Why rush among some Punjabis in Canada to become millionaires overnight

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Many trucking company owners are smuggling drugs from the USA and selling job letters for $70,000 to become rich overnight

brig nawab heer

BRAMPTON: Punjabis have a long history of migration to Canada – mostly to British Columbia – going back to the 19th century. However, it was only in the 1970s when they started migrating from Punjab to Ontario. 

Their numbers in Ontario soared when Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau opened the gates with liberal immigration policies. No wonder most Punjabis support Liberal Party and his son Justin Trudeau today.

After the first wave of early immigrants, the second wave was mostly through the refugee route post-1984 events in Punjab. Some of these were prosecuted by security forces, but many others feigned prosecution in India to get refugee status in Canada. 

The third wave comprised educated professionals and family migrants. The current wave are mostly students.

Punjabis in Ontario are generally perceived as most hard working, progressive and entrepreneurial. They have done well in politics, established multiple religious places of worship, and own businesses and trucking companies. They mostly own big houses, live well, eat well and spend well. Some of their children are professionals educated at top universities.

But there is a flip side.

Punjabis have not progressed much culturally and lack social and cultural organizations to guide them. A culture of big fat weddings and showmanship is highly visible. They love high-end cars, loud music, and flashy dresses.

The Punjabi media, which could have helped the community, is dominated by non-professionals who prefer to talk about ills of Punjab/India, less about Canada.

More and more Punjabi youngsters are joining in drug smuggling and drug abuse. Many Punjabis owning trucking companies have became millionaires overnight by smuggling drugs hidden in their trucks from the US to Canada or vice versa.

Many trucking companies are also selling simple job letters – called LMIA – for a price up to $ 70, 000. It is broad daylight dacoity!

Religious places are also selling immigration visas and promoting many other ills.

There is a craze among Punjabis in Canada to become millionaires overnight. This desire to acquire easy money is giving rise to all types of crimes. 

Many small business owners cheat by avoiding paying taxes and doing businesses in cash and exploiting new immigrants by not paying minimum wages. There is cheating all around – be it immigration fees, lawyers’ fees, financial advisors’ fees, or even consultation fees by paralegals. 

Auto insurance fraud is rampant among Punjabis, resulting in higher premium for everybody living in their areas.. Overall, it looks like that in its race to earn more and more dollars, Punjabi society is degenerating.

One wonders why once pious, hardworking and God-fearing Punjabis have gone down this path! 

There are a few reasons for this.

One, there is no fear of law and too much freedom in Canada – without checks which were there in Punjab. 

Two, the pressure from peers and relatives to tread the right path goes the moment you step on Canadian soil. 

Thirdly, teachings of the holy Guru Granth Sahib are not being practiced, but only verbally repeated. Most religious places are practising what is contrary to Guru Nanak’s teachings. The day-to-day life of the Punjabi diaspora in Canada is devoid of practices of true dharma preached by our gurus.

Unless they get back to `Kirt Karo, Wand Shako and Naam Jappo,’ my fear is that this community is heading for a major moral crisis and may get dissolved in the next two generations. (Revised: This article was frst published here on September 16, 2021)

READ NEXT: Reason why new immigrants prefer trucking as profession

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9 COMMENTS

  1. The get-rich-quick attitude among Punjabiscomes from the present-day Punjab. A place which has no role models in the current generation and the state is in an advanced stage of decay. To add to it, we have a deplorable wave of Punjabi pop music spoiling the impressionable minds of the youngsters. This dangerous cocktail of circumstances force them to look for work in other countries where they’re tempted to opt for shortcuts to success.

    The educated ones have more options and they don’t need to resort to such practices but the ones with poor academic background may find it tough to make it big in Canada in short time.

  2. This article is very honest. Of course, there are upstanding Punjabi citizens here. But this article is about the many cheating corrupt Punjabis who ignore rules in business and building permits. I have experienced run by these people building inside structures, digging underground piping and never getting permits. Doing all deals in cash is rampant among them.

    The big problem is they have no interest in Canada. These people take and NEVER give back. In the long run, Brampton will become one of the most disfunctional regions in Canada.

    I’m an immigrant here from Ireland – now here 12 years. I abide by Canadian laws. This country is so trusting because Canadians are inherently very good trusting people. Unscrupulous immigrants find it easy to cheat the system and they are so short-sighted that they are killing Canada’s beautiful culture.

    Unfortunately, not one person in positions of power will touch this topic because of votes. So you can see how Brampton will spiral out of control and will run like a third-world city.

  3. This writer is against Punjabi he should use Indian or some Punjabi. He went against everything. I’ll tell him about others who are doing more dangerous then Punjabi

  4. You are very much right, sir.
    We have lost our Panjabiat and rich Panjab heritage and forgotten Baba Nanak ji teachings.

    Our motto:
    Money, money, money.
    May God save us.

  5. Seems like the writer is against punjabis. Some Punjabis may be doing wrong things but not every punjabi is the same. This gives a very bad name to the community.
    There is others like Italians and Muslims as well who do all the wrong things but that always go un noticed.
    There is always a small % of people in every community going the other way
    Good cars and music is common practice among africans too.
    I would appreciate not to target one community or India as a whole.
    Every one has lots of problems and each one is doing their way tk get things done
    Take a look at Mexico. Its one of the biggest drug dealer country. But they are treated better than Indian since no one says anything wrong about them ever.
    Never heard about any wrong of Italians. Guess what. They are one of the biggest and strong community taking advantage if the canadian system since ages.
    All the best

    • Why do you jump to the conclusion that the writer is against Punjabis? He is an honourable high-acheiver Punjabi himself and he is concernd about what is going on in his community. He is not blaming every Punjabi. And you cannot justify wrong-doing by pointing out that and this group is doing this or that. The Punjabi community has been well respected, but what is going on now is not something that is positive.

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