Nit nit vagde rahn ge pani,
Nit patan te mela,
Bachpan nit jawani bansi,
Te nit katan da mela,
Par jo pani aj patano langda,
Oh pher na aonda bhalke,
Beri da poor Trianjan dian koorian, Pher na bethan ral ke.

We didn't have any charkhe in session, but Trinjaan de geet gaundiaN rahiaaN, open mic, until we all got into a more giddha mood. Wish you'd been there, chal agle samme sahee!

I wrote : Punjabiat wears the blood of her many sons and daughters who fell saving her, the ones that fell when she was torn apart, all of the feelings, emotions, injustices that have been served onto her offspring have been absorbed by her. Going right back to the very first civilizations, such as the Harappa civilization torn apart and destroyed.

Now read a little more carefully. Was the Harappa civilization not among the first known to exist in the Punjab, also one of the most cilvilized existences known in that period. The fact is they existed in the Punjab, and my point was all the experiences of the diiferent periods have been absorbed by the Punjab. Please explain what you find so rediculous. About your comment about being Muslim first, then Pakistani....I guess that we sit in separate camps. I consider your kind an enemy of the Punjab, whether they be Indian or Pakistani. Apne puttar ohnu teejee jagaa te rakhde a, kinni dukh vaali gal a. Es jhareeli sochni ne ik vaar saada punjab ujaaR ditta, haun apna zehar hor kitte jaake dolo, jinaa nu sachi muchi pehla taang hai apne virsaa bachaun dee sanu ta naa apnian putthiaN mattaN devo.

Speaking of modern day love stories, one that occured just a year ago here with a local girl who went to India, Jassi/Mitthu proves to me that even if Heer/Ranjha etc were fictional stories, they certainly were stories that depict what goes on even today sometimes in our society.

Moving on to what does Punjabiat mean to me, to address your question?

Punjabiat is my cultural identity, it is the essence and soul of the things that nourish my being on a daily basis, language, stories, music, festivals, traditions, dances, history (turbulent and sometimes happy) a history that connects me with my fellow Punjabi's.

I am a daughter of ‘Punjabiat’ a land and culture that shone like a bright star, until we allowed the diamonds to be stolen from her eyes.

Punjabiat is my mother, Punjabi my mother's tongue, the language in which my ancestors wrote stories of my history in beautiful words, that could be expressed in no other language without losing the essence. A joint cultural, diverse heritage crossing religious boundaries, a mother who when betrayed by her own, still loved them still equally. In some ways it is like a cloak I wear, in it I feel as if I play in my mothers lap, content, in her many faces, I find comfort when I am sad, celebration to express my joy, and in her soul often I find contemplation. It's very hard to put into words what it means to me. I realise though that as I have gotten older, and more aware of who I am, my culture has become increasingly important.

Punjabiat wears the blood of her many sons and daughters who fell saving her, the ones that fell when she was torn apart, all of the feelings, emotions, injustices that have been served onto her offspring have been absorbed by her. Going right back to the very first civilizations, such as the Harappa cilvilization torn apart and destroyed.

Throughout time, men, women, cultures, civilizations have fallen to history yet the five rivers flow and sustain new life constant, forgiving and nurturing. Punjabiat vee ik kism dee dharam a.

You say we cannot escape religion! I am a proud Punjabi, and I am a proud Sikh. Both my Punjabiat dharma, and my Sikh dharma have made me the person I am today. They have both taught me lessons, and been there with we every step of the way. Why should I put one ahead of the other, have they both not nurtured my soul and existence?

So I do not think of Punjabiat as just one of the beautiful colours of a multi-cultural Pakistan. If I did, what about East Punjab. What about a centuries old unified Punjab. In 1849, Punjab fell to British hands, later on in 1947 it agreed to exchange one form of injustice for another. My beloved Punjab is still in chains, even if her sons and daughters are wearing blindfolds and refuse to see.

Ik paase, apni boli bolan ton sharam aundi a, it is called the language of the uneducated. Apni maa boli nu jeendi dubaa ke, urdu nu pehla tazbee ditti, Os ton apranth dooje paase in India, things are rapidly going downhill too. Dullabhatti, I share your pain on what just happened in Punjab assembly. Gal poori karke chaddange lagda, angrezi, urdu kaide paraake, apni maa dee chitta kar baithe a tiaar.

I hold dear those people that believe in the Punjab before loyalties to respective countries, the Punjab gained independence from no one, but assi sharam de mare, nahi maan sakde. Honaa diyan maavaN khataar assi apni maa bech ditti. Yes, I feel strongly about this, hence strong words. Its about time we stopped pussyfooting around, and took a long hard look at ourselves. Uchi uchi aankhi geet gaunde a, Punjab kaum, sheraaN di Bahadur kaum, where are you now? In both countries, there is active campaign to destroy Punjabi culture, the Sikhs will soon be a minority in Punjab, going by recent trends, the majority Hindi speaking, what will happen to Punjabi then? For most Punjabi’s, they simply pull the shutters down, haan haan, bahut maara hai, chalo hao, haun kee ho sakda, they have already accepted defeat. Don’t lets sing songs about people like Bhagat Singh, if we can’t even aim to live up to their standard.

Punjabiat is not a devisive tool, but a unifying and strengthening one for Punjab, and Punjabi’s. Recently, taking a look at politial events in India, at what has been happening in East Punjab for the last decade, I have a real fear, the Punjab is slowly running like sand through the fingers of the people that have even an iota of respect for its culture, and language. At the helm of the ship that is supposed to represent us, sit traitors, whose only dharma is money, power and greed.

We have to speak more confidently, we have to make demands, time is running out, and I am not being melodramatic. The writing is on the wall.

I too right now Dullabhatti am ashamed, apaaN Punjabiat nu maa akhde a, we say maa as a metaphor, je vakiya is maa nu ik din milna hove, te kehra mooNh laike jaavange ohde kol.

For all the people on this forum, that put dedication to the preservation of our boli and culture first and foremost, may our efforts be blessed. For those that pay lip service, think about what I have said. Rabb Rakha! 

It seems to like evolution is taking its course and eliminating all languages, but English. This is a world of science and technology and all related work is done in english. And, that's how one makes money today by doing work in these or related fields. People go to school so that they could grow up and make money (one could argue otherwise, but we all know this is the real reason) and that directly translates to English. If money remains the main mission of people's life, then I'm not sure what can be done...

Another reason that comes to mind is that most of the Hindu literature was oriented towards praising and writing stories about devi devtas and religious oriented. and Sikhs te waiseee storian banaande ne likhde nai:-). I wonder if someone will write a kissa on Harpreet/Kamaljit story that happened 2 yrs ago. I heard someone wrote a street play on it and was played in Chandigarh last year.

I is a very sad and shameful news for all Punjabis that Punjab Govt. (in India) has changed a 30 yr old law of doing business in Punjab Assembly in Punjabi to adopt English as their new medium of conducting business in Punjab Assembly. This decision has been taken by no one else but Punjabi representives themselves. This issue as not even raised in elections last month. It is a sham that on such issues impacting our future so intensely, common people are not taken into confidence at all. yes Punjabis can punish this Govt in next elections but by then it won't make any difference no one ever reverse this decision.

I feel so sad that as Hindus and Muslims turned their backs on Punjabi, Sikhs are doing the same. I am feeling so ashamed today being associated with Punjabis who has such a low self esteem and self pride. If this is how Punjabi leadership and elite thinks we are doomed to extinction.

Down with Punjab Government of Capt. Amarinder Singh<
SHAME ON ALL PUNJABIS. AAO SAARE CHAPNI CH NAKK DOAB KE MAR JAYIYE

Let us try to stay what we are...humans. Rabb ne banday banayea ay te banday bann ke rahiye.

DullahBhatti False amongst the Falses. keeTaN ander keeT.

Here are few books on the similar subject matter I searched on Amazon.com.

- Class and power in a Punjabi village / by Saghir Ahmad ; introduction by Kathlee
- Justice in Practice : Legal Ethnography of a Pakistani Punjabi Village -- Muhammad Azam Chaudhary; Hardcover
- EGLAR,Zekiye,: A Punjabi Village in Pakistan. 1964.

Another possible topic could be the study of historic ruins(baraNdaris, talaabs, Sarai, ruins of religious places etc) in Punjabi villages and cities. ...particularly big punjabi villages used to be centers of power from where Chaudharis, Nawabs, war lords etc ruled the villages directly...I am sure everyone of these places has its own story and how it impacted the flow of history and life in Punjab.

Another subject, may not be anthropological, but intersts me a great deal is the Secular core of Punjabi folklore....Punjabi literature in general and Punjabi poetry and folksongs in particular have a great deal of secular matter...how it was created, how it got popular amongst the common Punjabi folks and how it influenced their minds.
Hope others have something to help you. Take care.

nang kangla, harijan ho, bhaweiN sardar ghare ho rehsi,
pata lagda ujjaRhke te, nahi cheez piyaari desh de jaisee.
ban tutt giya sabar da ji, ghammaN di nehar charh giyan kaangaN,(kangaN=harh),
mainu uThde baiThde nu, rehan har waqat wattan diyan taanghaN.

dheh'ge kingray dillaN de ji, meriaN rehan daleelaN dighiyaN,
main waangh shudaiyeaN ji, niwiN paa beh jaaN dhaal ke riggiyaN,
ratt simmdi akhiyaN choN, jigar par maare vichhoRha saangaN...
mainu uThde baiThde nu rehan har waqat wattan dian taahngaN...
haiThoN dharti nikal joo gi, karaN varnan jo siraN par varti,
kisay veile bhulldi na, ammaN de koThay, baap di dharti,

mainu rakhlo nagar mein ji, nagar de lokko hathaN dian waaho,
'Babu' jaan dewna na, daas di kabar banaa lo Saho,(Saho = Sahoke pind)
laash dabb diyo ghaam(pind) mein ji, sache koll bhaur pahunch joo gaaN-gaaN(aggay aggay)...

haye poye dushTo, Babu Rajab Ali vi na bakhasheya????

Suman ji, thanks for the honsla afzai..I will transliterate few more soon..at least the ones have books on..Dr. Harbhajan Singh(Dilli), Babu Rajab Ali, Harinder Singh Mehboob, Jagtaar, SS Misha, Surjit Patar, etc. Finally my home network is up after a long time..I was using laptop for months..and now scanner, printer, cd writer etc is up and running...as well put them in some use.

Bawa. Nooraan should be on soon. So will Shujaat Khan. If you have not heard him before you will like it - he sings punjy folk songs in a totally different style than anyone else - at least as far as I know.

What even amazes me is the lack of concern and regard for human life in our part of the world, known as Pakistan. Personally, I think all the kites should be burnt than flown. This is a joke. On one end, minorities and muslims are being killed and on the other end, some callous ones are flying kites. Apparently, the authorities are sleeping in their sound proof sleeping bags therefore they cannot hear any victim's plea.

What further amazes me is the ruthlessness shown by men(duffers) running law and order in Pakistan. They could not capture or probabaly they did not attempt to capture the wild animals who killed innocent muslims in the mosques, christians in the church, doctors on the streets of Karachi and many many other episodes. Probably, Pakistan should outsource their law and order system to some other country known for capturing barbarians and wild animals. As a country, Pakistan's law and order system is a shame to the very name of law and order. Probably, this department's name should be revised to "Lazy, Lethargic, Good For Nothing Olloos."!

Dear Bali: Think of Punjabis as a big family. All the chullahs and madhaniaN in my family were silenced long ago since most of them moved to cities. I am sure that you will continue to invoke the love of land and culture without the influence of the break with some traditions within your family. I feel good even thinking about people in anywhere in greater Punjab just being happy and happily indulging with the chores of life in traditional way - because they are my extended family and you too.

Oss Pind JaavaiN Je KanwaaN
Ek Kothe Te Naa BoleeN
Ek Sawaa Na Pher PharoleeN

Eithe LakhaaN PaaNi RuRh Gaye
JinnaN MuRna NaeeN Oh Tur Gaye

Especially you dullabhatti as you were talking one day about sentimental value of land, property at home in Punjab.

My dad went was the first member of his family to leave Punjab back in 1963, he moved to England where he married my mum...as many other individuals did he worked hard and sent money back home to improve life for his family, they built a better house, and acquired more land. One day my taaya ji said that we think that we too should leave Punjab and come to England. My dad's response was come tommorrow, but then I will come back to Punjab, mein darvaajiya te jinde nahi lagan dene, madaani sukan nahion deni, charkhe dee kook chup nahi haun deni galli ch, apne ghar te kafan nahi pauna. Needless to say my taaya thought it better to stay and carry on the comfortable existence they were enjoying. Anyways gradually both of my taaya's sons left Punjab, one in England and one here in Vancouver, yesterday evening my taaya ji, and taayi ji arrived in Vancouver for good. It all seems so final, saade ghar vee jinde lag gaye.

Now going home will not be quite the same, agge taan pajj ke pind vardee see, maure chulaa balda see, lassi tiaar payi see, te vehre vich manjiya te ghar de bande hasde khed de see.... ghar toN khoo tak jaandi see, te pasooaN deeyaN PoochaN cherdi see, baba ji naal bains bains ke ganne mangvaundi see khetoN.

Times change I know. My point though is that this is just the story of my home in my pind, but it is repeated everyday with so many others. Punjabi's are leaving in droves, and non-punjabi's are moving into Punjab in droves...darr lagda ki apne puttaraN ton bina, kiveN vasda rahe gaya sada Punjab??

Taith Punjabi kinni pyaari lagdi a dil nu, mishri vang kuldi a kanna vich.

I will say one thing from my impression of trends in Punjabi poetry in East Punjab right now...majority of the poets are writing ghazal besides other forms. Even some established ones who never wrote Ghazal before are turning to ghazal. our ustaad ghazal-gos are happy about it and often say..dekho tuhanu kiha si na, ghazal barhi zabardast shai ay....but I think it is a dangerous trend when our attention is more on the form than the ideas being expressed.

lao hunn tuhadi saza eh ve ke meri ghazal suno:-)

ki aaye haan wattan chhaddke, koi apni thaaN nahi mildi.
ki wichhRay bohaR te nimmaN, koi mithRi chhaaN nahi mildi.

limbeya, pocheya, ghaRheya hai mitti panj aabaN di,
mere choN hor koi khushboo te rangat taaN nahi mildi.

mere ander paye simTay, mera kall te bhallak doweiN,
azb hai peeRh ke dohaN di haaN wich haaN nahi mildi.

kade rakhRi, kade mundri, kade doli banne aurat,
mile har roop aurat, par gawaachi maaN nahi mildi.

oh nighi yaad bachpan di, jehde lai taraphda haan main,
giyaN nu hunn oh mildi ve ke dekho yaaN nahi mildi.

mere geetaN, meri nazmaN ch haan main bikhreya hoyea,
mere vazood di bhora vi saabat thaaN nahi mili.

hazaaraN vaar main puchheya hai eh neelay khalaawaN nu,
mere hissay di barish, dhupp te kiyoN chhaN nahi mildi.

'GHAZAL'

Ik dukh vi magrooN lehNde neiN
Chup kehna te chup rehNde neiN

Kis vaile chaRhya paagal-pun
Jad sufne vi kujh sahNde nein

Oh wasde aal-dwaale ne
Par khore kuoN kujh kehNde nein

Lakh chooriaaN chhanne paana waaN
Par kaag benaire behNde nein

Jidhi niNhaaN sadhraaN daan hoyaaN
Oh mehl osaare dehNde nein

JinhaaN mun vehRe chaanan bharya
Oh nairiaaN tooN lukk behNde nein

'GHAZAL' Ik dukh vi magrooN lehNde neiN
Chup kehna te chup rehNde neiN

Kis vaile chaRhya paagal-pun
Jad sufne vi kujh sahNde nein

Oh wasde aal-dwaale ne
Par khore kuoN kujh kehNde nein

Lakh chooriaaN chhanne paana waaN
Par kaag benaire behNde nein

Jidhi niNhaaN sadhraaN daan hoyaaN
Oh mehl osaare dehNde nein

JinhaaN mun vehRe chaanan bharya
Oh nairiaaN tooN lukk behNde nein

Dullabhatti: Pata nahi ki tusi parde haoge ki nahi, par gutka sahib de vich vee ohnee har maheene de 'bara maahaN' de vich arth dasE hoye ne. Since you appear to be a Yamla Jatt fan, tusi suneya hovegaa, 'teri deed nazara jannat dee' I love this song.

Apna friends: Jinna ne vee mera vadai da hangaara pariya, ik gal daso, kise ne 'sava' vadai nahi kahee. Dullabhatti ji I have a feeling that towanu pata hona, ki assi sava vadai kyon kehnde ho????

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010203/windows/stamped.htm

Bawa: I guess you meant Safir Jee instead of Sameer? He is the boss. By the way, how many Punjabis are there at your place in Spain?

No, this is the only song I have heard by her. Thanks for the information. It would be really great if you could find the casette and get Sameerji to put it on the APNA page.

The tribune now has a new system that automatically takes you to today's edition even if you click an old link. You have to go to the ARCHIVES link on top, click 2001, scroll down to FEB 3, and the article appears in a column called STAMPED IMPRESSIONS, included in the Saturday WINDOWS special. There is a link on the left to WINDOWS. The article is by one Reeta Sharma.

There is a CD available of (mostly) Punjabi music, but haven't been able to get it. It is advertised at
http://www.sampledivision.co.za/html/body_deepest_india.html
but I do not know anything about it. The selection looks MOST INTERESTING and there seem to be several quawalis and songs by Nooran, is listed as Bibi Swaran Nooran. Anyone heard it?
If you can't get the article, I can send it to you directly, BAWA.

A special Happy New Year to Bali for introducing me to Punjabi New Year. I am not kidding, I did not know that there is Punjabi new year also. I guess there is still lot more for me to learn about Punjabyat because I grew up in Pakistan with mostly Urdu at home and outside.

It is interesting that Punjabi new year is not much different than many other proud culture whose new year starts with the arrival of spring - a regeneration of plant life coinciding with the renewal of time for agrarian societies. I recently found out that Basant is not limited to Lahore, actually other Punjabi cities also celebrate arrival of spring through kite flying on different days than in Lahore. For example Rawalpindi-Islamabad being colder than Lahore celebrates Basant few days later. Sorry Bali, I could not convey happy new year to you sooner. How about million-fold wadhayaN for being late for 86400 seconds (24 hrs).

Lo kar lau gal, subah de 4 bajey happy de spelling we ghalat ho gaye. Not a good omen for the rest of the day!!!!

I once found one song recorded by a famous but mostly unrecorded singer, Naibkotia Kumhaar, on Napster. It was Puran Bhagat's song. then my hard drive crashed and I could not recover anything...I am still saving the hard drive may be some day I will get that song out of it.

Rammah ji, do you use Morpheus/kaZa or any other Napster type program? I have a collection of Yamla Jatt that I wanted you to see.

Zahra: The mela is 'pakka' on March 30th, 'Shaunkan Mele Dee'..Baisakhi Trinjan gathering. So I'll write you with more details.

Dullabhatti: Pichle saal ethe Vancouver kaafi saare TeeyaN de mele lage see, the largest, had over 6,000 women, can you imagine, ik dooje to vaad rangeele dupatte lai laike aayaN, it was in a sports centre, harak paase, vehra chun chun karda see.

APNA FRIENDS: Mein ji bari naraaz a towade saariyaaN de naal, aaj kise ne vee naave saal dee vadai nahi ditti, aaj ji Chet da pehla din, summat 2059, koi vadai taaN devo, kyoN meriaN mintaaN karaunde ho hazoor!

Happy Punjabi New Year!

May blessings be showered upon each and everyone!

Zaki sahib, very good stuff. tusi te ajj kall macheen laa lai ay poetry di lagda ay:-). I will post couple of mine by the weekend. hope so.

Sameer, I have been waiting to watch gidha sitting on the banera with you for a long time. We missed each other when I visited NYC last year. I was hoping to make a trip next month and see Rammah sahib and other friends but schedule does not look good right now.

Bali ji, there is a punjabi boli..goes something like...baariN barsiN khaTan giya si khatke liyande teer, bhehnaN nachdiyan, vekhan sharminday veer...:-) remember it in case sameer ji waqeya mela dekhan aa jaan. BTW "teeyaN" in saawan da maheena used to be exactly the mela like yours. I remember in our village probably 500 girls would get togethr making many group cirlces like little stages and do gidha and boliyan. When I was a kid I used to tag along with my both elder sisters and cousins but then as I grew older I heard the above boli..I took it as a sign to go to the boys "chhinjj" instead which used to be about 500 yards away in other corner of the ground. No I am not pehalwan...although we have the pride to have Kartar from our neighourhood of villages. BTW Kartar Singh's biography by Wareyam Sandhu(both are giraeeN) is a good read for those who can read gurmukhi.

Sameer Ji, towadi gal mein kiven mind karoongee, nahi ji, gal hee nahi paida hundi. Towanu pata hona ki kuri nu jad pata hove munde baneriyaN te baithe nighaa shaant maarde a, te oh vee hor chaamal ke, baaNh lamee karke, hor zor naal dharti te addi mardiaN. Phul de mehak de kee nazaare, je koi mehak lain te vekhan vaala na hove. Kee khyaal e towada?

Bali: Main Waqai Serious Hoon. Aur Main Waqi Tapak Bhee Paroon Gee. Please make sure that you are not teasing me and really mean that there will be something interesting there. That will be real fun. Please send me the invite once it's confirmed on my following email address: Zahra_Jamshed@msn.com Thank You.

Right mow I am thinking about another line, "aik hee saf maiN khare ho gaye Mahmood-o-Ayaz". I plan to use it in a scene of sectarian killing in Pakistan. Something like,
aik hee motorcycle per sawar ho gaye Mahmood-o-Ayaz
Mahmood tha peechey betha chupaye Kalashnikov
Pohnchey qareeb jab doctor saheb kee kar ke
ba'ad qatl-e-doctor saheb, farar ho gaye Mahmood -o-Ayaz

I think I need to work on it by adding Persian or Arabic words.

Bali jee. Make sure there is no slit or hole from where I can peep through watching Punjabans performing giddha. Per jo sawad baneriaN te beth ke giddha wekhan da hey ohda koi jawab naheeN. Watch out for DullaBhatti and Sameer having advance booking for the best seat on the banairey......Just kidding Bali. I am confident that even if you mind it, I will make it up as soon as possible.

