Making My Way To India With A Stop In Dubai

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By Balwant Sanghera

My wife and I last visited India in 2014. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit not only to the Punjab province but also to many other parts of India including a trip to Bihar State. While in Bihar, we spent a few days in Patna, the capital city of Bihar and visited Bodh Gaya and the ancient Nalanda University. The Archeological Department of India has been doing an excellent job in restoring this ancient place of higher learning to its original state. Now is the time again to visit my place of birth, see relatives, friends and tourist attractions. This time, my family, friends and relatives, travelling to-gether, will be stopping over in Dubai for a few days on our way to India.

Dubai is well-known for its luxury shopping, ultra-modern architecture and very exciting tourist attractions. These include the 830 meter tall Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, DubaiCreek, DubaiMall, PalmIslands, Dubai Miracle Garden and the Global Village. Dubai is one of seven emirates that make up UAE.It is the most modern and progressive emirate in the UAE. In a sense, Dubai is like an independent city state. Dubai has the largest immigrant population in the world. There are a number of superlatives that are used to describe this city. These include fastest, biggest, largest, tallest, and highest. Sharjah, some 30 miles from the city is its major international airport. Only recently, the Punjab government, in co-operation with Indian authorities, has stated a regular flight between Chandigarh and Sharjah.

One can seeonly so much during a short stay in this marvellous city. Anyway, it should be interesting to visit at least some of the major tourist attractions during our stay there. Dubai is only three hours by air from major airports like Mumbai and New Delhi. Thus, after two years, it will be interesting to visit Punjab in particular and India in general again. Due to the upcoming provincial elections in the Punjab, the political activity there seems to be at a very high pitch. This development is very apparent from listening to our local radio stations and gleaning the Indo-Canadian media.The three major parties-Badal’s Shromani Akali Dal, Congress and Aam Admi Party are leaving no stone unturned in gaining public approval. This election appears to be very different from the one held in2012. At that time the contest was between two main parties-Shromani Akai Dal and the Congress. However, this time it seems to be a very different dynamic. I can hardly wait to watch these political developments in person.

From Dubai, it will be on to New Delhi. From there, it will be on to my hometown Pharwala (District Jalandhar). Incidentally, Nurmahal and Bilga are only a few kilometers away from my home town. As usual, I will be frequently visiting these places and many more throughout my stay in India. R. Paul Dhillon, the esteemed editor of The Link has asked me to report about the developments in the Punjab and India whenever I can find time to do so. I certainly will keep this in mind and share with you, the valued readers of The Link, my experience whenever I will get a chance to do so. My family and I are looking forward to the trip.

Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist.