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Andrew Symonds is at fault himself

Ikki

Hall of Fame Member
Before moving to cabs in UK and US, the drivers from Punjab were known for being lorry drivers all over India. There is a reason for that. First of all most of them are not just Punjabis but Sikhs.

Punjabis in gemeral and Sikhs in particular used to be very reluctant to take on jobs other than as soldiers. Thus agriculture or an army career was what most Sikhs would be found in (their are some communities/castes that go into trading). It has something to do with the Punjabi psyche and a mild rebellious/independent nature.

When trucks got marketed in India on lease (the first capital good for many decades to be so marketed), they found this a fabulous way of working while being the owners of their own destiny. Whole families went in to this. Each adult boy would borrow money from the bank, get a lorry, work like a maniac (driving 16 hours + a day), pay back the bank and own the truck which was the dream of a life time !

Very many of them started adding more trucks and getting brothers and cousins to drive them and so you have 'transporter families' in Punjab mostly Sikhs. There children invariably would be school drop outs beant on making a career in transport. There was also a romanticism attached to these young drivers and the youngsters in their villages would look at them as role models - seriously.

When the lure of the Wes\t came calling many boys from these families started migrating and not having much education they opted for one thing all of them knew from early teens, driving. And soon more and more were joining them from back home.

The same is true for Punjabi Muslims from Pakistan.

They are a great community trust me with a great earthy sense of humour and by and large (though times are changing and how) are men of honour who would be trusted implicitely. In Calcutta they still say that if you want to send young girls alone at night by cab, look for a Sikh driver.

Thats how it used to be but now, as I said, things are changing.
What a wonderful post. It's a shame, as you say, that times are changing. As time goes by it seems humanity seems to be losing itself.
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
P.S Is this racism?

India v.s Pak Benson Hedges Cup in Australia

Aussie crowd with a banner " Bus Conductors v.s Taxi Drivers"
Yeah it's racist. Not horrifically offensive or anything obviously, but it's an insensitive attempt at humour based on racial stereotypes.
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
Yeah it's racist. Not horrifically offensive or anything obviously, but it's an insensitive attempt at humour based on racial stereotypes.
Forget about being racist and offensive. It is so untrue as of today.

Indians are dominating the Corporate World in the USA and you hear of Indian experts everywhere.

In my time as Chief Executive, I was amazed, particularly in the last five to seven years. at how many Indian CEO's, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Heads of Technical Departments etc I cam across everywhere I went across the world for Conferences.

When we were negotiating the take over of our Company by another group I got into the negotiations with the nine contenders and it was amazing to see how many Indians were in the delegations that came with quite a few headingthem. None of these was an Indian Company.

This stereotype is obsolete. Yes you will see Indians (and Pakistanis) behind cab steering wheels butyou will also see so many of them in Board rooms. In USA they are the largest communityfrom anywhere in the world to occupy so many top level executive positions.
 

biased indian

International Coach
Just on this, is there any particular reason why all the taxi drivers I get who are originally from India all seem to be from Punjab? I mean it's good, because I've been to the area and can talk some dross to them, but I just find it peculiar.
Just go to middle east and u can replace punjabis with malayalis...

I think 40 % of the UAE popolation are from Kerala...ie actula population not outsiders :)
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Absolutely they should be treated with hospitality off the field. But on the field...as I said, you have to use that home ground advantage as much as you can. I have no problem giving a gobful to an opposition player sitting on the boundary, and from what I've experienced, nor do many others. I like it that way. I want other teams to feel intimidated when playing cricket against us. The crowd can further press this by being hostile.

You do indeed have very old fashioned notions of how the game should be played though. It hasn't been a "lovely shot old chap" game for quite some time now.
I don't want to be rude mate...but you're not actually playing.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
That Mahanama allegation is one of the more interesting ones going around. Comes out with his book, hadn't been reported at the time. Yet he's very specific about which game, but there's been no-one to come out and back him up yet.
Yet he d oesn't say that anyone called him or his teammates that? :huh:
Well, no but... when was the book written\published? If it was after 2003 I presume it was a reference to the Darren Lehmann instance.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Thjats right.

Not racism but in very poor tase.

How would it sound if an Australia Windies match had someone in the crowd carrying
"Progeny of slaves versus Progeny of Criminals"
I think it'd leave a large number of the crowd wondering what a 'progeny' is! :happy:
 

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