Eng version of Punjabi book out in Canada

There is good news for all those wanting to read Punjabi short stories translated into English.

A collection of Punjabi short stories written by Dr Harshinder Kaur, deputy medical superintendent of Government Rajindera Hospital in Patiala, have been rewritten in English by a Canadian writer, Ajmer Rode.

The book titled - It happens in India - was released on September 11 by Sikh scholar Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer during a function at Vancouver. The stories depict atrocities inflicted on women in various parts of Punjab.

Full report here Times of India

Big push for Punjabi at PTU

At a time when most reputed schools in the state don't encourage children to converse in Punjabi, three years after passing of the Punjab Official Language (amendment bill) 2008 on September 10, 2008, Punjabi language has found an unexpected supporter and follower in Punjab Technical University (PTU).

Due to his efforts, PTU has become the first technical university to hold its convocation in Punjabi last month, barring speeches by the chief guest and guest of honour who happened to be non-Punjabis.

Even the annual report of the university was read out in Punjabi by vice-chancellor Rajneesh Arora.

All the official work within the university is carried out in Punjabi and now even minutes of the meeting of Board of Governors would be listed in Punjabi apart from English, said Arora, an IIT Delhi alumnus, who signs all official documents in Punjabi. "If an internal communication comes to him in English, he returns it without signing it, and instructs that it should be in Punjabi. Now, it has become a habit for all senior or junior officials to carry out the official work in Punjabi," said a university employee.

Full report here Times of India

International seminar on "Diasporic Canadian Punjabi Literature"

World Punjabi Centre, Punjabi University, Patiala organised an international seminar on "Diasporic Canadian Punjabi Literature: An Analytical Study" and Pakistan Urdu poetry".

At this occasion Canadian scholar Sukhinder's book on 'Canadian Punjabi Sahit' (Samikhiya) was also released.

Emphasising on the need of such seminars for diasporic literature, chief guest Dr. Jaspal Singh, Vice Chancellor, Punjabi University praised the efforts made by Punjabis living in other countries in the field of Punjabi Literature.

Dr. Jaspal Singh said there is need for recognizing Punjabi Literature of Foreign writers and advocated that good literature of these writers should be made part of syllabus. Dr. Jaspal Singh also emphasized on equal representation for women in all spheres.

Full report here Punjab Newsline

Dr Surjit Patar awarded the Saraswati Samman

Renowned Punjabi poet Dr Surjit Patar was on Friday, Sep 17 awarded the prestigious Saraswati Samman for the year 2009 for his Punjabi poetry-collection Lafzan Di Dargah. Union Minister for Human Resources Development Kapil Sibal presented Patar with the 19th edition of the award, instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation in recognition of literary eminence in any of the languages included in the schedule VIII of the Constitution of India.

The award money has been increased to R7.5 lakh this year from R5 lakh earlier. Sibal said that he believed that any civilization, which does not honour its poets and writers, can never be progressive. “In our everyday life, we ‘evade’ ourselves. We fear to express ourselves. Poetry is rare form of expression that is qualitatively different. But it is dying.”

 “(So) it is important for us to recognise those who penetrate our souls,” Sibal said adding, “Patar’s poetry is immersed in reality of Punjab, yet it is universal in appeal.”

Full report here Hindustan Times

The story thus far...

Seasoned author Joginder Paul shares the crests and troughs of Urdu in Delhi, the city of immigrants

It is difficult not to like Joginder Paul, the silver-haired 85-year-old author, much hailed and translated. Measured words, generous smiles, one moment he comes across as a family patriarch on a relaxed late summer afternoon: a cotton kurta on his body, a cigarette placed between his fingers and a mop of hair that constantly demands attention. Next moment he is a scholar whose every sentence comes cloaked with words of wisdom. Sitting in his unpretentious study in South Delhi, Paul has a black-and-white painting of Ghalib on his right, and Saadat Hasan Manto peers from a calendar just behind him even as Krishna keeps a silent watch. There is Kabir too, another painting reminding us of the varied hues of the gentleman's tastes. This Sunday, he heads to Aurangabad, where 500 of his admirers and former students (Paul was college principal for over a decade there) gather to felicitate him on Gratitude Day.

