– by Naina Mishra
Chandigarh, June 08, 2017: 'Mitti Ki Khusboo' is an initiative which thrives on connecting NRIs and PIOs to their motherland. No matter wherever you set off, your native land must never be forgotten, and the smell of the motherland should always fill your heart with reverence.
Newsgram brings to you the gratifying narrative of an ex-NRI, Amanjot Ramoowalia who left the Canadian citizenship for the welfare of her native land– "Punjab".
Ms. Ramoowalia, 47, is a resident of Chandigarh and the head of a charity for women. At the age of 19, she left to Canada and got married. During her stay in Canada, she always had a subtle inclination towards her homeland.
"I always had a whole in my heart for my nation. I still remember the first time in years after I visited India. As soon as the plane landed, I greeted the motherland and sighed relief." told Ramoowalia to Newsgram.
Nationalism sprouts within the home itself and such has been the story of Roomawalia. Her family background explains the inclination towards the nation:
She grew up watching her father and grandfather fully immersed in serving the motherland. The young girl instilled the similar patterns in her as she grew up. Ramooawalia's grandfather, Karnail Singh Paras was a renowned Kavishar of 'Indian Punjab'. He used to sing patriotic songs and inspire people to devote themselves to Dharma (religion) and Vatan (nation). Ramoowalia also saw her father, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, now Cabinet Minister of UP, who ran 'Dharam Yudh Morcha' while struggling at the time of emergency period.
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"One night cops entered my house looking for my father. Few armed men tried to shoot him at back. At that time, we didn't even know whether my dad would return back or not. On that night my mother told me not to cry. She pointed towards a painting of Guru Gobind Singh with 4 sahibzaade and said "our Guru sacrificed himself for us. We must not fear to lose him as he will sacrifice himself for the nation if the situation commands." said Ramoowalia recalling the memories of her childhood.
It was certain that Ramoowalia was turning as a nationalist herself while growing up. Before shifting to India, Ramoowalia did some election campaigning for her father who was a politician in Punjab. She covered her father wherever it was required. Ramoowalia would listen to the plight of the marginalized sections of society, which changed her perspective wholly.
She says, "I heard a woman lamenting over her 19-year-old son who died due to a drug overdose. I was touched with the problems people faced in Punjab and wanted to bring a change in the state of affairs". By this time she was about to hail as the chief of Planning Commission Board under SAD-led government. However, I was a Canadian and was suppose to renounce my citizenship."
Ramoowalia adds,"Someone on the immigration board did ask me "Are you sure you want to renounce the citizenship. People are dying for this." But out of my people's love and patriotism, I gave up my citizenship, quoted Ramoowalia on leaving Canadian citizenship."
Roomawalia now runs an NGO called "Helping Hapless", which aims at helping the needy people. It strives to solve myriads of issues like Human Trafficking, Drugs, and Domestic Violence.
"We wanted to continue our work which we also carried out during elections because it was the need of an hour and not something to be vouched politically", she explained.
Ramoowalia put in plain words the essence of Mitti ki Khusboo.
When you leave your home country owing to a better education or better life but do not forget your homeland, mother tongue, culture and traditions of the land you come from. The smell of the motherland is the smell of your own natives. Our land has the oldest legacy in the world. There might be others as well but for me, this is the place I found my soul always belonged to where heart fills more than the gut. I am fully satisfied living here and working for my people
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