BORN IN NOV 1956 IN A SMALL HUT IN GURU TEGH BAHADUR NAGAR FORMALLY CALLED AS KOLIWADA TILL 1969 THIS SMALL PLACE WILL GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF MINI PUNJAB OF MUMBAI,WHAT I LOVE FIRST IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE HELPERS TO ONE AND ALL ,SECONDLY THERE ARE MORE THAN 6 GURUDWARAS AND THERE EXISTS 5 HINDU TEMPLES 3 CHURCHES 8 SCHOOLS AND THE PROMINENT ONE IS GURUNANAK SCHOOL OF GURU TEGH BAHADUR NAGAR AS MOST OF THE POPULATION IS SIKHS AND HINDUS THEY HAVE FAMILY RELATIONS SINCE 1947 WHEN OUR FORE FATHERS CAME TO INDIA AND SETTTLED IN BOMBAY NOW CALLED MUMBAI MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE ENGAGED IN LOGISTICS

I STAY IN A TEMPORARY HUT NEAR THE DASHMESH GURUDWARA OF GTB NAGAR MUMBAI ALTHOUGH MY HUT IS ONLY TEMPORARY AND ON THE ROOF MANGLORE TILES ARE PROVIDED HAVING AN AREA OF 450 SQ FEET BUT OUR NEIGHBOURS ARE LUCKY GUYS SOME OF THEM HAVE BECOME WEALTHY BY DOING BUSINESS BUT MOST OF THEM STILL INVOLVED IN DOING LOGISTICS THAT IS DOING TRANSPORT BUSINESS FROM MY HUT ALL THE GURUDWARAS AND MANDIRS AND OTHER HOLY PLACES ARE VERY NEAR AND I VISIT ALL TEMPLES AND GURUDWARAS THIS GIVES ME SOLACE AND COMFORT AS THIS WAS OUR PLACE WHEN WE CAME FROM PAKISTAN AS REFUGEES AND SUBSEQUENTLY PROVIDED SOME ACCOMODATION IN TENTS LATER ON SOME ROOMS WERE ALSO GIVEN TO REFUGEES ON LEASE PEOPLE HAVE STRONG BINDINGS AS WE AND OUR FOREFATHERS WERE STAYING IN THIS AREA SINCE LAST 77 YEARS MY IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOURS ARE VERY VERY GOOD AND HELP US WHEN EVER THE NEED ARISES AFTER MAKING FOOD WE HUTMENTS DWELLERS EXCHANGE OUR FOODS IN SMALLL STEEL UTENSILS WHICH SHOWS OUR LOVE AND AFFECTION AGAINST EACH OTHERS I LOVE MY GURU TEGH BAHADUR NAGAR AND SO ALSO OUR NEIGHBOURS WHOM WE LOVE WITH LOVE AND DEDICATION AND REMAIN PRESENT WITH THEM IN GOOD AND BAD TIMES AND LIVE IN PEACE AND PROSPERITY ALTHOUGH I STAY IN A SMALL TEMPORARY HUT BUT IT CONTAINS BATHROOM WASHROOMS AND AIR CONDITIONERS HENCE I AM HAPPY TO LIVE IN THIS HUT FURTHERMORE ALL THE PUNJABI SWEETS AND FOODSTUFFS ARE SOLD BY LOCAL SHOPS IN OUR AREA WE NEED NOT GO TO PUNJAB TO BUY ANYTHING ALL SHOPKEEPERS KNOW US SINCE LAST 76 YEARS AND ARE GIVING US ANYTHING ON CREDIT AND WE DO REIMBURSEMENT EVERY MONTH I AM HAPPY TO STAY IN A SMALL TEMPORARY HUTMENT IN GURU TEGH BAHADUR NAGAR FORMALLY CALLED AS KOLIWADA OF MUMBAI AS KOLIS OR FISHERMEN USED TO CATCH FISHES AND STAY IN THIS AREA 90 YEARS AGO HENCE I LOVE THIS PLACE WHERE I GREW UP AND MY ANCESTORS LIVED

AMARJIT SINGH KAHAI INTELLIGENCE OFFICER RETIRED MUMBAI MAHARASHTRA INDIA