Predictably enough he is on the ball from the first sentence. “I am a Punjabi who speaks Punjabi at home. I read and taught English in college for a living, and write in Urdu.” Paul, clearly, has the talent for making anomalies sound not just normal but also desirable. Pratibha India has just reproduced a story he wrote in the 1970s, but Paul is in no mood to wallow in nostalgia. “Nostalgia is natural at my age, but I don't bank upon the past. Nostalgia makes you feel old. Courage to play the fool makes me feel young.”

Full report here Hindu

Poet Ahmad Rahi’s 8th death anniversary today

September 2 marks the 8th death anniversary of a legendary Punjabi poet and writer Ahmad Rahi. He was a recipient of the Pride of Performance, left for the world hereafter eight years ago on September 2, 2002, leaving behind a glowing trail of unforgettable melodies spanning over 1,900 songs and around 260 film scripts.

Ahmad Rahi was Born in the Eastern Punjab city of Amritsar on 12 November 1923. He wrote about the Partition of India. He also wrote hundreds of songs for films. His first book, Tarinjan, was published in 1952. It was a poetry book about the Partition of India.

His real name was Ghulam Ahmad but renowned poet Saif Uddin Saif, a very close fried and class fellow of the poet, asked him to have Ahmad Rahi as his name. The poet liked the name and was known by it till the end of his life.

After Intermediate, Rahi could not continue his studies due to financial constraints but Ahmad Rahi had many extraordinary achievements on his credit, besides being a great pillar of the Pakistani film Industry.

Another aspect of Rahi's poetry is the influence of Punjabi folk tales and folk music. The folk heroines Heer, Sahiban, Sohni all are present as living characters. Rahi got engaged in writing scripts and songs for movies. In his late 70s, Rahi no longer active in literary or film work.

Full report here Samaa

Punjabi scholar, Telugu researcher chosen for Bhasha Samman

A noted Punjabi scholar and a Telugu veteran have been chosen for the 'Bhasha Samman' by the Sahitya Akademi for their contribution to the field of classical and medieval literature.

Gurudev Singh, a Punjabi scholar, was chosen for the honour from the Northern region, while Telugu researcher and critic Korlapati Sriramamurthy from the Southern region, the Akademi said in a statement.

Singh has compiled the Encyclopedia of Sufi Poetry and Thoughts and also the History of Sufi Punjabi Poetry and has also written books in Gurumukhi script and translated texts from Persian and Arabic.

The Bhasha Samman carries a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000 besides an inscribed copy plaque and citation.

Full report here DNA

Former Punjab CM writes book on Sikh history

Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's book on Sikh history 'The Last Sunset: The Rise and Fall of the Lahore Durbar' is scheduled for global launch in London next month.

Roli Books, the publisher of English version of the book, has fixed September 18-19 for its global release.

The Punjabi version -- 'Aakhri Lamhean di Daastaan: Lahore Durbar di Chadhat te Pattan' -- is likely to be released in Patiala shortly, sources said.

The book is based on the history of the Sikh empire and its legendary ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Full report here Outlook

'We've a common past, history, struggles and heroes'

Fakhar Zaman, noted Punjabi writer-politician from Pakistan, founded World Punjabi Congress (WPC) to bring together two Punjabs and promote the divided region's culture at the height of India-Pakistan tension during the Siachen crisis in 1984. Zaman, a key aide to late former Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto and the only Pakistani to receive Indian Punjab's Shiromani Sahitik Award, spoke to Sameer Arshad about the need for greater cultural exchanges to bridge the India-Pakistan gulf: 

How important are the two Punjabs to the India-Pakistan peace project? 
The key to improving ties lies in greater exchanges between the two Punjabs. There are around 110 million Punjabis on the either side of the border and a whopping 65 per cent Pakistanis speak Punjabi. The focus on shared culture and heritage could be a vital binding force between the two Punjabs and eventually the two countries. WPC has so far organised 24 international conferences in India, Pakistan and across the world with the emphasis on improving the ties between the two countries as well as promoting Punjabi language, culture and the shared Sufi heritage.

