Stephen King famously said, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” Taking a cue from it, well known Kiwi-Indian Parminder Singh ‘Papatoetoe’ has come up with his first book, aptly titled Kiwinama.
Singh, a familiar face in the community, successfully juggles numerous roles - from being a radio presenter to a Justice of Peace and from serving as an advisor to the Counties Manukau Police Commander to being a proud family man.
Singh, who originally hailed from Punjab and moved to NZ in December 2001, says that his book is about the Punjabi diaspora living in NZ, Australia, Canada, and the Fiji Islands, including struggle stories about early settlers.
He has covered their lifestyle, including some funny stories while crossing the language barriers in a foreign land. Says Singh, "I have tried to touch down the reason for migration phenomena from the land of five rivers (Punjab) to the western countries. Acknowledging the multiculturalism of today’s society, I have tried to highlight the struggle and establishment of the Punjabi/Sikh community from every single aspect of life.”
So, what inspired him to write the book, which is currently available in Punjabi but soon will be translated into Urdu and English? And pat comes the reply, “Our Indian heritage and rich history as a migrant are the main inspiration behind the book. My grandfather served in the British army during the second world war at the Rangoon front (Burma, now Myanmar). He used to be a storyteller about his bravery, journey, and Punjabi/Sikh soldiers’ interaction with other communities. On the other hand, my mother's father fought for India’s freedom and was closely associated with the ‘Babbar’ and ‘Gadar’ movements. So, I was a sharp observer of both sides of the stories, which were about great journeys for different causes. This was my inspiration.”
Singh, who has also lived in Australia before moving to NZ, further reveals that his transition was not easy, especially since he is a turbaned man. The doting father of two says, “I came to Australia from India in 1998 and then migrated to Aotearoa in 2001 with family. This was not an easy transition for a turbaned man. I had to cross all the barriers same as any other migrant, with limited sources of income.”
Singh, who is also a qualified social worker, acknowledges that in the last many years, the Indian diaspora has significantly changed in NZ. He says, “Different phases of migration had to face various challenges. Migration policies keep changing, and Punjabi diaspora also changed accordingly. The socio-economic and religious definitions also vary according to the immigration status.”
Lastly, Singh reveals that he plans to write down Kiwinama-2 for research-based stories about Punjabi migrants in NZ, Australia, Canada, and the Fiji islands. He says, “This will be a series of research-based projects and stories behind the scenes. Many Punjabis arrived in NZ via Fiji. Many stories need to highlight after the 1980's saga in Punjab. So far, my senior authors covered from 1890 to 1990, then 100 years of Punjabis in NZ, but there is still a need to showcase stories of all different phases as an audio/video or reference book."
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