One of my listeners told me that tommorrow is the beginning of the Punjabi New Year, anyone throw any light on this please, mein pehla pehla 12 maheeniya de naa da chete kar lavaN. :-)

Zahra, the details have not all been set yet, but the event most likely is March 30th, a Saturday night in Vancouver. Karna pata assi kee a, Trinjan laake baithaaN giyaN, uchii uchii hekaaN laake boliyan paundiaN, giddha paake dharti hilaa devangiyaaN poori raat. I'm making the ticket price cheaper for those that come in traditional phulkari, etc. So tusi koshish kariyo zaroor, the more the merrier. I only need an excuse for a party, and Baiskahi is a good one. We have singers planned, giddha teams muqabla, much more, and the saying for the night (excuse the phrase) Jehri giddha na paave, Rann Baabe Dee! Kehan dee taan lor nee vaise, saare Jag nu pata, ki nachanwaali dee addi na rehandi, te gaunvaale da mooNh! Te eh dovain kammaN vich Punjaban sherni e So Zahra, Boli mein paavaN te nachi aake giddhe vich tu ;-)

p.s Thanks for all the name suggestions Dullabhatti & Javed Ji.

Sameer Ji! There is a lot that we can creatively debate and discuss about 'myths' and their rolea in a culture and other aspects. Anyways, I am posting a 'poem' about Des Panjab.

((((( DES PANJAB ))))

Des mere de athre gabhroo ranjhe te mehin-waal
SajnaaN de sukh piyaare rakhde azlaaN de lajpaal

Veer chanhaaN de miThRe paani ragg-ragg de vich vagde
Ravi di chhalaaN te beh ke saare banne lagde
JhookaaN BaaraaN dhol vajeNde ThaaN thaaN mele lagde
Des mere sa Saare Jug tooN Vakhra husn jamaal
......Des mere de athre gabhroo ................

Baag bahishtaaN verge baile jind maanan di thaaN
Din es de ThaND chhaaN-waaN vaale sukh bhariaaN shaamaaN
Des mere di dharti da moh potraaN lei juoN maaN
Mera jina mera merna is de hoon de naal
......Des mere athre ...........................

Anakh da jhanda ucha rakh ke jina sikhiaa lokaaN
sichaai lei zehar vi aithe pina sikhiaa lokaaN
Oakhat de vich seene da phhat seena sikhiaa lokaaN
Par neiN newna pagg da shamla bhaaNviN keRha haal
....Des mere de athre..............................

Safir: Al-Basant was a funny piece. Such pieces in Urdu literature are not uncommon. I recall a satire about a Sikh railway guard telegraphing an emergency situation to British regional manager using morse keys. It went like, "batti bujhing by hawa, Nihal Singh Guard not responsible". In this piece, author is obviously complaining about the extensive use of Arabic when there are no arabic words to describe things associated with Basant. Additionally he is ridiculing Sharif clan also. It is funny that Musharraf hinself comes from a family like many others who speak a mixture of Urdu-English with more English the better. Remember Benazir speech at a public meeting during Ramzan when she heard Azan and wanted to end her speech. Dekho logo, azan buj raha hey aur merey ko roza open karna hey. The point is that a translation of Shakespearre, Marquez or Naguib Mahfouz is just not the same as in the original language. Same is true for Punjabi. Many of the feelings and situations just can not be explained perfectly in Urdu or Arabic. Even the English spelling of Punjab or Delhi or Jhelum or a lot of other names do not provide exact pronunciation. I have one made in France Punjabi CD of Qawwalis by Sher Ali/ Mehr Ali which spells Punjab as Panjaab. Similarly it is almist impossible to pronounce chinese words correctly from English alphabets.

Paani DiyaaN Chhallan Utay Chunn Piya Dolda
Moor We Pay Nachch Da Tay Holi Holi Bolda

PhullaaN Nay Khalairay Kinnay Sohnay Rung Piyar Day
Udd Udd Jungnu pay Noor Tapkaar Day

Chal Di Hawa Nall PattayaaN Da Shoorr Aay
Mithay Mithay KhabaaN Wali NenndraaN Da Zoorr Aay

Haqq Di Awaaz Hoo Hoo Payee Aiy hook Di
Rooh Paiy FizzawaaN Wich kuggi baithi Phook Di

Kinni Sohni Rabba TouN Aay Dhartti Banaie Aay
Jiss Paasay Dekhoo Teri Dissdi Khudai Aay

Dukh Sukh Aithay Pal Pal Da Parohna NaiN
Dil Wee Tay Aithay Bohtay Kachch Da Khadouna NaiN

Samjho Tay Harr Shay ch Dissdi Hayaat Aay
Sochoo Naa Tay Lammi Badri DukhaaN Wali Raat Aay

The above link takes you to an article 'Reshma breaks barriers between ‘two Punjabs’

The underdeveloped social pre-historic or past societies are relative terms. Each society within particular timeframe was essentially developed with respect to period they are in. They had to rely on the level of understanding at that period and we must rely on the level of understanding of nature and society of our time. The current understanding of society, gender equality and the mathematical predictability of natural laws are deviating from both myth and religions yet religions are nowhere close to extinction, not even in the industrialized and post-feudal societies.

Generally speaking, the ritualistic was more associated with myths whereas non-ritualistic (dogmatic such as moral and ethical codes) are more associated with modern clergy mediated religions. The ritualistic portion was declining with social evolution (compare Judaism with less ritualistic Christianity or Hinduism with less ritualistic Buddhism) but Islam reversed this process demanding great deal of time, energy and rewards through performing rituals. For example Quran speaks of the importance of “nimaz” hundreds of times compared to dogmatic prohibition of imbibing alcohol, dietary and family laws.

Leaving Pakistan intentionally out of it, Israel is another example of myths in practice. Whether we like it or not, Israel has benefited great deal since the end of Second World War due to exploiting their myths. For Israelites, there would be no Israel, had they preferred to be empiricists.

I am perhaps an empiricist at the foundation or conviction level. Science and current understanding of nature and society together with reason, logic and rationality, to me, is superior to mythical, meta-physical or religious basis of convictions. My seemingly myth-supportive previous post was within the context of love for land and culture, which must include sentimental factors, linked to the ethnic identity, memory of ancestors as well as formative years.

I think origins of the myths have to do many things including identity and trying to explain the unexplainable in the form of best mode at hand (fate and supernatural) than to do with class struggle alone. For example, reincarnation and Islamic afterlife are both myths to me. However, if one party decides to improve afterlife by Taliban way or becoming aggressively ritualistic while other considering only logical thing close to incarnation as your children and good karma being investing into the future of your incarnation – your children, the end result is going to be markedly different for both parties although both started from quite similar myths. The point is that sometime even the origin of something is mythical but the rational and logical road leading to fruition as well as the value of the end product overrides the awareness of untruthfulness of the myth. It is like a river. The principal beneficiary (source of water) as well as principal victims (flooding) of it are not found at the origin of the river.

By the way, your poetry is very good. Please write some poetry about Punjabis sentiments towards Punjab, both good and bad.

SahwaaN de sang koi ni<
...aa mun mere vich laththa
Khush-booaaN da bullha JeeviN
...chan rashmaaN da jaththa.
LooN looN de sir taare jugnoo jagmug jagmug
Naire chaanan thevan mere ang nooN lag-lag.
MeiN jaane kis noor nahaati
ChaRh-de diNh di jhaati
Thiyya husan sabaati.
Akh meri jeviN poh maangh di
...lammi kaali raat de vehRe
...kisse faqir di kulli ander
...aale de vich baati.
Ohde roop de lash-kaare thiN
...sooraj mera maththa.
SahwaaN de sang koi ni
...aa mun mere vich laththa.
Khush-booaaN da bullah jeviN
...chan rash-maaN da jaththa.

I know Saqib and I am sure he remembers me. It is up to you, how to manage the less-costly version. You can do it alone OR in collaboration with Saqib. Apart from the selection of poems, which I would like to do myself, please let me know what else I need to do.

I have a plan to keep summer semester free of academic engagements so that I can focus and finish some of the literary creative plans. I want to complete the 2nd collection of Panjabi poems and a collection of Panjabi short stories. As soon as one is competed I would let you know. You could be my next publisher. I will be more than happy if you could make some business out of it while keeping the price affordable to a common man. As I mentioned you earlier, making any economic benefit out of these projects is absolutely no concern of mine. As a matter of fact, enough copies of my first collection of poetry (Kangaan) were donated to a person who runs a Panjabi book-shop in Lahore. Well! As long as it serves the purpose of promotion of Panjabi language and literature, nothing can match it. Take care..

Bali: Shaunkan Mele di sounds good to me.

Ok I need a hand. On March 30th I am holding an event for about 1000 women, as Baisakhi is approaching, I thought it would be appropriate to have a giddha, trinjan, dholak geet programme for my girls! Trouble is naa dee rakh hoya. Playing around with Bol Punjaban De, Shaunkan Mele Dee, Mela Punjabana Da, these have been suggestions I find quite boring. Any idea's, preferably 2-3 words. Shukriya!

Click Here

http://www.megaeast.com/default.asp?section=news&page=interviews_shereen.masud.con

Interestingly it was to happen today when I was thinking about a similar issue. Few years back when punjabi writer and activist from Lahore, Mr Iliyas Ghumman came here I attended the function in california where he was honored and he spoke on the problems of Punjabi teaching in Pakistan. I was there to prepare a report for the radio on that function. Which happened and I even forgot the details now but this morning while cleaning up my home office and taking all the junk out I got my hands on this notebook where I had written some notes in that function. It says something like...ghumman said that Punjabi activists have selected hundreds of primary schools in Punjab where they will provide Punjabi teachers and educational material to teach Punjabi on their own without any assistance from the Govt...later on with a lump in his throat he said that we won't rest until we implement the Punjabi education in Punjab schools and obtain due status for Punjabi that it deserves as our mother language...note further wrote..then ghumman broke down and cried on stage. Actually now I remember that scene exactly. It was very emottionally charged atmosphere. I know his group and many other Punjabi organizations have been working on that project for years. I am not sure how for it is...how many primary schools have Punjabi education now. May be veer Saeed Farani can give us some details on this as he is on the scene. What is latest going on in that direction? I heard that Punjabi is now taught as a subject in some schools..is it true? is it the medium of primary education now or only a subject? I know education budget of Pakistan Govt is very low so expecting too much might not be naive at this time. Providing computers and other hi-tech gadgets in a rural schools might sound very exciting and revolutionary but having been to one of those schools myself I feel that there are other priorities for primary education. Most kids drop out due to lack of family's interest in educating them, lack of role models, lack of imagination on the part of teachers to show the chidren what they can be in future if they continue education and study hard. I am sure one of them from our interest might be the education of and in Punjabi. Does APNA has any thoughts on that?...actually I know the thoughts after reading Rammah sahib's article above..is there any plans in that direction or cooperation with orgs in Pakistan working on that? May be APNA can help them in a similar way as Koshish is doing. I know ultimately it is a matter of resources available..but that scene of Ghumman sahib crying on stage bothering me somehow since morning.

i) Waris Punjab Di
ii)Kookh Papihey Wali
i)beautiful lyrics and music
ii)This one has Bulleh Shah, Shah Hussein, Sain Parwana and a few other Kafis beautifully sung.

Secondly, viewing my love for my land or village in the feudal/subject context is wrong. Where I grew up there was very little feudalism...castism yes. Average land holding is below 10 acres..many own even less...you can't be feudal with that land...no one owns villages anymore..you can hardly afford food for your own kinds from that land..anyone who works for you on it is simple employee/employer relationship with the exception that both employee and employer carry some historical caste baggage with them. Even that is changing fast. Do you know that there are jatts with holdings of 1 or 2 acres who actually go on dihaaRhi for other jatts(how might own 15-20 acres) with other kammis. I have myself worked in our fields with kammis doing little chores, paThe waDhne, watering the fields,bijaai vaDhai etc...eating the same food that came from home in the same package..only when we ate kammi ate in his own utensils(caste system) and I in mine. So I have more of a memories of that kind than being in any control or anything. In that background I have always on the other side of feudalism...

