Made Like a Gun (re-post)

The first motorized vehicle that I owned was a brand new, black, 1993, Yamaha RX 100. I can still remember the day. It was September 13, 1993. I was in 12th grade, and like every other guy of that age, in Punjab at that time, had long wished for a motorcycle. No, a scooter wouldn't do ! Before that, I used to ride a BSA Mach 1, a sports bicycle. A few years later, while at medical college, I decided to graduate to a bigger motorcycle, one which I had longed for much more than I had for any other. It was a metallic silver, 1998, Royal Enfield Bullet 500. Though, I don't remember the exact date, I bought that brand new in January 1999.

All the three bikes that I owned, including the BSA Mach 1, had a special place in the existing young, urban, Punjabi culture of their times. Owning each one of these, put one in a different class of pride, prestige and personality. Though, the Mach 1 and RX 100 were popular amongst a particular age group, at a particular time in history, and were limited to the urban population, it is the Royal Enfield Bullet which, for long, has transcended these boundaries.

The first chapter, in the story of the "Bullet", as it is popularly known in India, started in mid 19th century in the tiny village of Hunt End, near the town of Redditch, Worcestershire, England when George Townsend & Co. opened their doors as a firm specializing in sewing needles and machine parts. A few years down the road, during that period of industrialization in Europe, the firm ventured into the trade of pedal-cycles, and was soon manufacturing its own brand. It was in 1893, that their cycles began sporting the name "Enfield", and the trademark "Made Like a Gun". Little would have they realized, that it was the beginning of a legend which would transcend centuries and borders.

The first Enfield motorcycle arrived in India, in 1949, when Madras Motorcycles won an order from the Indian Army for the supply of motorcycles. The motorcycle was the 350cc Bullet, and the beginning of the second chapter in the story. Over the years, several models were introduced, including a Mini Bullet, one which you might have seen in several Hindi films of the 70's and 80's, and the world's first diesel motorcycle to go on production line, the Taurus. However, the design and mechanics of the original Bullet remained pretty much unchanged until the turn of the century. The Bullet 500 that I owned was first introduced in 1993, and went on to become the most desired, a green in the eye.

In context of its role in the culture of Punjab, the Bullet can best be regarded an icon. The "dugg, dugg" of its engine is just as much part of Punjab and the lives of its people as "lassi", "makki di roti","saron da saag", "gidha", and "bhangra". Ever since the urbanisation of Punjab, a "dodhi" or the milk vendor has been integral to the very existence of life in Punjab which had earlier been a predominantly farming state, and 90% of its urban population can trace their backgrounds to some "pind". People might have moved on to live in towns and cities but there is still a vital link that keeps them connected to their roots, and that is the "dodhi", and the unmistakable "dugg dugg" of his Bullet.

Punjabis belong to a strong, robust, machsimo race which is crumbling to the unhealthy eating, working, and living conditions of urbanisation. A Bullet, for these urban Punjabis, is the best reflection of their lost personalities. For some others, it is a stamp of authority. For some, it is sign of being macho amongst peers. For a few others, its a "magic wand" when it comes to winning over girls ! Above all, whatever their respective reasons, every Bullet owner prides in owning a piece of history, and the respect it commands !