How difficult has the road been so far? 
We've made a historical contribution but faced difficulties as well. I've been under the fanatical threat and my house in Lahore was attacked in 2001. The organisation has made a historical contribution in bringing the two countries together starting with its foundation in Lahore in 1984, which didn't go down well with the fanatics. The conference came in the backdrop of the Siachen conflict. WPC played a prominent role in promoting good relations when it organised a conference in 1986, even when the rapprochement seemed difficult.

Full report here Times of India

Punjab cops think global, want Queen's language

Police in Punjab want to go global. They wish to learn the global language and act global to keep themselves ahead in the years to come.

As many as 98.28 % of the 643 police officials at the Punjab Police Academy (PPA), Phillaur, who took part in a survey, said they want an English speaking course be part of their training curriculum.

The policemen had to go through a self-assessment process with the objective of assessing the relevance of including spoken English courses in their curriculum. The survey, conducted recently by academy deputy director MF Farooqui, revealed that officers with good oral communication skills and knowledge of English rated themselves higher in a number of performance indicators than those with poor knowledge of the language.

Full report here Times of India

Errors galore: Reference book for teachers withdrawn

The state Education department has withdrawn the reference book for primary schools teachers issued under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. The book titled Gyan Sarovar, which was given teachers to teach subjects like history, geography, civics and general knowledge, turned out to be a book of errors.

Not only were there several printing errors and wrong information, the book written in English, “exposed the state government’s claim of promoting Punjabi language”.

By this time, most schools have completed half of the syllabus and authorities are not sure when the revised version of the book will be distributed.

The book cites two different theories related to the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and has two different names for the wife of Guru Amardas. It evens state that taking drugs does not make one is an addict and even lays undue stress on issues of blind faith.

Full report here Indian Express

9 languages launched in Brampton Library

In a function held at South Fletcher’s library in Brampton nine books in different languages were launched on the occasion of Canadian multicultural day.

The occasion was jointly inaugurated by Adele Kostiak CEO of Brampton Library, and Janice Awde, Chair of the board. Nine languages were added to the existing 13 languages including Bengali, Croatian, Korean, Malayalam, Persian, Romanian, Serbian, Sinhalese and Turkish. The existing 13 languages are Arabic, Chinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish, Tamil, Tagalog, Urdu and Vietnamese. Sarala Uttangi, Coordinator Multicultural Services introduced and gave a description of the different languages and welcome the gathering. A representative from each language spoke few lines from a book in their language .Harikumar resident of Brampton introduced Malayalam by reading few lines from the renowned writer of Malayalam & English Late Madhavikkutty.

Full report here South Asia Mail

Lost in the global melting pot

In earlier times,when people migrated across vast terrains for economic reasons they took along their precious belongings securely tied on camel backs - their religious books,their cultural totems,their wood carving tools,silk weaving looms etc.Modern day economic liberalisation and globalisation have reversed this trend and instead brought the cultural melting pot home.Which is just fine.As long as we remember to pack in our valuables,before we step into the stew.

Culture and language are closely intertwined.Consequently with more and more of us switching to English as our first language,huge chunks of our cultural heritage are being lost along the way.As we move to a world where the mother tongue is increasingly becoming a language that our grandmother spoke and which mom speaks only an apologetic smattering of to elderly aunts,folk forms of poetry,among other things,are at risk.As someone who writes mostly in English but was exposed to diverse indigenous forms of poetry while growing up,I ask myself whether it has to be like this.If the Japanese haiku,the Italian sonnet and the French villanelle can have a life in English,why can't the Punjabi 'tappe',the Tamil 'kural' or Amir Khusrao's 'keh mukarnis' ?

