Punjabi British youth surprised by state’s rich culture and heritage; expected drugs and danger

LONDON: Punjabi-origin British youth who have just returned from a trip to the state say it quashed their negative impression that Punjab was dangerous and drug-ridden and left them surprised by its rich history and diversity.
The 14 youths, aged 14 to 25, travelled to Punjab for 10 days in August on a Punjab government-sponsored trip to immerse themselves in its culture as the first batch in the Connect with your Roots UK (CYR-UK) programme.
At a presentation at the Indian high commission in London on Friday, the youngsters relayed how the trip, which included visits to Jallianwala Bagh, Fatehgarh Sahib and Takshila Maha Buddha Vihar, opened up their eyes to how many different religions live side by side in the state and also the sacrifices Sikhs have made.
Jason Dosanjh’s grandparents moved to the UK in 1991 to live with his parents. They recently passed away. The 17-year-old went to visit his family’s ancestral house in the village of Dosanjh Kalan.
“They all knew my Dad and my granddad. Half the village came out to meet me and presented me with garlands. My grandparents loved to tell stories about the house. I went inside and it brought all the stories to life. I got given our family tree that dates back to 1909 and I discovered he was a freedom fighter. I did not know how diverse India was.”
His favourite part was the Wagah border ceremony. “It had an amazing atmosphere,” he said.
“Whenever I go to India I go to see my family and I don’t really go to the historical places. I learnt much more about India and Punjab on this trip as it is not really taught in British schools,” said Serena Jassal, 15.
“This trip has shown me that India is developing a lot,” said Leah Jassal, 19.
“I always thought India was dangerous and it was not a place to visit without family. Yet I was made to feel so welcome,” said Sargam Chhabra, 22, who moved to the UK aged four. She goes to Patiala regularly to visit family but never gets to experience her culture.
“I found it so touching actually seeing the Wagah border that divides the two nations. I had always watched films about Partition but I never knew the history behind it. I learnt a lot at the Partition Museum,” she said.
Other highlights for the youth were seeing rotis made, taking part in bhangra and having mehndi applied.
“I eat only Western food in Britain and yet I ate Punjabi food throughout the trip,” said Chhabra. “I questioned the police about the drugs problem and they told us it is not as bad as the media makes out. I did not see much poverty.”
Varinder Singh Khera, coordinator CYR-UK, said: “The aim of the programme was to show the rich culture and history that the NRI youth have never seen. Often when they go to India they see their relatives and the ladies go shopping but there is no time to take the kids anywhere. On this programme they saw how Punjab belongs to Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Christians.”
Sanjeet Rattan, 18, had never been to India before “because it’s all about drugs and politics in the media,” he said. “My view of India was negative before but I realised India is not as bad as it seems,” he said.
But not everyone was convinced. One of the parents, Narinder Singh Gill, told TOI: “I think it’s a gimmick to help the Captain win the next Punjab election. If the Captain is not the next CM, will it carry on? If Congress doesn’t win I think it will be dead in the water. A lot of the younger generation don’t think it’s worth going to India because of what happened to Jagtar Singh Johal and they see their cousins and relatives not getting anywhere in Punjab because the lower castes have a monopoly on all the jobs.”
Speaking at the presentation, Indian high commissioner Y K Sinha said: “It is very important for the diaspora to keep links with their motherland. It’s important because of the past and it’s important for them to get first-hand accounts rather than rely on hearsay and fake news. I hope more groups go and this can be sustained.”