Punjabi Not By Nature

“That’s krarrat! We’re like that by nature!”

Some people are totally incorrigible, entirely beyond the light of reason, closed to all logical analysis.

One such person is my very good friend S.K.

Well, not exactly. This I not to say that he’s fully this sort of an obnoxious person- no, he is in fact quite a good chap with many of the uncommon virtues and few of the common vices. He is reasonable, sensible, sound and, in general, a pleasure to talk to. No, he rally cannot be put down as that sort of a blockhead who’s not ready to listen to another’s point of view

Yet, that is exactly what I found him to be on that fine morning when I chanced to ask him why the Punjabis are the way they are.

What a discussion it was!

Wait! Did I just say discussion? Oh no! It was more of a monologue- and a dramatic one at that!

For three quarters of an hour he declaimed upon the subject. For three quarters he talked with the air of a pro, a master who has been asked to elaborate his/her pet subject. From dish to dress, from dance to dread, for three whole quarters did he expound the virtue of all things popular and Punjabi.

Yet, my question remained unanswered.

For what I got was a lecture on not why but what. Though interesting and insightful, it was nevertheless beside the point.

So later on I started thinking about it myself. What was-is-it that makes the Punjabi community and the Punjabi culture so uniquely distinct? It’s not as if other Indian communities are lacking in their unique divine sparks, but still, why is the Punjabi culture so popular not just here in Delhi which is close to the state itself but all over this conglomeration of different cultures and communities called India? More importantly, what are the socio-politico-historical reasons which make the community what it is?

*

Unlike popular conceptions of the same, the history of Punjab, instead of beginning with the Sikhs, is the oldest, and perhaps the most colourful, in all of the distinct cultural provinces of the subcontinent.

Few today know that the Rig Veda, the first, and perhaps the most important, of the four Vedas, was written in Punjab. Historians have ascertained that Vedic society was tribal in nature, with each tribe or ‘Jana’ being led by a Rajan. Inter-tribal warfare being constant in this familiar scenario of multiple principalities struggling for existence as well as striving for one greater and glorious (the definition of these two being subjective) than their neighbours, a "philosophy of heroism” emerged in the land. Characteristic attributes like ‘manliness’, ‘heroism’, ‘bravery’ and ‘courage’ were re-defined in light of this philosophy which stressed upon the absolute need of fulfilling all of one’s duties and responsibilities. Action was given marked importance over thought; the fulfilment of one’s “karma”, the proving of one’s “paurush” (manliness) in the battlefield of life- these came to shape up the notions of one’s “dharma” (duty) in life.

In his work the Ashthadhyayi, Panini tells his readers that the people of Greater Punjab lived prominently by the ‘profession of arms’, further informing them that the same was made up of "Ayudhajivin Samghas" or "Republics (oligarchies) that live by force of arms". Commenting upon Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Dr Arthur Coke Burnell too remarks that the Punjabi tribes discussed by him were indeed “the most…warlike of the Indian nations of the days”. This very ‘warlike’ attribute of the Punjabis is attested by almost all those who invaded the subcontinent, be the Cyprus and Darius I, the Achaemenid rulers of Persia or Alexander, the greatest conqueror known to antiquity, for Punjab has always been a sort of a ‘dehliz’ or ‘darwaza’ for anybody wishing to enter the Indian subcontinent from either over the Hindukush or along the Arabian Sea coast and almost all those who have invaded into the same have first come into and conquered Punjab and from there spread out into the subcontinent.

The collapse of the Mauryan Empire once again saw Punjab fall prey to invaders till it became a sort of a continuum, for right through the first millennium C.E. one sees a series of invasions by different peoples from different parts of the world. This reached its climax in the twelfth century when the second invasion of Muhammad Ghori heralded the coming of a new order in the subcontinent. These invasions, however, did not stop with the formation of the Delhi Sultanate, for the same was for over two long centuries sore beset by the Mongolians who came in from time to time and inspired such fear that successive Sultans quaked in their sandals at as much as even a mention of their name. Later on, more incursions from Central Asia and Persia, like those of Babur and Nadir Shah, invasion wrecked the province.

*

One of the most remarkable characteristic of the Punjabi is his/her openness. While the term in itself is to a very high degree ambiguous and subjective, a generalised definition of the same may be made as a readiness to mingle and/or to accept as well as a certain frankness and (comparative) unreservedness of manner. In this very few will find him/her to be lacking, for the class is notoriously famous for its extravagant hospitality, so much so that it often exceeds the limits of decency into sheer vulgarity (both of these, of course, being subjective). This ‘openness’ is also apparent in their speech and their dance, more so in the latter for a popularised version of the same-the ‘bhangra’-has been widely accepted as the easiest medium of expressing delight and joy- indeed, nobody today breaks off into the Kuchipudi or the Oriya when some sudden blast of unexpected joy hits her/him.

