I am proud that my Punjab has been known to have raised a breed like that of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Banda Singh Bahadar, Bhagat Singh. My heart swells with pride when a crucial Air Force base is renamed after the longest serving Air Marshal, Arjan Singh. My head bows in respect when the nation credits Dr. Manmohan Singh for opening up the economy. How immensely proud I feel when the legendary Gurdas Mann is invited to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London!
But somewhere, beyond that happy facade of prosperous mustard fields, big kothis and flashy cars, another Punjab thrives. Somewhere deep in the dark alleys of my Punjab, there live sagas of gangs, inflated egos, stunted mental growth, trigger-happy youth and gruesome murders. The lure of easy money, and the shin din of a grand life, has turned most of the kakas into gundas. What's more appalling is, that they proudly flaunt their 'Gunda' status. They put up their crimes list on social media, as if displaying academic doctorate degrees on murder, shooting, and extortion. They wear blood-smearedkurta pyjamas, and pose behind the heavy, iron bars of the jail. The pictures are instantly uploaded on facebook. There may be laws against murderers, but there are none banning the flow of air signals, used freely from behind the bars.
We were once a state known for the green and the white revolution. The humble kurta pyjama, then, was a symbol of the labour and the tough grind the diligent farmer endured. He prospered gradually, but he didn't change. His kurta did become a shade whiter. That was the sparkle of prosperity. The farmer's son inherited the stark white kurta. But what did he do? Instead of the brown of the soil of his land, he coloured it a blood curdling red and then a shameful black. Money and a son gone astray are a fatal combination. He stoked his own ego by creating fear. The prodigal son established gangs, looked for easy money and prided himself in all deeds wrong. The son who ought to be celebrating examination results, went about distributing sweets on getting acquitted from court cases. The son, who was born after years of prayer by his mother, didn't think twice before taking another son's life. The solution to all his problems lay with a 0.25 bore pistol and a dose of 'chitta' (heroin) or 'kaala'(opium) - depending on his capacity to pay.
How far removed are we, sitting in the plush capital of Punjab, talking about the state 'going to the dogs', while sipping champagne and munching on crackers noisily, which has made us deaf and blind to the pleading cries of a state in dire need of rescue.
We need to raise our voice against the people who suppress it with money and muscle power. We need to raise girls to become strong women, and boys who grow up to become men who respect them. For a happy, healthy, alive Punjab, we need a complete reverse metamorphosis of kakas to kisans. We need to inculcate in ourselves, the diligence, humility and selflessness of the kisan of Punjab, and it won't be long before we bounce back.
A quote by decorated writer Surjit Patar beautifully sums it up:
"Je aayi patt charh, ta fer ki hai (don't let the storm unnerve you)
Tu agli rutt te yakeen rakhin (brace up for the spring)
Main labh k leyona kiton kalmaan (I will go and procure shoots)
Tu phulaan jogi zameen rakhin" (you make provision for the new growth in your fields)
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Seerat Sandhu Gill, Writer
seeratsandhu25@yahoo.com
Phone No. : 91-978-1060000
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