travelaria” has rubbed off on me along with many of their other qualities of head and heart. Some of my friends pull my leg about always being on the move or out of town. My protests go unheeded even when I explain to them that my job demands that I do so.

As the aforementioned flight reached its destination, I got up with a smile and
thanked the Punjabi family for their lovely company. Twinkle seemed to have cheered up by then, for she smiled broadly at me. Her Dad was in good cheer too and said to me, “Praaji, if it’s your first time in London, remember that the only place here, where you get authentic chana bhaturas is South Hall. The lassi there is not bad either and you must try the jalebis at Polly’s corner. Also, you must visit the Bhalla theatre which screens only Punjabi films!”

Listening to him as I collected my bag, the true secret of success of the Punjabi-atlarge finally dawned upon me. Wherever he goes, the Punjabi feels at home.