Even as s/he is well known for her/his (comparative) ability to welcome outsiders in her/his fold, s/he is also famed for her/his capability to speedily adjust in new, altered scenarios- indeed, the community is perhaps the most flexible and most open-to-change amongst all the great many cultural entities in the subcontinent.

Nevertheless, even though the Punjabi mingles, s/he seldom, if ever, forgets her/his roots for Nature has instilled in her/him a slightly inordinate amount of pride in her/his culture and s/he is vigorous to an extremity in promoting and protecting the same. Since antiquity the Punjabis have given outsiders their first glimpse of India and its culture and even now it is through them and through their agencies-for they have spread out all over the world just like the stalwarts of yore who would spread out into the subcontinent-that others see this land: so much so that the Punjabi culture is often mistaken for an entire Indian culture and not as just a tiny part of it.

Furthermore, of all the distinct cultural communities in the subcontinent, only the Punjabis are well known for their readiness for action, for their high spirits and for their determination to make it to their chosen goal by hook or crook. Time and again has the community proven its mettle in face of seemingly insurmountable adversities- it has, as is apparent from the above discussion, an illustrious history of doing so.

*

It will not be too difficult now to link the above two discussions, to find the connections between them and to complete the chain of reasoning.

The Punjabis, by the very virtue of their geographical position on the north-western and western frontier of the subcontinent, have been, as has been said, the first Indian community to time and again come face to face with foreigners. Indeed, the undeniable historical fact of these series of invasions seems to be the defining and determining factor behind much of the Punjabi culture, for it does seem that the long millenniums of incursions into the Indian mainland had accustomed the Punjabis to the same…

Cultural absorption and assimilation-those two things of which we Indians are so proud-must have occurred first in Punjab. For though it never completely dies out, resistance to the foreign other-the “mleecha” (barbaric)-does wear off over the years as different races with different cultural backgrounds mingle, never mind that political necessity and not altruistic notions of a homogeneous world compel them to do so.

Moreover, the presence of foreign culture that threatened the existence of their very own can be seen as another instance of cause and effect, for the Punjabi’s inherent pride in her/his culture and her/his ever-readiness in promoting the same in different surroundings seems to be naught but the end result of an old fear of cultural extermination by that of the foreign other in power.

Furthermore, the pressing and grim reality of war explains the supreme importance of action in this community as well as the ideologies which support the same. Not only that, they also provide formative reasons for umpteen notions prevalent-like those of ‘manliness’-in the community. The “philosophy of heroism” discussed above is a natural consequence of violence in a land sore beset by not just internal but also external exigencies. As Marx pointed out, every society needs ideas and belief systems to inspire the populace to do the ruling class’s bidding and in this scenario of incessant war such a philosophy was essential to inspire soldiers to fight and shed blood for causes often removed from their sphere of existence. Truly, those old days may be long gone but the ideologies which supported them still continue to exercise their often startling and spectacular influence on the people…

*

The origin of prevalent notions, ideas, ideologies, conventions-indeed, all that is considered done and natural today- can be traced back to the past. As J.S.Mill so acutely pointed out, what is natural today is naught but customary, the word ‘natural’ being commonly used for all those notions…conventions to which the populace has over a long period of time become so accustomed or attuned to that they consider them as things which have always been there in society. Everything has a beginning and as for organised organic life like that of humans, so for the ideas and ideologies which support it- “the material conditions of life determine social consciousness” and not vice versa.


No, my dear SK, you are not Punjabi by nature!

*

An Afterthought-

There are, I know, many inconsistencies and defects in this work, the biggest of them being that by portraying a stereotypical image of the Punjabi people, it seems to be enhancing and marking supposed their difference, their ‘otherness’ from others with slightly greater vigour than is necessary. Further, being no anthropologist or sociologist myself, all these conclusions about what might have led to what are to a great extent debatable!

Pigeon-headed

“Good news from the world of science!” announced the article; “Chinese researchers have successfully performed a path breaking experiment on brain control. With the help of a tiny chip, Dr. (something-something) and his colleagues attained success in controlling the movements of a common pigeon. They were able to make it fly, stop in mid air and turn back just with the press of a few buttons. According to Dr. (something-something), this "experiment holds ‘immense practical possibilities for the future’.”

Good news indeed! What ‘immense practical possibilities’ could such an experiment have?

Considering the People’s Republic of China’s dismal human rights record as well as its more than just worrisome military and economic ambitions, something that would hardly be cause enough for cheer.