I do believe that myths work in our life and behaviour..consciously or unconsciously. Are they wrong or right, one can argue. e.g. Joseph Cambell talks about tribes in various aprts of the world used to ahve some ritual or tradition before wedding where boy have to fight with some other boy over the bride in the end killing or hurting one of them. like the Sawamber in ancient hindu mythology. He says life is given to create new life. Someone dies before someone can get married and procreate. Now we can argue that it was a wrong ritual or myth of pre-historic times and does not happen anymore...I diagree. May be it does not happen in that particular celebrating kind of way with dhol dhamakka but it does on a different level. We still give life to preserve and propagate life. Ask any Palestinian or Kashmiri they will tell you they are doing it for secure and safe future of their next generations. Bush and Vajpayee will say same too. All the bloodshed going on is not to end life but to perserve life and continue life.

Zakki sahib, no apologies needed. I always look forward to reading your comments on the board.

Got to run...rest ,may be some other time.

. Anyways, if you do not get it then I will get in touch with you through APNA's website. Take care.

and it was in response to your e.greeting card. Take care.

On another level, myth may also be described as a phenomenon, which belonged to an early stage in the formation of human personality when ‘Ego’ (or may be ‘I’) part of human self overwhelmingly dominated him/her (a dark human force, only to be pacified when its brutal instincts are gratified). In a society where a socio-economic discriminatory/ exploitative class system (specifically, the naked feudal system) where means of production (for example land) are extremely skewed in distributed, there the role of ‘ego’ and its gratification through brutal means paramount. For Dulla Bhatti (with excuse), his ancestral piece of land (back home) in reality has no significant socio-economic value for him or his family, now permanently residing here. But it tends to invoke feeling of dominant status (although it involves brutal act of ‘blood shedding’ as he mentioned). In the feudal system, the social stratification (a hierarchical distribution of social positions) primarily depends on land ownership. A person who owns land (being the dominant source of livelihood) has dominant/controlling position compared to a person who does not own land. To me, his invoking of nostalgic sweet memories of the feudal (relatively) past are symptomatic of recalling his dominant/controlling status, which generally exist at much subtle level here in the American society, particularly in the daily life. (It does not means, I intend to discount the realities of social discrimination in American society, which exists in various forms). Now one could argue that hierarchical structure of social stratification of the feudalism is a reality of its social system, so why to castigate it a ‘false or misplaces perception’ of reality. Empirically speaking, it can be labeled as a reality but this reality tends to discount high moral values of social justice, human freedom, and peaceful co-existence, integral constituents of a civilized ‘self’ and ‘personality’.

(I am sorry to have cited personal examples when putting forward my arguments. I usually tend to avoid it and try to discuss/describe things in an impersonal and neutral way, but sometimes a personal reference become unavoidable. Anyways, I would not hesitate to tender my apologies if it is taken an indecent intellectual act).

Farani Ji! I sent you a deatailed email about re-publishing my poetry book, with some suggestions about my new poetry. Did you get that email. It was in response to your e.greeting card.

Dulla B. I have a sikh friend who must have at least ik sau paggs. He matches kabhi tie, kabhi shirt, kabhi jacket - looks sharp as a tack!

Enjoyed reading your and Sameers thoughts on myth and participation. It is just a little difficult sometimes to hang on to a thread of discussion on a web site. It may be too late to catch it again but I'll give it a shot. We, personally, might make every effort to learn, preserve and share punjabi 'culture'. But culture is a living, dynamic and growing process and that process occurs in its authentic soil - in other words in Punjab! We are not participants in that culture in the sense that we do not live within it. We approach it from outside and we respond to it from a very changed set of experiences.

Sameer. I read, a few days ago, something to the effect of - the towns and cities where we have spent our childhood and youth become mythic if we leave them. Hm.

p.sDo you know who sang 'Balle nee Punjab diye Sher Bachiye'?

Now that paggaN de rang di gall chall ee pai ay..let me say few things on the topic. I find the white, black and green color of turbans mostly used in Pakistan(and afghanistan) too plain. I think even sikhs used to wear only these color turbans....with the exception of blue in addition to above 3 colors....but things dramatically changed in last 50 years.. The shades of colors that you can find turbans at the turban store is amazing. Last time I went to Amritsar at Sardar PagRi House to buy 2 new turbans for myself I was so confused with the colors...like they say it is hard to choose a ganna from a ganna khait. so I bought one dark green...zehar maura...one the turquoise like the one in pic and one jamuni/pinkish[of course this one was for wearing only back home:-)..I live too close to San Francisco to publicaly own this color...unfortunately most of our brothern, including Prof Sahib are not aware of this khatra:-)]. In east Punjab we have Punjab da Ghabroo and Punjab di muTiyaar mukabalas....having a turban of best color and shape matching your personality and other attire is a plus in these competitions. Very few famous people have a good sense of pagg color and shape....Daler Mehndi some times goes overboard..he does not have the personality to go with some colors(kiyon Bali ji? BTW kithey gaye?). I think the new Chief Minister, Capt. Amarinder Singh has a very good choice of colors for his turban...also his pagg shape perfectly matches with his khaRhiyaN muchhaN, sharp eyes and wide face.

"Tomaahri chaap ko sunn ke nishan-i-manzil bhi
sirak sirak ke tomhaare qareeb aaey ga"
Jo roashni ko lotaane ki baat nikli haiy
To maahtaab tere raaste sajaaey ga"

(A glimpse of my Urdu poetry. It happened extemporally) I would like to be kept informed about this.

"We made Pakistan on a land but have laid down its basis on metaphysical. It is true that much work is being done in Punjabi but what is being done against Punjabi is far more."

Mixing metaphysical with reality is only good for producing historical fiction as created by Naseem Hijazi or James Michener. Other than that it obscures reality on the ground leading to misplaced priorities. We must prioritize our efforts and resources into measurably rewarding endeavors.

Sameer: I agree. Punjabiyat is sum total of our love and understanding of our history, culture, language, tradition, environment, our attitudes and behaviour good or bad...good to be perserved, bad to be refined into good. It is not an ideology that one can invent or a religion that one can start..it is what we are. It does not mean we are superior to anyone or we have any divine sanctions or we are out there to conquer the world...it is about enjoying and perserving what we are.

Saeed Farani: Good luck with your project.

I will give you an example. Few friends of mine have been organizing some cultural event or other for last few years. We particularly encourage the participation of kids..in the beginning we had to some times coerce, manipulate or give some kind of incentives to them to participate. But now they are getting more mature and enjoy it when they get together for rehearsals and meet other kids. One of friends who's kids also participate told me that few months back his 2 sons performed an event in their school's function...most of the people there enjoed it and some kids, their class mates even want to join them and learn it. That was the biggest boost for these kids...it also made them confident about their identity...their identity was open and right there on the stage and everyone liked it. Now these kids will not be confused or embarrased for being different from others...also since their piece of culture was appreciated by others..they have more tendency to repsect others'.

I watched the recording of 4 hr broadcast of the "power of myth" that was aired on PBS late night few months back. Joseph Cambell takes you back to the roots and nature.

The concept of religion providing moral and ethical codes is rather late addition by the scribes and clergy classes to have mind control over their congregations. Knowing self does not need these middle men and is not limited to any religion, god, science or culture alone. However, culture is single thing to which a scientist, an artist, a musician, a writer, a poet, a worker, an illiterate, a literate, a man or a woman can most easily identify with with so many data points (language, traditions, festivals, poetry, music, history, dresses, dietary choices etc) giving a perfect model for identity in detail. It is more like synchronizing mind, heart and body. Once your self is firmly placed on known and your own ground, one must go out and participate in the worldly affairs (learning, working, loving, caring etc). Knowing self in cultural terms provides great relief when going gets tough. It provides relaxation similar to yoga or meditation. For example, I listen to English, Urdu and Punjabi music but when I really want to relax with music or take my mind away from other worries, it is invariably Punjabi music.

Suman you wrote, "But one thought bothers me repeatedly and I have not been able to answer my own doubts. It is a suspicion that we are no longer participants in this 'culture' that so engrosses us". I also think this way but the option is not to let go of love of Punjabiat. Hey, something is better than nothing. At least we can keep the flame from extinguishing, if not spreading it. We all have to participate in the worldly affairs to the best of our capabilities; a matter of survival. At least APNA is doing whatever it can. Due to the painstaking efforts of many Punjabis, the decline of Punjabiat in Pakistan has almost stopped. Right now it is a status quo or a plateau. I do not see any major force challenging Punjabi in Pakistan as was the case in earlier years. I believe any samll catalyst can tremendously accelerate the reverse process of rise of Punjabi among Punjabis to a level where Sindhi is to Sindhis, Urdu to Urdu speaking population and Pushtu to Pathans.

Having said all that, your feeling is very timely and accurate. We need to do more and participate actively.

Once the fire of loving self through culture catches on, I will definitely participate fully but at the initial stages, I have a major handicap compared to all others. It is my total split from religion that any active participation within Pakistan will be looked upon with suspicion.

gall ikk nuktay wich mukkdi ay....and that one nukta is our own soul. If we can figure it out and be at peace with it phir gall mukki nai te panga jaari.

But one thought bothers me repeatedly and I have not been able to answer my own doubts. It is a suspicion that we are no longer participants in this 'culture' that so engrosses us. We are all seperated from our origins, "asi nadiyoun vichadde neer". In many cases for more than a generation. We have become observers and spectators of this language and 'culture'. Beyond a sense, or knowledge, of self is there any larger significance to connecting with ones mythical roots?

There is lot hidden in your previous post. Did not realize it during my first read. It is much more enjoyable and blissful to pursue what you are rather than running around what you could be. Going after what you could be is important but without coming in terms with what you are and enjoying it, can sometimes bring pain and suffering.

Although the love for a variety of inanimate things is instilled through parents, family, friends and society but after certain age, it is more like coming to terms with yourself through love. This coming to terms with yourself could be rational or transcedental as spirituality. For example when you described the piece of land, it was more of a memory of ancestors than the material value. The love for family members and children is our biological instinct and present in every form of life as a mean to protect your own genes and your kind (species). [The "your kind instinct" was overtaken by other instincts during 1947 riots and in Indian State of Gujrat today]

Similarly love for the mother tongue is a rational instinct to protect "your kind" (culture now). For example in my own case, Punjabiat was the last thing my family and society instilled in me. I learned to speak Punjabi on my own after High School. It seems that for no obvious reason I fell in love with Punjabiat although I made excellent grades in Islamiat.

It might sound transcedental but it is not. It is the logical end of this area of thinking logically about most other things. With background in science, rational, logical, analytical and deduction there automatically led me to think of taking interest in what I am. And here I am

The reward for this love is also to the self. At least in my case it is immeasurable outwardly. Although I have met remarkable people through this love but this was never my intention to fall in love on the first place. Although brain chemistry controls every aspect of human life but through love, one can control brain chemistry to release larger than normal dose of love chemicals (actually there are. I am not making it up) and one finds a blissfulness, a rapture within self. Kee khayal hey, DullaBhatti saab. Koi meiN jhoot bolya?

