The trend of going abroad among the youth of Punjab has been increasing continuously for the last several years. A large number of youth are going abroad in search of good education, employment, better life and economic opportunities. Going abroad has become a dream for many families today. But is going abroad the only way to success?
The story of Ajay Pal Singh, a resident of village Lodlanghar, gives a different answer to this question. Ajay Pal Singh himself also went abroad. He went to America in 1999. He lived and worked there, saw life closely and understood the realities of life there along with the glamour of abroad. But after a few years, he decided to come back to Punjab.
Return to Punjab from America
Ajay Pal Singh says that he went to America in 1999. After going abroad, he realized that seeing life abroad from a distance and living it himself are two different things. According to him, sometimes only after going abroad do you understand the importance of your country, your soil and your people better. With this thought in mind, he returned to Punjab in 2003. After returning, the biggest question before him was what to do next. Instead of getting a job or going abroad again, he decided to start his work in Punjab itself. Under this decision, he started a petrol pump.
‘I didn’t just open the pump, I built it with my own hands’
The petrol pump at which many people come to fill their vehicles with fuel today is the result of years of hard work by Ajay Pal Singh. He says that he did the work himself from starting the pump to erecting it. He installed the equipment of each truck and trolley with his own hands. From the rolling of the pump to other tasks, he was involved himself. For him, it was not just a business. It was a work that he started from the ground and gradually took forward.
He says that he had the idea of doing the pump work himself from the beginning. That is why he remembers every stage of his hard work behind the pump’s current situation. This story is also an example of the fact that starting your own business requires not only money, but also continuous hard work and commitment to work.
Gave employment only to Punjabi youth
Ajay Pal Singh has another special thing. He gave work to Punjabi youth from the surrounding villages at his petrol pump from the very beginning. He says that most of the boys working at the pump belong to the nearby villages. For him, the honesty of the youth is the biggest thing. On the one hand, many youth of Punjab are going abroad in search of employment, on the other hand, stories of people who have set up their own businesses in Punjab and created employment for others are also coming to the fore. Jagpal Singh’s thinking was not limited to himself. He tried to connect the youth of the surrounding villages with employment through his work.
‘You only know what your soil is like when you go out’
Ajay Pal Singh believes that sometimes you realize the importance of your soil only when you live outside Punjab. He says that a person who lives in Punjab may not realize how valuable a life connected to his village, his people and his culture is. But when a person goes thousands of kilometers away, he feels these things more deeply. For him, Punjab is not just a place to live, but a land connected to his identity and his life. That is why he tells the youth of Punjab to also think about the opportunities available in their state before going abroad.
‘Stay in Punjab, work hard’
Ajay Pal Singh tells his younger siblings and the youth of Punjab that even by living in Punjab, one can make a living through hard work. According to him, there is a lot in Punjab. All that is needed is to work hard, do your work honestly and recognize opportunities. He also considers the social life of Punjab to be its great strength. For them, socializing, connecting with their people and the tradition of service like langar is the special identity of Punjab. They say that being born in Punjab is a blessing in itself and if one works hard and stays here, then Punjab can also be taken forward along with oneself.
A different story amidst the trend of going abroad
The desire to go abroad in Punjab cannot be understood with just one reason. Good jobs, good income and future security are important reasons for the youth. Therefore, everyone’s decision to go abroad or stay in Punjab depends on their own situation and destination. But Ajay Pal Singh story brings out another side amidst this trend. He himself went abroad, stayed there, then returned to Punjab and set up his own business here. Today, he has become a source of employment not only for himself but also for other youth.
The focus of his story is not that a person should not go abroad. Rather, it is that even while living in Punjab, there are ways to stand on one’s feet through hard work and business. For Ajay Pal Singh, the definition of success lies in this – staying connected to one’s own soil, working with one’s own hands, creating employment for others and contributing to the progress of the place where one was born. This journey of Ajay Pal Singh life, who returned to Punjab from America, says a simple yet profound thing: no matter where the destination may be, for those who work hard, paths can be made even in the soil of their own home.
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