dial_100 Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Family including an infant froze to death. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/gujarati-family-of-four-including-infant-freezes-to-death-on-us-canada-border-in-minus-35-degrees-c/articleshow/89046004.cms Why do I want to illegally go anywhere? To do what? Why cant I do the same thing in India? Unbelievable. Greed of few people, these are specific 2-3 states who regularly migrate to other countries illegally. This is going on for 30-40 years now or may be longer. Thoughts? Vk1 and maniac 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BacktoCricaddict Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, dial_100 said: Family including an infant froze to death. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/gujarati-family-of-four-including-infant-freezes-to-death-on-us-canada-border-in-minus-35-degrees-c/articleshow/89046004.cms Why do I want to illegally go anywhere? To do what? Why cant I do the same thing in India? Unbelievable. Greed of few people, these are specific 2-3 states who regularly migrate to other countries illegally. This is going on for 30-40 years now or may be longer. Thoughts? Have we considered that it is desperation, and not greed. It is impossible to judge their individual circumstances. Not every Gujarati can thrive doing business in Gujarat. Some people may have tried hardest but their circumstances (someone fleeced them? large family with no chance of a big inheritance? no capital? loan shark threating them over unpaid money?) may have put them in this desperate situation ... and then they have relatives in Canada or USA (who are living the dream life with kids in med school etc.) who say "Just get here, we'll take care of you." And they make a run for it, trusting them. Truly, truly sad. Edited January 21, 2022 by BacktoCricaddict Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dial_100 Posted January 21, 2022 Author Share Posted January 21, 2022 2 hours ago, BacktoCricaddict said: Have we considered that it is desperation, and not greed. It is impossible to judge their individual circumstances. Not every Gujarati can thrive doing business in Gujarat. Some people may have tried hardest but their circumstances (someone fleeced them? large family with no chance of a big inheritance? no capital? loan shark threating them over unpaid money?) may have put them in this desperate situation ... and then they have relatives in Canada or USA (who are living the dream life with kids in med school etc.) who say "Just get here, we'll take care of you." And they make a run for it, trusting them. Truly, truly sad. Desperation for what? If some one is so desperate then there are legal ways to do so. Greed can make you indulge in some act that demands desperation or else help me understand how bad was the life that they could afford to travel to USA but not accept the reality. I never said it was their greed only. It could very well be party on the receiving side also. It doesnt matter. Why everyone has to thrive? Why everyone has to get same level of life? If it was easy then everyone would have it anyway. It is hard and that is why people get desperate. But what makes them desperate is greed that others have it and I dont. So what? If I tell you that I was eating 1 meal a day for over 100 days a year when I was a student, would you belief it? If I say, I couldnt write my semester exam because I had no money to pay for my tuition (merely Rs. 3000) then would you believe it? If I was desperate then I would have asked and there were over dozen of friends and family members who would have supported me with that money. But my dad and family would have been hurt. I waited for few months. I received money from my parents, I worked extra hours and cleared all my exams for 2 semester in one go. Why cant we accept our situations? If it has to be turned around then there are legal ways. This is not about Gujaratis or Marathis. I am talking about greed and desire to cheat. Extremely sad that they had to lose their lives. coffee_rules 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_rules Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 Indians crossing border from Mexico or Canada is still minuscule compared to other countries like Latinos, and Chinese. But, I still see more Punjabis and GujaratisI see working in Gas stations here in US. They come on visitors visa and jump it. There is this guy who approached me in a local gas station, doesn’t talk Hindi, in Punjabi asks me if there is a place to rent. Feel so sorry for him, I don’t know how to help. Asked him to approach a Gurdwara or a NGO . Finding it hard as he doesn’t want to get caught by authorities. But almost all gas stations have Desis now more than Latinos. They live like 4 or 5 in a single BHK apartment, but almost invariably all are speaking to someone in Punjabi or Gujarati on their phones. Wonder how they can afford. Too much misery in the world, very few get out of it. dial_100, mishra, Vickydev and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarke Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 The idea that one should spend lakhs (personal or borrowed) to pursue life as an illegal is messed up. Although they earn dollars from hard work, the peace of mind aspect is ignored and realised too late. Not all are even lower middle class. There certainly are a substantial bunch who have a reasonable middle class life in India with good amount of farmland etc and instead choose to slog 12 hrs a day in a store since it's a western country. mishra, dial_100 and coffee_rules 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jf1gp_1 Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 41 minutes ago, Clarke said: The idea that one should spend lakhs (personal or borrowed) to pursue life as an illegal is messed up. Although they earn dollars from hard work, the peace of mind aspect is ignored and realised too late. Not all are even lower middle class. There certainly are a substantial bunch who have a reasonable middle class life in India with good amount of farmland etc and instead choose to slog 12 hrs a day in a store since it's a western country. Have seen people given up good jobs to drive a truck in Canada. ravishingravi, dial_100, Vijy and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nevada Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 (edited) Could be a family looking to sneak across and work in one of them Patel Motels. Someone with not much education and in desperate financial situation would be easily tempted to take risks and settle down in "Amreeka". India is huge, there are various types of people there, not just well educated middle class who would baulk at suffering indignity of living an illegal immigrant's life. Edited January 22, 2022 by nevada Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_rules Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 10 hours ago, jf1gp_1 said: Have seen people given up good jobs to drive a truck in Canada. Truck drivers , esp the big haul carriers make 90-100k USD. We had an office admin asst whose husband was such a driver, she had indicated that he makes 100k about 20 years ago. There is a lot of money there for somebody earning quite less in India dial_100 and ravishingravi 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijy Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 4 hours ago, coffee_rules said: Truck drivers , esp the big haul carriers make 90-100k USD. We had an office admin asst