Old folks in the family are much more worth than we give them credit for. They are our link with our past and where we come from. My parents live with me and then every year or so they have to go for few months to see their other kids. Mother has been away for few months already but my dad was staying with us during this time. Last few months of his presence here been different from before as he retired from work 5 months ago and has not much else to do. Everyday he will go to some community center or library or Yoga class and in the evening when we come home we would share what he did all day. He would be listening BBC from their internet site while I surf the net and we would talk about a variety of things...politics, american society, our home back home, our elders some of whom died even before I was born but I have heard so much about, our land, our tubewells, our village, pagh-danDiyaN, saRkan, paihay in our jooh, taahlis, bohaRs and everyother minor or major thing belonging their. He would tell me stories from before the 47..I would read him stories about 1947...sometimes I will see a lump in his throat while listening to these stories..I would pretend I have not seen it...then we will argue who's turn it is to make dudh-patti tonight while my wife laughing at us...I really enjoyed his company last few months more than ever before. He reminds me of my dada ji who used to tell stories that sounded from some for away time and land..now I wish I had paid more attention..so I listen to my dad's stories more carefully..I don't want to miss them once again.

He left for his trip today to Canada, England and then to India and will be away for about 5/6 months this time. While seeing him off this morning I felt like a little kid. I have been packing his stuff since last week..making sure he has his vitamins, his medicine, extra tylenol...

The last night he told me something he had on his mind...he asked so what should I do with the land? he was talking about our khait back home that he has given on lease but is afraid since none of us will go back to live there he want to make sure we do not lose them...He said he thinks we should sell some and put the money in the bank...but he was not sure...I never thought about it before but it made me think too...so what should we do..it is no big jagirdaari farm of 500 morabbas...but it does have lot of emotional value...my grandfather and his grandfather owned this piece of land..they worked on it, pured their sweat into it..fought over it too and shed some blood over it few times..I have played in that dirt with my friends..selling it might make my savings account double but I will lose much more valuable to me...all those things that mean a lot to me.
I wished to write a little more but I think I will get carried away.

Zaki sahib, I don't remember it but I think I have some books on folk songs that might have this song. I will post it if I find it.

I saw the movie "Moonsoon Wedding" and after the famous opening two lines the "Lok Geet" presents a complete different poetic sense. I am inclined to write something about "Folk Poetry" in the context of this geet. Anyways, it is a very refreshing movie and Mira is an accomplished director who knows her job well.

AkhhiN athroo dive jhil-mil san
Naale jhoale tere shaamil san
AsaaN raat hijar inj bhogi (guzari)
asaaN raat hijar inj bhogi

PiyyaaN dhooR udeN'diyyaN tahn'gaaN
SanooN maaria teriaaN sangaaN
Koi gal neiN karan de jogi
AsaaN raat hijar inj bhogi

Mere ander vehRe mehak jhulli
Koi pichhale pehriN yaad bhulli
SanooN kar gai aan varoogi
AsaaN raat hijar inj bhogi

Teri yadaaN da miNh vasda e
Saade looN looN chooN piya rasda e
AssiN taap hijar de rogi
AsaaN raat hijar inj bhogi

KanniN bundiaaN de lashkaare ne
AkhhiN jag-mag chan te taare ne
Keeh labh-da phhir da jogi
AsaaN raat hijar inj bhogi

Here is the summary:
Total seats ----117
Elections held----116
Congress-----64
Akali Dal.....about 40
BJP......about 5
Communists......1
Others....rest

Looks like BJP has been beaten the worst. Akali Dal seems to have kept its traditional vote bank of rural Sikhs while the swing urban Sikh and Hindu votes it needs to win went to Congress this time. BJP has its base only in cities...and has been beated beyond recognition. After the last elections BJP started thinking about itself as the elephant in Punjab while it was really an ant. Its Punjab unit president asked for more share of seats to contest from its allies(Akali dal) a year ago thinking it deserves more...this election shows BJP has no base in Punjab. It is only Congress and Akali Dal. Also, the tensions on the border might have hurt BJP in Punjab than help it as many people believe. Any party that advocates trouble with pakistan will not go well in East Punjab.

Congress president in Punjab and probably the next Chief Minister, Maharaja Amarinder Singh of Patiala said today "Mandate to Clean Up Punjab - Amarinder says"...I hope he says it in a good way...Mr Badal and cronies has already done enough cleanup...

Here is how the Punjab politics has been reduced to a family affair.

- Maharaja Amarinder Singh's wife is a Parliament member.
- Mr Badal's son is an ex-MP, his brother is a Ex-MLA, his nephew is a MLA, His son-in-law Adeshpartap Kairon is elected again as an Akali. Adesh is grandson of ex-CM Partap singh Kairon who used to be a congresswala.
- Partap Singh Kairon's other son and his fmaily still in Congress and I think Adeshpartap's chacha was also running...?
this is called donnaN hathaN wich laddoo.
- A Son and a Daughter of blown up Ex-CM Beant Singh have won as MLAs.
- Capt Amarinder is a brother-in-law of the radical sikh leader Simranjit singh Mann(saaNDoo). I think his aprty did not win any seat.
-Gaganjit Singh Barnala, son of Ex-CM Surjit Singh Barnala has won too.
- Parminder Singh, son of Federal Minsiter Dhindsa also won.

Only thing that I did not hear this election is any relative of Bhindrawala running for election. That is a change from last 15 yrs.

We stuck our necks out for India and Pakistan; we give blood for all the people of sub-continent. Where were these people during several attacks of Ghaznavi, devastation and ravages by Timur, countless attacks by Abdali and during ghadar movement for independence. They never came to help us when our ancestors needed help and now everybody expects us to sacrifice our lives, our language, our traditions, our festivals and our culture - all in the name of unity of one kind or another.

It is not just non-Punjabis, a whole class of blood sucking, slave mentality Punjabis claim themselves champions of Punjab, only to obtain power. They switch parties with the blink of an eye. Just imagine Nawaz Sharif winning almost 80 percent of Punjab but as soon as he was ousted, the so called champions right away made a king's party called PML (QA) or something like this. I am not saying that NS was some angel but pointing out the disloyalty of Punjabi feudal politicians.

I hope somebody questions Aihtizaz Ahsan during APNA conference in Lahore about what he did for Punajb or Punjabiat as the most trusted lieutenant of Benazir Bhutto, as Interior Minister. He alongwith Ch. Shujaat Hussain are the biggest bigwig of Punjabi Jats - the largest group. Their Jatness only appears against other groups within Punjab, otherwise they rub their noses to the power troika (military-bureaucracy-bourgoisie) in Pakistan. These people have made no efforts to even teach some history of Punjab in Punjabi school, much short of teaching in Punjabi language.

When children frow up knowing nothing about Punjab, usually remain ignorant of Punjabiat as grown up too. Most people do not have time and energy as adults to reeducate themselves in better ways. Saeed, it is the effect of non-stop, state sponsored brain-washing through total monopoly over the educational system that has created a mindset, indifferent to the plight of Punjabi language and other areas of Punjabiat.

There is a book available on Amazon.com "Borders & Boundaries -Women in India's partition". It has documented many stories about such women also and how they lived after wards...some united with their families and others remained with their abductors, became mothers to their chidren and lived as such rest of their lives. Some gruesome stories. Book is in english but some dialogues from interviews with these women are in Punjabi. they just go through your heart like a teer.

Another story that you should read in this context is of Kartar Singh Duggal and Dr. Ayesha Duggal. Ayesha was a medical student in 1947 and Duggal a radio program producer with All india radio who was transfered to New Dehli station from Lahore on August, 1st 1947. They met each other in the middle of this carnage and decided to marry few months later. read "Kis pe kholooN gandhRi" by KS Duggal. BTW Ayesha is saali of Ali Sardar Jafri the famous poet and artist.

All of those of you that have done this before me, know the state it leaves you in. I could never even begin to imagine the emotions, fear, and anger that the victimes suffered, but inside today I am left feeling numb, sad, angry, yet trying desparately to find that flame of rebellion against the status quo.

Your poem is beautiful, and I would love to include a reading, I spoke to a 71 year old gentleman yesterday whose words echoed what you have said. Through this feeling of despair, I found in your poem feelings of hope again and the quiet message of longing, that I heard in all the accounts I listened to, and read.

Javed: Thank you very much for your insights into Maula Jatt, I couldn't even have begun to see what it was really about. I just saw a bunch of exaggerated characters. I was told by a number of people that in Pakistan this is how the Jatt people are, which I find very hard to believe, how could they be any different to the ones that live in East Punjab. I was told an account that 'Jatt's walk about with a chain 'sangal' tied to their foot, waiting for someone to step on it so they could start a fight. Then further if one Jatt, saw another with a sangal he would ask 'eh khaas karke kise le paaya hoya jaaN koi vee pahar rakh sakda'

Crazy! How anybody expects someone to believe such nonsense is beyond me, but I swear these guys seemed to believe in their own storytelling.

Sab nooN Eid diyaaN vadah'aaN

Javed Zaki

AkhhiN athroo divay jhil-mil san
AsaaN raat hijar inj bhogi (taklif naal guzaarna)
Koi pichhale pehriN yaad bhulli
SanooN kar gai aan varogi (hijar vich sulgana)

PiyaaN dhooR udeN'diaaN taNh'gaaN
AssiN takde teri'yaaN laNh'gaaN (raste)
Das vassi'e keRhi roahi (sehra-i-Cholistan)
AssiN ishq tere de rogi
Inj raat hijar di bhogi

miley vi aan maghar khullke koi dil di baat na hoi.
eh mulaqaat taaN dost koi mulakaat na hoi.

kehna tooN vi chauhnda saiN, kehna bahut kujh si maiN vi,
uThday zidd sawaarath toN utaaN, aukaat na hoi.

hai dhaahvan waleyaN en dhaah lai deewaar Berlin di,
asiN, ke, leek Waahghay di vi saathoN maat na hoi.

puraana bahut hai rishta, eh boli, paaniaN, lahoo da,
ehday toN paak mazhab, nasal te koi zaat na hoi.

eh mulaqaat taaN dost koi mulaqaat na hoi.........
-js

DullaBhatti: [Loke geet - New...very good...heard Rabba Rabba meenH barsa, saadi koThi daane paa] is a good one and Mira Nair has used it as title song in movie Monsoon Wedding, at the end of the movie. Mira Nair has beautifully mixed Urdu and Punajbi with amking sure that all the peak moments are in Punjabi, subliminally delivering a coded message that when it comes to opening up, cherishing the big moments, expressing the deeper emotions, Punjabi language is better for Punjabis. Quite opposite to many Urdu/ Hindi movie where Punjabi is used at lower level, in Monsoon Wedding, it is actually Punjabi that is used at higher level (higher level meaning main cast as well as affluent people).

Farhat Shah's Dil de hath mohaar is very good...I am reading it slowly and enjoying it thoroughly.

asiN mausam kache ishaq de, sadi dhupp banne na chhaaN....wah bai wah...awein te nahi kehnday tainu Farhat shah:-)

Loke geet - New...very good...heard Rabba Rabba meenH barsa, saadi koThi daane paa... There was another one we used to sing in primary school....soorja ve soorja phaTiyaN sukaa.
oh and did I say thank you APNAeyO?:-)

Kaaloo muchhala                                                     
UThh ooe bheRia, maar ooe bulbli
Kanb jaan baddal gujde
Deh pein pahaR khholote
Kaaloo muchhala teri chaangar
AsmaanaaN thiN bhoiN teekar poini e tharthal
Jinne pippal tisi beThhe saare giddh udaane
Te chiR-yaaN kaaN-waaN bheRia tera ditta khhaana
AnhaaN nooN shash-kaarieN na tooN
TenooN Dulle (Dulla Bhatti) raaTh di shaawa
TooN baazaaN shah-baazaaN di jooh da vasneek
TooN aape raaTh chahaaN, ravi, Sindoo saaeiN
te Jehlam da
Tere sangne baile

Kaaloo muchhala UTh ooe bheRia
Maar ooe changar
Sher kachhaarooN uTh ke bhajjan
sonjje baile bheiN ke wassan
Dharti gunjal pe jaie
HeThli utte aa paie
Te loki gaawan
"vaa varola, jhakhhaR jhola
HaiTh kunaali, Utte dola"

Rabb kare saare Punjabian nu hosh aa jaave, te apne sauteliaN maavan nu dillon baahar kadan te apni maa da ser takkan.