Let's begin with the tantalising tappe of Punjab.If you've attended even one Punjabi wedding as a child,chances are you're already a convert.Anyone who has sat cross legged on a durrie,amidst a circle of family friends and relatives,chin tucked into upturned palm and watched a coy,sweet voiced aunt and a swaggering,whiskey- mellowed uncle pull off a tappe-boliyan session to the accompaniment of a dholki and a spoon is unlikely to have forgotten it.

Full report here Times of India Crest

The idea of Punjabiyat

For a community that has experienced such fragmentation through the centuries, the Punjabi identity today is engaged in a remarkably active attempt at consolidation.

Malkit SinghThe moment we use the word Punjabiyat, it suggests a reference simultaneously to something that is very tangible while still elusive. This dual character opens the term to many imaginations and possibilities. Is Punjabiyat a concrete socio-political reality, a project, a movement in process, something in the making, a mere idea floated by some ivory-tower intellectuals and literary figures, a wishful dream of some Indo-Pakistani pacifists, a seductive fantasy of some Punjabi nationalists, a secular utopia envisioned by leftist nationalists, a business plan of market-seeking capitalists, or a dangerous regionalism dreaded by the nation states of India and Pakistan?

The tangibility of Punjabiyat derives from the recognition of Punjab as an area that once existed as a sovereign state, for the half-century between 1799 and 1849. In addition, it also derives from Punjabi as a language with a rich literary heritage, the Punjabi identity as a linguistic and regional one within both India and Pakistan, a transnational linguistic and cultural identity encompassing what are today Indian and Pakistani Punjabis and the global Punjabi diaspora. In this case, ‘culture’ can encompass language (especially its spoken for+m), food, dress, festivals, music, dance, humour, and rituals of happiness (relating to marriage or birth) and loss (death).

Full report here Himal

Third Sarv Bharti Punjabi Conference begins

Third Sarv Bharti Punjabi Conference begun Friday, April 30, with the prominent Punjabis giving a united call to adopt Punjabi language as main communication language besides making collective efforts to integrate all Punjabi speaking areas geographically.

Inaugurating the conference Sukhbir Singh Badal Deputy Chief Minister called upon people to encourage their wards to read and communicate in Punjabi to save our mother tongue from going into extinction. “We will have to think in Punjabi, read in Punjabi, speak in Punjabi besides propagating it every corner of the globe.”,  Badal quipped.

Badal said that Shiromani Akali Dal had been main proponent of Punjabi language and had launched many movements to integrate Punjabi speaking areas in Punjab. He said that after enforcing usage of Punjabi in official work in Punjab through an Act, Punjab Government recently approached Administrator UT Chandigarh to give due status to Punjabi language in Chandigarh also. He hoped that Chandigarh would soon accept this proposal. Mr. Badal said that Haryana has already taken steps for promotion of Punjabi and they are approaching Himachal and New Delhi Governments to give due status to Punjabi language in their states.

Full report here Punjab Newsline

Rival factions release manifesto

The two factions in fray in the Punjabi Sahit Akademy elections released their manifestos and listed the support of heavyweights of Punjabi literature. The group led by Sukhdev Singh Sirsa and S Tarsem has boasted about the academic qualifications of its candidates and the one led by Gurbhajan Singh Gill has listed “youth power” as its asset.

“Our aim is to ensure that Punjabi language is given its due status in Punjab and Haryana. We will ask the state government to make Punjabi the language of trade and business. Also, students passing out of Punjabi medium schools should be given preference in government jobs,” Tarsem said.

“Our demands include pension of Rs 5,000 per month for aged writers, free medical aide for ailing writers and policies for higher education in Punjabi language,” Tarsem added. “Also, we will organise more seminars and programmes on Punjabi language.”

Full report here Indian Express

‘Why should a writer not be happy?'

