Each of the five personal objects I presented at the AGM are from my heritage and are in my personal possession.

The metal pliers and two auls were once part of a set my grandfather made with his own hands. Since our family profession was fine metal smithing, he would have used these regularly to earn a living. My village of Kotli Loharan is famous for its manufactured metal artifacts, a tradition that goes back locally in Punjab for nearly a millennium.

The glasses, too, belonged to my grandfather, and putting them on allowed me to connect with him more profoundly and tangibly than the mere contact with his metal tools. As the eldest son in my family, I am honored to have custody of this physical link with my family’s past.

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