Tusi khush kar ditta.

Bali: I started reading the poem and it sounded very nice, but I wanted to be able to concentrate on it alongwith reading. I will print it out and read it on my Ferry back from work. Also, thanks for addressing brothers and sisters in your past post than only brothers. I am sick of the displayed sexist attitude by some!

Mein aaj Katha sunaavaN apni, Mainu kehnde han Punjab
Mere seene de vich shek ne, dard uthda be-hisaab.
Mere dhan te lakhaN zakham ne, hundi rahi mein lahoo lohaan.
Kinj dard sunaavaN apna, meri kambdi aaj zubaan.
Mainu sadiya toN gaya luteya, eh jaane kul jahaan.
Mere vad vad keete dakRe, meri kad de rahe ne jaan.
Kade phol ke isnu vekhiyo, mein haaN dardaN pari kitaab
JeeHde lafzaaN vich hai vednaa, jeeHne chale nit azaab.

Kar faisla meri takdeer da, mere jism te vaahee lakeer.
Lahoo ajje vee uthoN simda, jithoN pachiyaa eh sareer.
Mein ashiq paak vafaa dee, meri nas nas vich hai peer
Meri mitti vich hun siskeeyaN, jeeHnu sunde pir fakir.
MeiN ro ro hoyaaN ratRi, mainu lahoo dee chari silaab.
Kade cho k mainu vekhiyo, vag paye naina cho aab.

Agg vari mere te kehar dee, mere chulse gaye hun aaNg
Mere dhan te Shaale pe gaye, mera neela hogaya rang.
Karne layee mera khaatmaa, KhinJar lishkan vich jung.
Ik hadsaa ban ke rehagayi, see dil vich jo oh maang.
Aaj roohaN arshi rondiaN, koi shere phir rabab.
Aye hosh taan phir mein vekhlaaN, Baba Nanak vala Khaab.

MeiN kis halaat choN langee, meri kise vee layi na saaR
Mainu panj DaRiya ne puchde, eh keho jiha intshaar,
Mere tote tote hogaye, mein hoyi a bahut bezaar.
Mera aman hai kidhare tuR gaya, mein huN daaDa be-karaar
Mere anderoN hook eh uthdi, aave chaanan da inquilaab
Mein udeek haaN jehdi kar rahi, goonje faZaa ch phir
rabaab.

This may be news to some APNAorg followers that the current prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohammed as well as his opponent Anwer Ibrahim are of Punjabi descent, although they both are proud Malay and do not talk of their grandparents and Punjabi heritage. Mahathir's grandfather (father's father) was an immigrant from Gujranwala or Jhelum as well as Anwer Ibrahim's grandfather (mother's father). This makes Mahathir Mohammed, the only Punjabi prime minister currently. However, he is not liked by Tamil Malaysians, perhaps the largest MAlaysian group of Indian origin.

I read someone was asking the meaning of 'vall chhall', a phrase used by me earlier(before I used the phrase 'True love':-)). I would like to tell this someone that no fikar, it was used in a good way. Actually someone I used to know back home had this takia kalaam...hor te veer mereya koi gall nai..koi vall nai koi chhall nai.

A short story....I promise..it is short. This old couple, relative of mine whenever fought/russ with each other will talk through their grandkid, Bholi. So conversation will be something like...Bholi, apni dadi nu keh zara hadd hilaa lawe te mainu chaah bana ke dawe.....of course daadi is also sitting only 10 feet away. She would say..Bholi, ehnu keh saara din pind ch kuttay khassi kardi ayea ain, hun do mint zera kar, bann jandi ay chaah vi.:-)

May be some of you already have seen it but I saw this New York life commerical on Soni TV(thanks to the I-Land). It is all in Punjabi. The scene is a wedding. They show everyone happy and doing bhangra singing a Punjabi wedding boli and then the doli di rukhsati...everyone sad and a voice comes from the background singing a line from Heer's kisaa. "doli charhedyaN maarian Heer cheekaN, mainu lai challe we babula lai challe...."...East meets the West..Waris Shah in tv commercials..what is next DullaBhatti in Young and the Restless?:-). actually I was happy to see the commercial.

Zaki sahib, very nice song. I really liked the rare use of the word "chagghi". Bali and Rammah ji, I think this poem of Munir Niazi is present in translitration book done my Dr. Attar Singh and Jagtar called "Dukh dareyaaoB paar de". I will check it and see if I can fax it to Bali ji.

Honee De Heeley

Kis daa dosh See , Kis da naeen see
Eh gallaN hun karan dian nai'n
Waille langh gai toba walle
Rataan ho'ke bharan dian nai'n

Jo hoya eh hona e see
Te honee rokian rukdee nai'n
Ek wari jadon gal shuroo ho jawe
Gal pher ainwain mukdee nai'n
Kujh unj wee rahwan okhian san
Kujh gal wich gham daa tau'q wee see
Kujh shahar de lok wee zalim san
Kujh sanoon maran daa shou'q wee see

Give you an example from one of Shiv’s light but beautiful geets - Nee ek meri akh kashnee, utton raat de anindre ne maria - Sheeshe ch taRer pe gai, waal wahndee ne dhain jadon maria - in this geet for Dewer (nikka brother-in-law): Ek mera dewer nikRa, bheRa ghaRy muRy aun ke bulawe .. here bheRa doesn’t necessarily means bad as indicated in the loving term “nikeRa’ used for him in the same breath - but when talking about sass (mother-in-law): Doojee meree sass chandree, BheRee rohee de kikar ton kaalee - here fully qualified by ‘chandree’ no doubt is left about the intended negative meanings of ‘BheRee.’

Ve meiN tere naaviN laggi
LokaaN nooN ashnaa-yaaN mil-yaaN
SanooN teri Thhaggi
Ve meiN tere naaviN laggi

Kol sharikaaN ja ja vasdiN
OhnaaN naal touN phhir da hasdiN
Saade parchha-viN tooN nasdiN
Saadi har gal chagghi (to redicule)
Ve meiN tere naavin laggi

Ja ke puchh lo pir chanaah nooN
Sohni dosh naaN de GaRh-yaaN nooN
Shoh vi disde pattan ohnaaN nooN
Maar ishq jinnaaN vaggi
Ve mein tere naaviN laggi

Mun kamle nooN aap rajha cha
Saadi galli vi phhera pa cha
Onj je neiN te bhul ke aa cha
Taahng teri aiy laggi
Ve meiN tere naavin laggi

Mahmood. I want to post a criticism on Dr. Rehman’s thesis on “Language and Feudalism”, particularly in the historical socio-cultural context of Panjab but not before I get hold of the book and do a thorough reading of it. It will not be fair to do an objective criticism just on the basis of excerpts

There is nothing more important than knowing yourself and that is why it becomes even more important to make self the most important dedication. In my case I am still in the process of knowing myself and perhaps it will be the case for rest of my life. My love for Punjabiat is part of knowing self, at least for me. As a scientist with highest degree in chemistry, I will never be able to know all the details about the discrete working of my own system. There is biology, then chemistry, then biochemistry, then microbiology, then............the working of DNA, hormones, digestive system, nervous sustem, neuroscience and then move on to human psyche and Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung,..................the language, the culture, art, music,...........this is all Upnaa Aap to me. Except for a narrow area of chemistry, which is my bread and butter, rest is all about knowing myself - Upnaa Aap. Sharing it with others is the closest, I can compare to losing or "Gunwa'ya". Make sure, people know what Upnaaa Aap is before worrying too much about "gunwa'ying" it. The losing in Sufi poetry is to lose to beloved, which in turn means not losing anything since lover and beloved at that level is one and the same thing - call it god or higher consiousness. It is really absolute devotion without losing anything. I would be out of my mind to forget all the knowledge I have gained through years of, sometime, painstakingly effort, just because somebody tells me that this is the only path to find Mehboob. I will change the definition of Mehboob to knowledge. Recently, I read an article that talks about living a life of mind, compared to living a life of body (animal instict) or heart (absolute submission). The life of mind is based on knowledge, logic, rationality, understanding, reason and so on. Even in one of the Sufi traditions, that of Wahdat-ul-Shahood, the gunw'aye is only for a fleeting moment after rigorous meditation. I do not want to dwell here on the scientific reason for that but suffice it to say that a permanent losing of self is delusionary the least and hallucination the most. I hope you understand what I am trying to say. The losing of self should never be detrimental to Upnaa Aap, the knowledge, the awareness, the reason,........

One only needs to gunw'ayee if his/ her existence, knowledge and living is destructive to society, for example thieves, burglars, looters, plunderers etc. Society is better off, if they lose self and their life of mind.

Sorry to interject. Hoping it will not decrease my value in your book.

My point: it's sweet to read and cherish the folklores, but we cannot 100% start dwelling on them. They never lead us through all the phases of life. That's the point that I had hard time writing previously. If in your mind you have achieved all the phases in the courtship period then that's not everything in life. Supposing Ranjha's internal quest was accomplished but he could not get Heer and stayed alive after she was married to someone else. Forget about what happened on Heer's end for a minute. As I am writing this I realize that this will end up in more questions, and I won't have the time in the middle of so many things on my plate...anyway...as per our belief Tarkae' Dunya is not the ultimate and also permissible. Sometimes, when you reach that epiphany (it can be different from person to person)you can have the leaning to head towards Turkae' Dunya.

As Dullah Bhatti mentioned that all the phases of life are not the answer to the quest for "true-love," I would tend to agree and disagree with the statement.

If you acquire all the peace and contentment in the world and are not able to practice those attributes living in a human(flesh and blood)society then whatever you gained and acquired was only to nurture the confinements of your own heart and soul. It means that you were not taught and prepared to live in a normal family infrastructure[that may be just the worldly perspective whatever]. Please do watch the movie that I have recommended you earlier. I thought the wife in that movie deserved Oscar for her acting and patience. I could not believe what I was seeing. In fact, it's a true story and the couple lives in Princeton, NJ. I plan to meet them sometime this year, inshallah. Probably, I may find some answers there.

Do not get me wrong I love the poets and their poetry and their message. Unfortunately, I realize that I am very much a human and will take a lot of time to acquire those traits. Life is too short, what if I die tomorrow. I would like to have my soul leave this world in ultimate peace and contentment. That's it! Nothing else.

On your observations about people, if I were you I would NEVER EVER look at anyone to make me run or lead my life. What peace and contentment means to me may not hold the same value and standing to others. Yes, you can get a feel for how humans behave and read certain things but I do not know if I would ever envy anyone for anything. I do envy certain friends for their conviction, committment and sweetness for their personal goals in life.

The gist of my multi-layered post is that you cannot lead life in your head. Stories of Heers and Ranjhas are going to lead us astray to a certain degree. Idealism is beautiful and to some a source of immense joy. But Reality has to be taken into consideration as well. You cannot live in your head :) The poet who hummed the following beautiful melody said something but did not say it all :)
~Dil Dhoondta Hae Phir Wohi Fursat Kae Raat Din
~Baithae Rahaen Tasaw'wur'ae Janaa'n Keeyae Hooyae'

PS: Nowhere in my post am I trying to nullify the existance of the concept and idea of love. Also, even what I wrote at certain points is not what I believe in 100%, I am just trying to believe in those concepts to set a line for my ownself. Basically to discipline my own thought process and to define certain limits. I can tear apart all my arguments in no time, if I am to be a critic of my own thoughts :) I will stop here...have to run -- real world(it's responsibilities towards myself) calls me and I have to go.

