If wishes were planes, then Punjabis would ride
Kusum Arora
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, January 15
See, ladoos, boondi or barfi — even liquor and clocks — are fine as offerings in temples and gurdwaras but what do you do if the tough visa regulations just won’t let you fly in a state where going abroad is the ultimate dream?
Simple: Try the aeroplane, may be a jumbo.
Delusional, may be, but faith is driving hoardes of people from phoren-smitten Doaba region, tired of waiting for visas post 9/11 and sundry other such incidents such as our own 26/11, to temples with their objects of fancy, toy aeroplanes.
Backed by a fervent prayer, they hope, it will take them out of the country sooner than the rule-makers think.
At Gurdwara Sant Baba Nihal Singh Ji Shaheedan in Talhan village, near here, the plane is a winner hands down .
Ask Harbans Kaur, mother of Laddi of Raipur Phalara village: “My son had been trying hard to go to Canada but, for one reason or the other, he was denied a visa. A friend suggested we offer the replica of an aeroplane at Talhan gurdwara. It worked. My son is now in Canada. There is nothing wrong in what I did.”
Sandeep Kaur of Jalandhar said she got married to an England-based NRI nearly two years ago but has not been able to join him there. “I have also made a similar offering. What are a few hundred rupees if they can assure you a chance of settling abroad?”
Gurdwara head granthi Manjeet Singh says, for over a year now, every week brings at least 40 toy planes to them. The number is higher on weekdays and Sundays. They have a room full of winged beauties.
Shops outside the gurdwara are making a killing: each plane is between Rs 150 and Rs 500. The run of the planes has left the all-time favourite symbol of Sikh identity, the “kara”, far behind. It is less visible too.
Blind faith, after all...
 | Aeroplane replicas being offered at Gurdwara Sant Baba Nihal Singh Ji Shaheedan at Talhan near Jalandhar. Photo: Suryakant |
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