ULTA-PULTA
Tunak tunak tun, visa laga!
Jaspal Bhatti

FEW years ago, an art promoter came to my house and advised me to put my artistic talent to the right use. I asked him what he had in mind for me. He told me that he had a programme chalked out to minimise the unemployment in the country. I was highly impressed. He then unveiled his scheme. "Why don't you make a cultural troupe and plan a couple of shows abroad?"

Puzzled, I asked him how our trip abroad could decrease the number of unemployed people in the country. He said, "We will smuggle our unemployed youth abroad with our cultural troupe." With great patriotic fervour, he told me that he had already a list of the numbers of the unemployed people who were ready to pay us lakhs by selling their land or property. The code word will be kabootar. I could not become the part of this 'kubootar scandal' perhaps because easy money was not in my kismat.

Now after so many years the Shamsher Mehandi- Daler Mehandi episode has come to light, I think they were also serving the nation by sending unemployed youth abroad. Kabootar is no longer a code word. Every villager in Punjab knows what is latest price for sending a kabootar abroad. There are several artistic ways to send the kabootar abroad. The aspirants can plan to stage a play. 

A ragi jatha can also smuggle a couple of persons by charging a lot of money. A few weeks back, the story of a women's cricket team, a few of whose players stayed back in a foreign country after playing some matches there, also came to light. Film units were also heard to be into the business of taking people abroad as make-up men or assistant cameramen.

Embassies have also become alert to keep a check on the trend. At the time of granting a visa, chances are that the visa officer can demand to hear a few dialogues from an actor to check if he is a genuine or a fake actor.

Alluring people to go abroad by charging Rs 10 or 13 lakh may make Daler Mehandi's purse heavier but certainly will decrease his price and respect as an artist. I only wish that he is not involved in this scam.

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