Please accept my condolences to your family. Please take some time off and reflect on the life of your departed and surviving loved ones and try to challenge the irreversible loss by of loved ones by doublt, triply and more loving the surviving family members.

Regards,

Sameer

Zahra, yes I understand what you are saying. No confusion there. Yes I made some comments on your story but then many others did it too. You have been singling out my posts. Your first post in this latest episode was all about my post..yes you did not mention my name..but it was not ambiguous at all. Khair...in the grand scheme of things it does not matter...I have many other things to worry about this morning than what zahra thinks about my posts:-)(BTW layoff season is here all over again). So no personal comments anymore...you want to disect my views. fine do it, thats your right. but I won't make any personal comment unless it is very clear and is good in nature. jao aish karo(that is my translation of "best of luck"):-).

Why Heer says Ranjha Ranjha kardi ni main aape ranjha hui? It is simple..in most of the Sufi poetry, bhagat baani in Hindi and also writings of sikh Gurus and other spiritual literature, the lost soul/atma or the poet himself is the female that has to meet her ultimate lover, God, who is addressed as a male. In that context,showing Heer to be longing for Ranjha makes it a spiritual act, making it other way around could become a cheap shair that awaragard munday will sing in front of Govt college for girls(ok..that is not from my personal experience..suni sunayee gall ay:-)). In reality, it was Ranjha who became yogi in Heer's search and went to her doorsteps. In the ideal of love, "I" dies and it all becomes "you"..bass tooN hi tooN. Applying political correctness to this statement is totally unfair. On the other hand when Peelu says "bhaTh rannaN di dosti khuri jihnna di matt"..that is chauvenism...it was and it is. and thats why Peelu is no Bulleh Shah.

I want to ask you a question and I would request an honest and straightforward answer. I mean don't give me examples of stories and myths and anything else...please state your belief or I should say state from deep down inside of you -- meaning with full conviction. Appreciating poetry and lyrical ballads is one thing. Truly believing in them is another. Having full conviction in them alongwith practicing them is a completely different ball game -- it requires a lot of discipline. I am on that path and I can tell you how many times I admonish myself and how many times I have started taking deep breaths :) :)

Going back to my initial thought, do you really believe that "ego" completely fades when one is in love? I am asking you and I mean you. Do not give me Rumi or Shams Tabraiz ... here. Please tell me what you think. To continue with my searching query, cannot love survive with or in, "I" and "you." Don't we being human beings in general, be kind and loving to fellow human beings and still maintain "I" and "you." I am saying this because...I am thinking how to put it without being mistaken or misunderstood...so let me contemplate for a few minutes.....................ok...Taking Heer Ranjha's example:
Wasn't there a Heer and a Ranjha as individual entities?

Wasn't the infatuation that turned into maddening love started from one entity loving another entity for who he/she was ?

So, my question wants to further interrogate that why cannot that individuality and unique element stay alive even after their reunion.

I do not understand this. I have a hard time grasping this concept and its implications, if any. Probably I am delving too deep unnecessarily, but I need to understand this point.

Now, I omitted something here: the concept of love and what it means to me. In the context of this argument, I want to imagine as well as assume that even people with love for each other can live happily together. Life's katha kahani should not end up in a sad end necessarily. I don't believe in that.Probably, being an optimist as a result of my strong believer in fate, destiny, intuition, wisdom, guidance, introspection, consultation, and listening to my own heart and mind, I believe everything is achievable as long as we are open to seek and delve into depth than just rely on surface happiness and joy. Also, my question has never received a convincing response for various reasons and that reason is not because of self-love :) It's because most of our folk-lores do not talk about lovers ending up marrying each other and livg happily ever after. They cover the courtship period in immense detail and speak about the hardships that were faced by the hero and heroine in the journey. So, there is no example of love getting to the point of reaching its destination. Now, each person may have that destination completely different to them. I do not believe that you can define a standard for all in that phase. For me that destination means marriage. If you are content and fulfilled in the courtship phase: just by getting romantically overwhelmed by the depth of your lover's eyes, ear-lobes, length of hair, roundness of cheeks and other attributes[Byron and Robert Browning are great with imagery...:)] you are missing on something very crucial and poignant: COMMITTMENT. But again, to each their own. I went on this lengthy route to explain where I am coming from so you can understand the context of my questions in a better way. Do I make sense? If I don't, please let me know. I realize that I have left something unsaid. I will come back later...

Take Care.

a) Why did I read someone saying that Kuryaan Apnae Ranjhae etc etc...Why not the other way around? b) Why is the myth "Ranjha Ranjha Kurdae Kurdae Aapae Ranjha Ho Gayee" so common? I am clear on the intent but Aapae Ranjha Ho Gayee states that Heer was looking/waiting for the RanjhA. Why not Heer Heer Kehnda Kehnda Aapae Heer Ho Gaya? Why could not that be sung or said? After all the real story or the one by Waris Shah, stated the chaotic stage of Ranjha and how he seeks Heer. Abida Parveen has sung this number in a very pathetic fashion; and sounds like that she is ready to jump on a cruise and must finish the geet in a set time.
Is that to show the uniqueness of this "ranjha character"? Is it cultural? What is it? and why is it?

Listening to your show today and mentioning Chenab reminded me of an idea, I had sometimes ago. It was to invest or contribute to a decent hotel project at the bank of Chenab in Jhang district and publicize it as honeymoon spot for newly wed or Punjabi lovers paradise. Well may be someday!!!

What did people lose in the partition?.
1. lives and family
2. home and property
3. Memories, of youth, friendships, loves, sights and smells and much more. But which one is the sharpest loss? Which loss is it that causes lifelong longing or hatred or trouble? After all when one migrates all of those losses occur - with the exception of loss of life and family (in most cases).

All needed to be done was a delinking of political separation from human sufferings. What made the partition of Punjab ugly was the involuntary and deadly communal rioting during migration. Punjabis have been migrating before albeit voluntarily. During British period, a large number of Muslims from East Punjab migrated to southern Punjab and particularly Bahawalpur division when new lands were opened to cultivation, once canals brought water to the region such as Bahawalnagar district. You all must be familiar with the term "abadkar".

Because of the old age and dying of the generation who lived through riots and partition, access to sharing without cost (internet) and Diaspora Punjabis must put extra effort to preserve the sweet memories in a sea of otherwise stories of hostility.

In my mother's village, a Hindu shopkeeper left his merchandise in sacs with my grandfather and promised to come back - as many illiterate and innocents in the villages believed - and take care of his belongings. According to my mother, my grandfather would spank my mother and her siblings (as kids) trying to poke holes and steal raisins, cocunut (gari) and other sweets. However, the Hindu never came back and in two/ three my mother and siblings ate away all what was worth eating. Why did he trust this poor farmer, my grandmother? Because as the rumor had it, he was infatuated with my mother's older sister although my aunt, now deceased, never accepted any affair on her part.

In my father's vilage, about ten miles from my mother's, a young Sikh had an affair with the daughter of local mochi. He begged her to go along in 1947 but her family did not want to take risk of unknown circumstances. Anyway, he left alone and survived the trauma of partition and became a small time farmer in india. His love never died. He made regular trips to his village once every year after Vasakhi and actually enjoyed the hospitality of the family of his old flame. She had been married and had children. Her husband was also a childhood friend of this Sikh guy. It was more of a sweet memory which he enjoyed well into his old age by becoming a good fried with the family. Last time, to my knowledge, he came in 1980. Now we are not talking about some border villages here. This is Rachna, the land between Ravi and Chenab and called by locals affectionately as Sandal Bar, about 100 or more miles from the nearest border.

I thought to share these minor stories on valentine's day.

There is a picture etched in my father's memory. Although being typical conservative Muslim and no yearning for Promotion of Punjabi or partition related material, he has told me several times over the years of a picture appearing in some Pakistani newspaper during late forties or earlier fifties. It was about a group of Indians allowed to visit their homeland for a brief period. This group visited some place in Jhelum district and while leaving (again), one beautiful Sikh lady tilted her head backward to look at her village, from a small hilltop (we are talking potohar here), for the last time. There must be some special penetrating sadness on her face, perhaps accompanying with tears and the caption for the picture read: mahi deyaN watnaN tuN, maiN roni roni langh vesaN.

Rammah ji, I think that story/article by Dr. Jatinderpaul Jolly about Afzal Randhawa is a very valuable piece in this context. I have a gurmukhi version of it and I am sure Randhawa's book "munna koh Lahore" in Shahmukhi also have this article. It will be good to post both these versions on APNA page.

Now, please read my comments with care. I said Heer should suicide. I never said Ranjha should be spanked for saying the above. If Ranjha did say the above, or says the above, no matter how abusrd it sounds, he cannot be blamed. At least, he said what he meant to say using an expression native to him. Right or Wrong is not the point.

.......sar zair-e-bar-e-minnat-e-darbaN kiye hoey In the context, this line or misra was stated, the gist was well said. But on the other hand, many urdu speaking as well as farsi speaking may not have the same knowledge on the poetry and poetical expressions that the above misraa conveys. Just because someone had the ancestral links does not mean that they will be richer in one language or the other. It's all on a person what he or she tries to learn, read, write, converse in, can comprehend and are open to learn. Our ancestry and lineage says something but does not say it all. Just my $ thoughts!

Afzal Tauseef: She is a Punjabi story writer who lives in Lahore these days. She is writing a column in Punjabi papers these days regarding his experiences during his visit to India few months ago. At the time of partition she was only a child of 9 or 10 and his family and elders lived in a village Simbli near Nawan Shehar, Jalandhar. Her whole family was uprooted and driven away from their beloved land by the Sikh and Hindu rioters. They were hiding in some Sikh/Hindu's home while rioters came to know of their presence and attacked. Many members of the family were killed while her two elder sisters in their teens ran away and jumped into the well(The well that still exists in the Simbli village. Having a relative from my in-laws in that village, I have visited the village few times and the presence of the Masjid building in the middle of the village stands as a sad memoir of its past). The image of her dear sisters jumping into the well along with her dead uncles and aunts on the streets of Simbli never escaped this girl's innocent mind. When she started writing many years later these images inspired her to write again the religion bigotry and communal violence.

For last many years, her stories have been published in Indian Punjab and liked by lot of readers. Although her disclosure about her past and connection to Simbli has been only few years old. After some readers came to know about her connection to Simbli, one of the young journalists who comes from the same area contacted her and many other writers and literary cultural organizations have honored her since then. During her first visit to India she refused to visit her village, the images of its streets and her butchered relatives and her sisters jumping into the well were too haunting for her. She was too scared that visit to this place will make her too emotional and mentally upset.

She finally visited the village during her last visit and was welcomed with open arms by many elders who remembered the whole episode and her father and uncles.

In her autobiography that was published few years back, she has written in detail about all this and has asked to herself and other Punjabis, if Germans can apologize for Hitler’s sins, Queen of England can apologize for the Jallian Wala Bagh massacre, Berlin’s wall could fall, why can’t we, Punjabis, offer apologies and condolences to each other about the wrongs done on each other by our elders. It has yet to dawn on Punjabis what their elders did in the moments of junoon and she hoped someone will apologize for her two beloved sisters who had to jump into the well to save themselves from dishonor.

