The photos of handcuffed, military plane borne Indian “illegal immigrants” getting dropped off at the Amritsar airport has ruled over our newsfeed in the last couple of weeks. Their narration of the dunki flight, their pleading innocence, the horror of the detention camps – all of it was served fresh by the Indian media to the audience.
However, what made some Indian uncles on social media most worried about was why would someone spend 50 lakhs to one crore rupees to go to America and suffer there, while they can invest it in their own country and live a decent life.
From an economic viewpoint this seems to be a legit contention; the traditional migration theories have always emphasised on the wage differentials to be the primary reason on why people leave their home country. Even though this logic sounds convincing for the India-US or India-Canada migration, where the difference of the basic wage is almost 41 times, before arriving at any conclusion, one must consider not only the initial capital invested but also the amount of risk involved in taking the journey itself.
Also read: Fourth Batch of Deportees Arrive: Youth Who Spent Rs 42 Lakh to Reach US Via Dunki Route Returns
From adverse tropical rainforests, deep rivers, wild animals to drug cartels and border authorities, the risk quotient is much higher than the apprehended economic gain. Then why do people take such risks? Why do so many young boys, primarily Jat/Gujjar boys from the plains of Haryana and Punjab, put their life at stake and take on a 6-month long uncertain journey? Is it only money or does the American/Canadian land have more to offer?
Scholars have argued that “the culture of migration” or “normative influence” creates a huge impact in shaping aspirations of people in and around international migration. The tag of a Pravasi in Kerala and NRI in the rest of the country brings a lot of attention, prestige, social status and eventually social mobility for immigrants and their respective families.
Having Canadian, Australian, American or UK flag stickers pasted on cars, is a loud renouncement of the individual’s connection to the foreign land and social-cultural capital associated with it. But how is the culture of migration created?
There was recent news from Punjab that an auto driver was flaunting a “deported by USA” sticker on the body of his vehicle. Here, even a deportation becomes the proof of an official association with foreign and thus must be displayed with pride.
Apart from the kinships, social networks and symbolic capitals flaunted, are there any other sources of information that allures the young men to an uncertain yet rewarding future?
Social media as the source of information and circulation of aspiration
An account on Instagram, run by a young “Jaat” – let’s call him A – posted a video of him crossing the infamous Darien Gap and entering Panama forest, along with other Dunki travellers, which garnered 986,000 views and more than 60,000 likes. The rest of A’s public profile is also like a series of posters selling his American dream.
In one of his reels, he is getting out of a BMW car, in another he is shopping at fancy malls and travelling around. There are videos of him smoking hookah with a fellow desi chap while the US and Indian flags are hanging in the backdrop.
A is not the only one. There are hundreds of Instagram profiles, primarily operated by the young immigrants from Punjab and Haryana who are documenting and flaunting their everyday life as “rola america da” on social media; including illegal entries where they record themselves crossing fences and running from the Mexico-US border.
Another page called ‘America Updates’ on Instagram, run by a young truck driver from Haryana, also works as an information network tipping its followers about new employment opportunities, recent raids by the US government, number of people sent to the detention camps and suggestions for the aspiring immigrants from India. His medium of communication is voice messaging and video recording and he speaks in thet Haryanvi.
Also read: The Tortuous Routes Some Indians Are Taking to Get to Foreign Shores
These accounts are producing and circulating aspirations for the young audience back in India, where the employment rate is at a historic low and youth unemployment is soaring every day. Keeping this grim picture of employability in the background, the widely-consumed social media contents packed with luxury and mobility, creates a fear of missing out among job seekers.
As a result, the familiarity of the language in these videos, the requirement of no specific skill set and the well-established kinship networks makes entering America through the dunki route, seems like a lucrative proposition. The difficulty of the journey rather than being a discouragement, contributes to the masculine urge of adventure, thanks to its portrayal on social media.
Songs like “Jattan De Puttan Nu Rok Sake Na Trump”, “Jat tera donkey lag gaya” “Desi Balak Gama ke” are often used with these videos, inculcating a sense of heroism embedded in their caste identity. The male pride of being a provider and a hard worker, sits perfectly with the traditional notion of ideal men, in a feudal patriarchal setting like that of northwestern India.
So, aside from the urge of earning more money, having an NRI tag, the gratification around the gender and community identity established through popular Punjabi-Haryanvi culture encourages more low skilled unemployed youth in taking up the tricky course of action. Thus, even after knowing the illegality of the act, these videos of crossing borders, dunking through the jungle, all are exhibited as an achievement of their masculine caste pride.
Many of these immigrants sold their land, took loans from friends and family with the confidence that they would multiply and return the money. The luxury cars, flashy branded clothes, buildings with a statue of liberty and dollar da barsat shown in the music videos and social media – all these symbolic capitals have painted a mirage of hope for the agricultural communities in the northwest Indian plain.
The mushrooming travel agencies, many without any ethics and morals, have banked on these aspirations; encouraging, befooling and often manipulating people to take up the Dunki route, without accepting any accountability.
While one must be sceptical about the glorification of an off route migration though it doesn’t mean the anti-immigrant, fascist US regime must be spared for their deeds. The current crackdown comes along with the ideological apparatus any ethno-national political force would like to apply, that is to criminalise the migrants and place them against the native working class.
The kind of job that the Indian undocumented immigrants usually take in North America or Europe are largely the work or wage rejected by the local population. The “cash on hands” workers are paid much lower than the regular wages and are not even provided with social security measures. Yet, they contribute heavily to the US economy not only through their labour but also from other consumptions like housing, food and commodities.
While the cultural product of these international migrations ignites and circulates aspiration, it doesn’t do much to address the political vendetta.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the immigrant population, including a huge number from South Asia, worked as frontline workers and contributed massively to the health infrastructure. How can one’s labour then be deemed legal while their existence remains in limbo? Hopefully, someday someone while driving his truck is going to sing about that, away from superficial luxury, and for the labouring and toiling bodies.
Dipsita Dhar is a member of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).
