If Wishes Were Planes, Then Punjabis Would Ride

[Archived_Member16]

source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090116/main6.htm​

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...

 

[Astroboy]

An old series of Mission Impossible had an important govt. official think he's on a regular train which is moving at high speed. They created the special effects mechanically (in the 1960's) to match the real train ride experience.