The Secular Ethos of Punjab

The very name Punjab- the land of five rivers-is indicative of unity in diversity. The language and culture of the people of this region are one, though they may follow different faiths or dress themselves differently. The forms may vary but the spirit is one and the same. The greatest unifying factor is, of course, the Punjabi language. When we think of Sheikh Farid, we do not think of a Muslim Sufi poet but of a Punjabi Sufi poet. His poetry is the common heritage of all people whose language is Punjabi.
Guru Arjan Dev compiled the Granth Sahib, the greatest anthology of poetry in the world, 400 years ago. Compositions of as many as 35 saints belonging to different regions and sects were included in the Granth Sahib. The factor that is common to these saints is their deep concern for the predicament of man. It is the condition of man that dominates their thoughts. This spirit has also been the focal point in Punjabi literature for the past eight centuries or so.
Guru Nanak Dev ignored superficial barriers which divided man from man and stood for basic human unity and the oneness of the entire universe, where everything is in harmony with the Divine Spirit. Stars and planets are not unrelated entities for him, they are "lamps symmetrically arranged in the firmament".
"Gagan mai thaal rav chanddeepak bane
 Tarika mandaljanak moti."   
Other Sikh Gurus too propounded the philosophy of the oneness of God and the brotherhood of man.
Guru Ramdas said : "Mere Ram hum barik, har prabh ke, hain ayane."
The faith in humanism found a clear expression in the vani of Guru Gobind Singh, Manas ki jaat sabhai eko pehchaan bo.
Sufi poets of Punjab strengthened this humanistic tradition and helped in bringing about emotional integration. Sheikh Farid. Shah Hussain, Bulhe Shah and Sultan Bahu decried caste, colour and glorified the spirit of man.
In Punjabi Kissa-Kav the spirit of secularism reigns supreme. Warish Shah's "Heer Ranjha" stirs the hearts of Punjabis all the world over as does Damodar's "Heer". No one cares to knowabout he religious faiths of these great poets. Qadir Yar composed "Kissa Puran Bhagat" in the 19th century. Interestingly, our contemporary Surjit Singh Sethi has written a play entitled "Qadir Yar", based on the life of this great story-teller in verse.
Amrita Pritam remembered Waris Shah in her famous poem "Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nun" which expresses her agony at the communal frenzy at the time of partition. She asks him, "You wrote so feelingly about Heer, a daughter of Punjab, but now when countless daughters of this land are in tears, how could you enjoy sound sleep in your grave ?"
Prof. Puran Singh has employed symbols of "Heer" and "Ranjha" in a different manner. He says :
"Aa veer Ranjhea, aa bhain Heere,
 Sanu chhor najawo, bin tusan asin sakhne. "
This is indeed a unique example of the oneness of Punjabi culture. Diverse symbols play an important role in the formation of the ethos of a society.
Dhani Ram Chatrik's "Maarda damameJat mele aagya " is as popular a poem in this part of India as IqbaFs "Saare Jahan se achcha> Hindustan Hamara" is in the whole of India.
Ferozedin Sharaf, Mohan Singh, Vidhata Singh Teer, Kartar Singh Ballaggan and a number of other poets made Punjabi poetry popular among the people of all shades of opinion.
Punjabi drama has also not lagged behind. Lala Kirpa Sagar (1881-1939) eulogised a true secular monarch in his play "Maharaja Ranjit Singh". Sant Singh Sekhon has presented Lenin as the protagonist of his play "Mitter Piara". Harcharan Singh aims at inculcating the importance of history in the minds of Punjabis, which is necessary for bringing about emotional integration. Balwant Gargi's works reflect composite Punjabi culture. Kapur Singh Ghumman's cosmopolitan outlook is reflected in his play "Manas Ki Ek Jaat."
In the field of fiction too the approach is not at all sectarian. Characters come from different sections of society. There is no attempt to set any particular community on a pedestal. Take Nanak Singh. His emphasis is on the virtues and vices of human beings as such and not the virtues and vices of a Hindu, a Sikh or a Muslim. His characters do not belong to one particularcommunity. Sarat Chandra and Prem Chand have greatly influenced him. He has made Punjabi fiction an effective vehicle of social reform. Novelists like Surinder Singh Narula, Kartar Singh Duggal, Narenderpal Singh are firm believers in the doctrine of the brother hood of man. Most of the heroes in the novels of Duggal are Muslims. In his novels like "Haal Mureedan Da" and "Maan Peo Jae" Duggal presents an "integrated social design."
Surinder Singh Narula in his novel "Neeli Bar" depicts the aspirations and travails of Muslim aborigines who had been driven out of their homes by the British rulers at the time of the settlement of Canal Colonies in West Punjab.
Narenderpal Singh projects not only Indian culture but also European culture in his works. His novel "Ba Mulahaza Hoshiar" emphasises the point that in the years to come the people all over the world would try to understand each other in a better way.
Jaswant Singh Kanwal views Punjabi culture from the Marxist point of view. He does not describe the present-day struggles in terms of "good and evil" but in terms of "haves and have-nots." The approach is, undoubtedly, humanistic.
Punjabi short story writers are strikingly above petty considerations of caste, colour and creed. Sant Singh Sekhon, Sujan Singh, Santokh Singh Dheer, Gurmukh Singh Musafirand Kulwant Singh Virk have introduced new concepts of humanistic values. Their writings have promoted cultural integration. They eulogise the efforts of the working people who are trying to lay the foundations of a just social order.
Folklore has been another important factor in bringing about unification. The popular fables, known as "Bataan" have played a significant role in evolving a secular psyche. Similarly folk poetry has played the role of a catalyst. The songs sung by Surinder Kaur, Reshma, Asa Singh and Alam Lohar easily come to mind.
The Punjabi language itself is a symbol of unity in diversity. It has absorbed words of such diverse languages as Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit and English.