Director

Entire Punjab celebrates my birthday

I was born amid the festivities of Lohri on 13 January 1982. My father was one among seven brothers – five serving in the Indian army and the remaining two farmers in the village. My father, Sardar Bagh Singh, was a farmer along with my uncle, Joginder Singh. My mother, Sardarni Dilip Kaur, was a homemaker. Other than my parents, I was close to Joginder uncle, with whom I spent a lot of my childhood. He taught me farming, taking care of the cattle and the vital lessons of humility and respecting everyone. It were these lessons that made me different from my two brothers, Kirpal, Darshan, and sister, Surinder, who were always quarrelling with others.

I attended Government School, Nathowal, which wasn’t in a good condition. I remember being inspired by one of our teachers to study better. I completed high school in 1999, and moved to the Government School, Basian, some 6 km away. Everyone in those days had bicycles and shoes, but I didn’t. Even in winters, I generally walked in slippers. One day, I argued bitterly with Dad over simple needs like shoes or proper clothes during winters. He then bought me the cheapest shoes available. I wore them until Darshan pajji got married. I started wearing his spare clothes and shoes.
After completing my schooling in 2001, when my parents expressed their inability to pay the fees for my further education, Darshan pajji agreed. I joined Government College, Dhudike, to study for BA. There was only one teacher, who was also a principal and taught all the five subjects, so I left college after six months to work in a Electronic Road Weighbridge in Jagraon as an office administrator at Rs 900 a month. But I wanted something prestigious in life so after working there for one and a half years, I joined my father on the farms until I got a temporary job at Punjab & Sind Bank as a clerk at Rs 180 per week.

The bank job helped me learn about balance and calculation. Simultaneously, I joined the local branch of Nestle Dairy as an accountant in the morning and evening. My schedule was packed. I even worked on Sundays with only one thing on my mind that I had to get my sister married, which I was able to do eventually. Things were good but my father’s refusal to repay one of my debts of Rs 5,000 hurt me deeply. My reputation was at stake and I left home in anger. This one bold step showed me the way to England. Gurpreet’s jija ji introduced me to an agent, who sent me to England, illegally though, on 13 January 2005. Detained at the England airport, medical examination done, statement taken, I was held for two weeks in detention.