whose husband was such a driver, she had indicated that he makes 100k about 20 years ago. There is a lot of money there for somebody earning quite less in India indeed, some of the manual professions are quite well paid. coffee_rules 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_B_ Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 The truth is driving a truck in canada usa etc a person can send home 15 to 20 lakhs per year to india. Enough to live like a king/queen in the villages. But that's the legal way. A big part of of these immigration push is the agents and other friends relatives providing a very glamorous picture. Agents claim you can work for few years and then buy a big house and retire. When these people come they are given such low payment that they can barely send any money home after the cost of living. dial_100 and coffee_rules 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jf1gp_1 Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 12 hours ago, coffee_rules said: Truck drivers , esp the big haul carriers make 90-100k USD. We had an office admin asst whose husband was such a driver, she had indicated that he makes 100k about 20 years ago. There is a lot of money there for somebody earning quite less in India 100k if you are there illegally i doubt that. mishra and coffee_rules 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vancouver Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Well we should not judge others as everyone has different life circumstances. Punjabi's immigrating is not a recent phenomenon, they are migrating since 150 years. You have to go deep and see the root cause, Britishers used to send Indian army soldiers to Burma, Manila, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany and Canada. The first Sikhs came to Canada at the turn of the 20th century. Obviously these people go back to their families in India and tell them how far behind India is, In Punjab people got TVs/fridges/landline telephone in 1990s, cars only became affordable in 2000s. Imagine life in 1900s. Some of these migrants have established families in Canada since decades. I came to Canada in 2010s but my Aunt and Uncles came here in late 1970 and in laws of my aunt were here in 1960s, my grandma is here since 1990. So it was only natural for me to aspire to come to Canada where majority of my family lives. Biggest difference I noticed is buying power. Even at minimum wage in Vancouver ($15.60 an hour) one can buy loads of groceries. So food security is not anxiety inducing anymore. Yes it's hard life but you are treated with dignity as you are mandated by law to take breaks, employers cannot take advantage, they act in professional manner. Everyone can buy latest n greatest whatever, one can approach MP etc with ease, politicians are much humble here and meeting them is no big thing. You can express your creativity without being ridiculed, you can be any gender, no one asks your caste. Society is much more diverse, I can have Mexican/asian/Indian/ukrainian/Brazillian cuisines, interact with people from different backgrounds and broaden my life perspective. Life in India was spent around ration card, gas cylinder refill, adhere card, Manmohan modi, this election that election loudspeakers be it election campaign, religious places, shivering at thought of going to police in fear of taken advantage, nothing in India is straightforward and easy, some of you are from cities like Bangalore etc and life is indeed much better, but India is vast and some places are worse than African countries. Even the produce we get here is much fresher n long lasting than Indian states like Punjab. These small small things add up and make a great difference. Most of all is independence, I don't want people to poke their nose in my affairs which is unavoidable in India. You cannot put a price on human dignity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vancouver Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 On 1/22/2022 at 8:00 PM, jf1gp_1 said: 100k if you are there illegally i doubt that. You cannot drive a truck if you are illegal as one needs a driving license which is impossible to get if you don't have a status. For any job you need SIN or SSN. Only jobs you can do as illegal are cash gigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_rules Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 ^^This thread is not about legal immigration, we are talking about why families take so much risk to the extent of dying in the extreme cold to enter a country. Life is tough , but of people are making a living (good or bad), why is it so important to get aisho-aaraam? I never had to struggle in India, did try to go back as well, but I guess we can’t understand those who are in have-nots dial_100 and raki05 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dery Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Why are people leaving when Modi already turned India into a superpower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishra Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 People are chewt to call the least. Most illegals have had decent life back home to afford all that money in first place, but they choose to migrate for they are sold that life in US/UK will be brilliant. Working conditions as illegal immigrants and exploitation is same or worse compared to India. They and their family spend years in fear and Cananot attend any event back home. All they do when they got free time (which is rare) is dress up and have a party orvisit some place, take a snap and update on SM (Basically hide the pain like their wife who had a kaamvali Bai is now also working as a carer/bai/cook). They live such life for all their youth just so that their nxt generation can have a good life. IMO, If they work that hard back home, their kids won’t need to go anywhere as illegal immigrants. dial_100 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishra Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 On 1/24/2022 at 5:41 AM, Vancouver said: You cannot drive a truck if you are illegal as one needs a driving license which is impossible to get if you don't have a status. For any job you need SIN or SSN. Only jobs you can do as illegal are cash gigs. In UK, when you are stopped by Police, you don’t need to immediately submit DL and other stuff. So you can see how just One taxi driver DL can serve many taxis parallely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dery Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Its hypocritical for people living in first world countries now to criticize these people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jf1gp_1 Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 19 minutes ago, Dery said: Its hypocritical for people living in first world countries now to criticize these people. No one is critical of desire to settle outside India. It the illegal route which so many take is being questioned since it's no where close of being worth it. Vijy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dery Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 8 minutes ago, jf1gp_1 said: No one is critical of desire to settle outside India. It the illegal route which so many take is being questioned since it's no where close of being worth it. But the desire for a better life for their next generation is the same. It's just that most people aren't that privileged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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