This year she was given a very prestigious award by Punjabi Sath, LambRaN. Punjabi Sath is a organization established by Dr. Nirmal Singh for the purpose of encouraging Punjabi culture and language in the global context. It has honored many Punjabi writers and other successful Punjabis around the world. Its efforts are particularly fruitful in bringing together the Punjabi intellectuals of Pakistan and India.

While she was given this award in January in a formal function, the Chairman of the Punjabi Sath offered an unequivocal apology to Afzal Tauseef and was applauded by hundreds of Punjabi writers, artists and common people present in the audience. Her life long wish coming to some fulfillment, atleast Punjabis have started to think in this direction. Hope more people will realize the scope of ruthlessness and inhuman cruelty rendered by the their elders on their neighbors and some day Punjabi hearts will be clean of the sin, the guilt and namoshi we have been hiding for half a century.

Dr. Jamal Hoshiarpuri: born in SalehariaN, near Dasooha and MukeriaN in Hoshiarpur district was a student in Lahore in 1947 who never had the chance to go back and see his beloved motherland again. Like many others of his generation he always longed to see Dasooha, SalehriaN and Mukerian, his childhood and youth memories. He started writing in Punjabi while in college and actually got a good recognition as a Punjabi poet in Pakistan. He says:

sunneyaN teri bahishat vich, kamiN nahi ay koi,
Rabba! ki hann othey vi Dasooha-MukeriaN.

Regardless of how much he longed for his lost village and neighborhood, none in Dasooha, MukeriaN remembered him. well.. not until few months ago. One young man of Punjabi Sahit Sabha from Dasooha-MukeriaN found one of his old books where he mentioned about his roots in SalehriaN but he had no idea where Dr. Jamal is now, or dead or alive. He got many people who remembered this young man who went to study in Lahore and was supposed to come back as a doctor and still no one had any idea where he is now. But that did not lessen their enthusiasm to honor this son of their land. They celebrated a evening in his honor and memory called " Jamal di yaad vich jashan". Looks like they assumed Jamal has died probably of old age but they were wrong. Dr. Jamaludin Hoshiarpuri is still in good health and lives between Pakistan and California off and on. He had attended many of our Punjabi Sahit Sabha, California’s meetings and shared his Ghazals with us.

Anyway, one of Dr. Jamal’s friends in India who read about the "Jamaal di yaad vich Jashan" in a news paper sent a copy of the cutting to Dr. Jamal who shared with us through a letter to the Punjabi Sahit Sabha. The letter sounded like Dr. Jamal speaking as a kid and overjoyed by this recognition by sons and daughters of his long lost village. When one of our members read his letter silence fell on us and it seemed like Jamal sahib has finally found some peaceful end to his longing for Dasooha-MukeriaN. He sounded so happy like a kid has gotten his much liked toy.

Afzal Ahsan Randhawa: I will write a details on this great son of Punjabi soemtime. He was originally from Amritsar district and were living in west Punjab in 1947. Many of his neighbours, relatives and friends were sikhs. His father's best friend and pagg vatt bhra Tehal Singh Randhawa had to move to East Punjabi in 1947 but their memory enver left Afzal Randhawa. It look like Randhawa can't write a story or a novel without a Sikh character in it. he wrote many stories where his chacha Tehal Singh Randhawa was a character. Afzal always wanted to find out what happened to tehal Singh but they never found out where tehal Singh's fmaily go in India or did they even survive. Both families lost the link for 30 years.

Then one day a young student of Punjabi at Guru Nanak Dev Univ., Amritsar got a job from his teacher, Dr. K.S. Thind. Dr Thind used to visit Pakistan a lot and collect Punjabi literature written in Pakistan and then transliterate into Gurmukhi and publish it. That was the 70's and 80's..very little contact between the two people. The young student was Dr. Jatinder Paul Jolly who has narrated this story in one of Randhawa's books "Munna koh Lahore". One of the randhawa's story that Dr. Jolly was transliterating was "Gawaachi Khushboo". This story was about randhawa's lost chacha Tehal Singh. By chance Dr. Jolly read this story to an old relative who was visiting him. The old relative the guy in his 70s pointed out in the midle of the story that this charachter is exactly his cousin. He could not beleive that the story was his cousin's story. Dr. Jolly was baffled. He asked how is he sure. The old guy told him that the Tehal Singh moved to Hushiarpur after 1947 and he is Naamdhari sikh etc. At which Jolly agreed to contact tehal Singh in Hushiarpur.

When Dr Jolly met Tehal Singh in Hushiarpur, Tehal Singh could not beleive that Afzal is actually his pagg vatt brother's son. When he heard the stories written by Afzal, he said yes these are our stories...this is our heritage before 1947. Dr. Jolly wrote Afzal Randhawa that he has found his chacha Tehal Singh. Then the communication started but both of them could not get the visa due to unrest in Punjab. So Jolly made a plan to bring them both face to face without a visa.

There is a tardition at Wahgha border that after the flags are lowered in the evening people from both sides can come close to the gates with in feets but can't talk. He invited Randhawa, his father and Randhawa's younger brother Ahmad. He also took bapu Tehal Singh and his son and grandsons from Indian side. Both families stood their on each side of teh grills in the evening and only thing visible was tears coming out of everyone's eyes. Randhawa's father was crying like a child at the sight of his once brother Tehal Singh Randhawa. The scene as written by Dr. Jolly is very emotional and no one can pass it without dropping few tears. Interestingly, Afzal Randhawa and his brother had been members of Assembly in Pakistan. He told his sons that evening what good is your govt. that can't unite a brother with a brother. Not to mention he was a broken man that day. I will scan it some time for APNA's page.

After that Randhawa visited India and Tehal Singh's family members visited Pakistan...but jehRa paani ikk vaar pullaN thalleyoN langh jaawe , murh ke wapis nahi aunda.

Babu Rajjab Ali: This great poet of Punjab...very little known in Pakistan...but very well known in India was born in a village Sahoke, Dist. Faridkot near Moga. He was a great writer of Kavishari, the poems sung in tarannam in Punjab on stages in melas, mazaars, and gurdwaras. This man, as I know him from his poetry, was a Punjab from toe to head...pooray da poora Punjabi..no trace of any religious bias etc. here is what he says about Punjabi:

khanD toN miThi boli, piyaare wattan Punjab di.
mukh choN lapTaN maaran, jaise attar ghulaab di.
hor sataun zubaanaN, akhoN jall bhar doli da...
karde na hamdardo, dard Punjabi boli da.

Here is what eh says about Punjab:

vekhay mulakhaN de gunn gunniyaN, saaroi phir tur vekhi duniyaN.
kull jagg diaN kariyaN sairraN, ikk nazam banauni shaiyeraN,
jeebh kutrat lafaz Punjabi de, saaki nasha chaRhaa de uttre na,
laa mukh nu jaam sharaabi de.

Jawaan sohnay shaam FrancoN, goal gardhan kanch glassoN,
sheraN warge ubhray seenay, chehray jhagray nain nagheenay,
aissa ghabroo jagg wich hona naaaaaa
vekhay desh bathairey duniya de, koi desh PunjaboN sohna na.......

He was a Civil engineer by training and worked in all of Punjab but always came abck to his village Sahoke....in 1947...all his shagirdh, all his poems in praise of Sikh gurus, and all his love for Punjabi and his pochwiN pagg could not save his relation to his village...poor Babu ji packed his belongings and children and settled near UkaaRa in West Punjab. He lived their rest of his life but his souls never left East Punjab and aprticularly his village Sahoke and its people. Some of his best poems came from Pakistan...all drecnhed with his love for all of Punjab, Punjabis and his beloved Sahoke.

His famous poem "aawe Wattan Piyaara Chetay" I read in my 8th grade Punjabi class. Irony that this guy born in East Punjab..writes this peom in West Punjab...no one in West Punjab probably read it...but it finds way back to East Punjab and some good soul dared to include this in syllabus of Punjab school Education Board....that was my introduction to Babu ji who's Kull-Kalaam a 470 page book now rests in my bedroom in the head board of my bed. Here is parts of aaawe wattan piyaara chetay:

mann lai jo karda Rabb paak aai, aundi yaad wattan di khaaq ay,
tutt phutt tukRay bann gaye dill de, haye! main bhujj giya wanghooN khill de,
bhaRhtha bann gai dehi aiiiiiii, vichhray yaar piyaare, bani mussebat kehi aiiiiiii.

jaanday lok nagar de rass boo, pind di paun phullaN di khashboo,
ho hiya jigar faaRhiyO faarhi, vadd'di chakk chinta bagheyaaRhi,
haddiyaN sittiyaN chabbtaaN jeeeeeeeee,
aawe wattan piyaara chetay, jadd khich paun mohabbataN jeeee.

sohniye "Saho" pinD diey veehay, bachpan de wich paRhe "Bambheehay",
choori khuwa maaN paate rastay, chakk lai kalam dawaataN bastay,
Sher, Niranjan, Mehnghay ne.....bhulldiyaN na bharjaiyeaN......
paye ghumbraN lehnghay ne..........

murh piya vekhan pind diyaN galliyaN,
pind diyaN mittiyaN, khanD diyan dalliyaN,
baankay ghabroo dill nu mohnay,
building New York toN sohnay, rahe chubaare phabb taaN jeee
aawe wattan piyaara chetay jadd khich paun mohabbtaN jeeeeeeeee.>p> Babu Rajjab Ali left East Punjab in 1947 but his legacy lives on to this day. Young boys of Sahoke and surrounding villages still sing his poems(Kavishari) on school stages and compete to be better at it....I was totally surprised last year while sitting in our local Gurdwara kitchen one evening I heard some "Kavishars" sing a poem on chhotay sahibzaade and Sarhand saaka.....I recognised the patent "72 kalla chhand"..a poetic meter that no other poet has probabaly used after Babu ji. Singers were young men in their 30's belongign to village Sahoke on a tour of USA singign Babu ji's poems........Babu Rajjab Ali...I salute you. you will live in our hearts forever.

Another amazing thing is Babu rajjab Ali wrote kissay related to Hindu and Sikh mythology and history.....somethin unthinkable by standards of today...and it was only 22 year ago when this son of Punjab left this world.

Dheensa is just having an identity crises or has low self-esteem which is making him consider himself (as a sikh) and his language low. Brotha, you need to get some pride!!

Reality check: Punjabi IS a state language of Indian Punjab.

thanks for that ukindia.com site info...it seems to contain good stuff...

you lack reason and are driven by emotions. You wanna go against me tit for tat but without any concrete support. And, I have no clue as to what you're talking about in your english/french analogy. It doesn't seem like you have enough knowledge about french or english to say the things you're saying. The case on the desk is you sayin' something is better than the other, but it seems like you're proving my point...how confusing is that? Stick to what you said, don't prove me right 'cause I can do that for myself. But thank you though for proving my point that no language or dialect is inferior to another. In other case you said "JUVENILE means a Under-age offender in Law," but here's a definition from http://www.dictionary.com ju·ve·nile Pronunciation Key (jv-nl, -nl) adj. Not fully grown or developed; young. Of, relating to, characteristic of, intended for, or appropriate for children or young people: juvenile fashions. Marked by immaturity; childish: juvenile behavior. See Synonyms at young.

Tell me where it says anything about offending law? So, please if you don't understand another culture or language, don't make comments about it. Stick to what you know.

So, yeah in conclusion, NO LANGUAGE IS SUPERIOR TO ANOTHER. NOBODY SPEAKS IT BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE. End of discussion !!