He's an award-wininng writer and a farmer in Pakistan. During a visit to Delhi, author Daniyal Mueenuddin talks about how he balances farmwork with writing and being a writer in Pakistan.

Pardon my ignorance, but I have not come across a more eloquent farmer; or a man who grows mangoes and wheat but has better skills with the pen; somebody who speaks Urdu with a Punjabi accent one moment and switches to impeccable English the next. A writer in the morning, a farmer by day, a reader by evening; welcome to the world of Daniyal Mueenuddin, the Los Angeles-born, Ivy League-educated man who divides his time between Pakistan, the U.S. and the U.K. Feted the world over — he was recently among the finalists for the Commonwealth Writer's Prize for the Best Book, where he lost to Rana Dasgupta — Daniyal is an outsider everywhere: in the U.S. where he can never be a typical American; in Pakistan, despite his impeccable Urdu and colourful Punjabi, he is never “one of us”.

Outsider everywhere
“Yes, that is true. I am half-American so it is more complicated for me. I feel like an outsider everywhere. But I regard Pakistan to be my country. I belong to it. For a certain period I can stay in the U.S. but after a while I hunger for the vibrancy of colours of Lahore,” he says.

Daniyal, with none of the airs of a seasoned writer, is a cheerful man and generates an energetic air. Happy to pose for the camera, he even shares a few candid moments. “You cannot talk with aap-janab on the farm. I learnt it the hard way,” he says, breaking into an expletive to show how to get the work done in the fields.

Full report here Hindu

Punjabi language on the wane?

What it could be more pitiable that Punjabi, the language of 19 million people of Punjab and equal number of population abroad, is grossly neglected in our educational institutions.

Punjabi language and literature is taught only in 40 out of 450 colleges in the province at graduate level and at postgraduate level only at Punjab University. No other public or private university cater the classes in Punjabi language at any level. What is more surprising is the fact that there is no Punjabi teacher in number of colleges as there is only one teacher in 40 colleges where the discipline is taught. There is no research journal in Punjabi literature except The Lekh, a biennial literary journal in the private sector. It is edited and published by a renowned Punjabi scholar Prof Dr Nasir Rana of Govt MAO College.

‘The Lekh’ is tri-lingual journal carrying literary articles in Punjabi, Urdu and English. The first issue of ‘The Lekh’ was brought out in June 2005 and since then it is published regularly without any editorial and financial support from anywhere.

Full report here Nation

Murthys gift Harvard $5.2 mn to publish classics

N R Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies, and his family have donated $5.2 million to Harvard University and Harvard University Press to establish a new publication series called The Murty Classical Library of India.

The endowed dual-language series will feature contemporary English versions of works originally composed in classical languages such as Sanskrit, Persian and Urdu, as well as literature from Tamil, Bengali, Kannada, Punjabi and other Indian languages.

“I am happy that Harvard University Press is anchoring this publishing project,” said Murthy. His wife, Sudha, said, “We are happy to participate in this exciting project of taking the rich literary heritage of India to far corners of the world.”

Full report here Indian Express

The interpreter: Lost in translation

Neetu Mahandru won't forget her first taste of life as a court interpreter in a hurry. "It was a gang-related stabbing trial at Birmingham crown court a couple of years ago," she tells me. "There were about 20 or 30 barristers in the room, maybe 70 or 80 other people in the courtroom and public gallery, and a lot of people in the dock, so I was pretty nervous." She seems surprised that I don't remember the occasion.

She had been called in to translate the testimonies of the defendants, all Punjabi speakers. "There was a lot of conference between the barristers. Barristers think they know everything, so you have to stand your ground …"

Up to then, Mahandru had been teaching English as a second language, taking tentative steps towards translation work, so the phrase "thrown in at the deep end" hardly covers her experience.

"I think I did pretty well. But I thought, 'I will not take any more court bookings'. But then I thought, 'This is part of my job, I can't just sit back and say I don't want to do this'."

Full report here Guardian