Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The Sikh community in Agro Pontino is one of the largest in Italy
I would roughly estimate that
it amounts to a number close to 30,000 immigrants including the illegal ones.
"Tan Kosh" means someone who is born from "ann", grain,
grain is born from earth.
Animals and birds live on the "Tan Kosh" level.
One who lives on the "Tan Kosh" level, lives like animals.
I like the weather, the sea is nearby.
it's lively.
As far as work goes, whatever little is there is enough
And for the rest.. whatever God decides!
I search for work, travelling by bicycle, I search for work,
20, 25 kms every morning.
I have to cycle uphill and downhill, many cars speed by.
When I arrive, I beg for work from my master
Hopefully, he will ask me to come the next day, if there is some work.
But many times I go back home, as there is no work.
Many times dogs bark at us, and sometimes it gets even worse.
We go to wrok by bicycle or mini scooter.
we don't have any onter means to go to work.
Italians open car doors while passing by, they hit us with bottles.
And now something new happened, someone shot at one of us
No one cares about our rights.
I witnessed conditions of total subjugation,
the employer expects to be called "master",
in return, the Sikh migrant is expected to step back
and to bow to the master's orders.
The master we are working for doesn't even give us time for lunch.
We work for 12 hours with only a 15 minute lunch break.
We work bent over, planting melons and courgettes.
We work only to avoid starvation, until 10 pm
Jagjit's face was hidden in order to protect him from potential retaliation.
This chain of exploitation
ties together several Sikh immigrant leaders
to the other subjugated Sikhs, with the backing of a few Italian entrepreneurs.
When I receive my work permit, at the end of the year,
I will go to see my children and my wife,
and i will see my parents.
It's been seven years since I last saw them...