Sunday Special-Big Singh

 Big Singh

(Picture for Representational purpose only)

In a Village near a small town called Moga in Indian Punjab, lived a good -for- nothing type small time farmer in a big joint family of Brar clan.He would while away his time in local court.The land was managed by his only son named Hardev Singh.s,six feet seven inches tall athletic built very good natured,hardworking helping people who so ever approached him for help.He was married and had a son and a daughter.Hardev's 'Taya ji' (Oldest uncle) managed the family affairs.It so happened that Hardev's father, for money, gave false evidence in a murder case involving son of a rich landlord of the adjoining village and the landlord was revengeful and after his blood.The man absconded and fearing threat to life of  Hardev his taya ji secretly sent him to Canada through a travel agent selling a part of land.

In Canada Hardev stayed with an earlier settler acquaintance hailing from near by village back home.He helped him in getting job in a warehouse and a shared accommodation in proximity of his work place as he could not afford a conveyance.He worked overtime to earn lot of money to enable him make his family join him.He worked so hard that one day when he wanted to go home in the evening he was stopped by the supervisor as there was no entry of card punching in the morning.He was allowed only to leave when his colleges explained that he has been working since the previous day as such there is no question of punching card as he did not enter today.

He was very popular in the warehouse as he was down to earth ,a pleasing personality and helpful to everybody.' Goras' (Whites)  and 'Blacks' his co-workers while referring to him would say," Oh! that big guy"! He thought he was being called 'Cow'. He asked them he was like a big 'Saandh'(Big Bull) why do you change my gender? I am not an animal at least you may call me 'Big Singh'. This is how he  he got his name 'Big Singh'

By dint of his hard work and two jobs at a time he earned enough money he bought a 'Studio'(Single room house). He manged to bring his family to join him.Then he obliged his cousins and distant relatives to get PR.As they put it in Punjabi," Dalley(Dollars) jaandey rahey,bandey aandey rahe."When the number of members in the house exceeded  twelve,the neighbor made a complaint against him  to the city and he had to shift the cousins etc and told them to be on their own.of course he would keep helping them.

He was so involved in earning money that he neglected his family.His wife was illiterate and thought that her role was limited to kitchen and bed room with the result that ' desi'  got be- painted completely in 'videshi' color.The boy and girl both boy became vagabond started wearing outrageous clothing and wearing ear rings.The boy became truck driver and girl became pharmacist completely out of control of parents and had no respect for them.

It was first of January,Hardev's son came home heavily drunk and  and went to sleep.When he got up in the afternoon,he advised  his son to mend his ways The boy rudely advised him to mind his own business.He did not like to work like a donkey like him,let me live my own life.Hardev lost his cool on being compared to a donkey and his ingratitude.There was heated exchange and things gone to a pass that the son slapped his father in the presence of hid wife daughter and some guests.Hardev abruptly left the home.

When he did not return on the second day,The family,Relatives started searching  for him at his work place  and co workers,missing report was lodged  with the Ontario police.A public missing person notice with picture was also given through press but to no result.In the moth of April ,Buffalo New York Police Fond a body resembling the missing person ans contacted the Ontario police.Wife of the man identified and confirmed that  body was that of Big Singh.The investigation showed that it was a case of suicide. No body believed that a person of Hardev's nature  could commit suicide.But evidence given by some people enjoying boat trip on the Canada side of Niagara falls confirmed that they had observed the sequence of events that took place.The witnesses said that they saw the man in picture jumping in water and thought the man wanted to swim.The man with turban was seen standing on a Big rock  with hands folded for five minutes or so before jumping into the river.Every body was surprized what could be cause of such extreme step.Hardev was reserve type had no friends

It so happened that Body of the man got buried under the frozen Ice on Canadian side of the fall and kept moving with under current slowly by fits and starts and took about three months to reach American side and was discovered there with the melting of overburden of frozen ice due to April heat.

 

 On his 'Bhog and Antim Ardas' ( Funeral rights)a man by the name Mohini while remembering him claimed that he was his childhood friend and that Hardev loved his son very much and often talked about his son right from when he was a kid and disclosed that once he made him sit around his shoulders he urinated on his neck and he felt it's warmth and felt very good.He further told him that while sitting in his lap he would  get his beard and enjoyed the bliss.Guessing about his extreme step may be a man used to feel happy getting his beard pulled from his son could have struggled a lot swallowing his dignity before taking the extreme step but must have failed to control the impulse could not tolerate a slap on his face from the  son he loved most.On the statement of the witness,about standing on the rock with folded hands before jumping in the river he must have asked for forgiveness of God for exiting this world against His will.

True story by Tejinder Kamboj

                (1940-20??)