Teeny weenie chips that can control pigeons? Must have been an exciting idea for the Communists.

Pigeons today, humans tomorrow?

Who knows? After all, science is progressing by leaps and bounds these days. Well, what would the good communists do with this impervious-curse like weapon?

For starters, things would become so simple for them.

Students protesting against state oppression? Never fear! Just put a chip in their head and convert them into loyal party workers.

And its not just silly little groups of college students that the comrades might control with this ‘immensely practical’ technology. What great difference, structurally, is there between a college student and, say, the Prime Minister of India, President of the United States of America, the President of Russia, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Secretary General of the United Nations? Not Much, eh? (though I've always imagined the Russians to be taller than the Chinese). It would not be beyond the good Doctor’s brilliant capabilities to replicate the success of his invention on a human guinea pig.

It is of course very likely that I have entered the realm of science fiction stories and Hollywood action thrillers (and I vaguely remember seeing one film where they implant something in people’s mouth to control their movements). If that be the case and the good doctor’s intentions be noble, then we might as well as hail the ‘good news’. If that not be the case, then, well, we better start hailing President Mao.

Why do scientists have to be so pigeon-headed?

Einstein's Theory of Education

“I can’t see any point in learning dates sir” said young Albert Einstein to his teacher “One can always look them up in a book”….


Albert Einstein is remembered far and wide as the man who single-handedly changed the world and the way we look at it. His theory of relativity did to physics what no other scientist had managed to do since Newton and opened new areas of research and development in nuclear and astro-physics.

However, of the many theories that Einstein has given, his ‘Theory of Education’ or more specifically, his idea about teaching and his views on how knowledge is to be imparted is what, despite its great importance, has been forgotten.

Had Einstein’s idea of education been adopted, the world would have been a better place. After all, what is the merit of learning definitions and theorems by heart when one can always look them up in a book? What advantage does mugging up equations and derivations offers other than taking man down the evolutionary ladder to the position of a parrot?

The current ‘learn all’ policy provides no scope for intellectual development and, by stagnating the growth of one’s mental capabilities, actually acts as a detriment as far as cerebral prowess is concerned.

And more importantly, for people like me who find mugging up information as difficult an exercise as eating cockroaches, it ensures that we never get marks in all those exams which require this highly obnoxious task.

People all over the world have so much respect for Einstein and his ‘brilliant ideas’. Then why can’t we adopt this one which, though drastic (like most of his ideas), is yet one which is undoubtedly entirely beneficial.

A system that is free from the menace of mugging will make the whole process of ‘learning’ something more tolerable and infinitely more enjoyable- something that will surely inspire a greater percentage of students to try and understand a subject before ‘learning’ it for the exams.

Besides, Einstein’s Theory of Education, if implemented, will help poor chaps like me to fare better in their exams.

The Times Are Changing...

“You mark my words! The times are changing from bad to worse…its God’s will- the end of the world is near!”


I was having a slightly heated discussion with Mrs.N, mother of a good friend of mine, on that favourite lamentation of the old and the middle aged alike- the changing times. For the space of a quarter of an hour or so we duelled, each presenting one case after the other. As the argument picked up speed, her points started becoming stronger and stronger until she pronounced the said words with such a vehement air of finality that I was forced to concede defeat. I had lost.

However, now that I think of it, are the times really changing for the worse?

Utilitarianism has reached unprecedented levels- the bonds that hold human beings to the bigger superstructure, society, have become narrow and fragile. In this day and age of ‘me and mine’, corruption and all sort of criminal activities have become multi headed hydra like problems which no single Hercules can club down to death. Competition, nay, unbridled and unchecked competition has lent to every human being’s public and private existence an element of the ‘cut throat’ that, to use a simile employed often for this purpose, makes the everyday life of everyday people worse than a “dog’s life”. Global warming, hunger, poverty, AIDS, jihad- all of these threaten the very existence of this most marvellous race.

So perhaps Mrs. N is right when she declares that the times are changing for the worse. Perhaps the end of the world is near. Perhaps…

Perhaps no.

Yes, perhaps no. What right, what moral and historical right does a middle-aged housewife, or for that matter, any ‘we-know-what’s right’ sort of a patronizing, condescending middle-aged person has to pass a judgement against the ‘times’?

He/she is, after all, alive.

I mean had the times been changing for the worse, then would life expectancy have increased? Let’s see, what was the average life expectancy in India a hundred years ago? Um, about thirty-five, wasn’t it? Thirty-five years just a century ago and undoubtedly not more than that in the preceding centuries.

So, to be alive at the age of around fifty is in itself a huge, huge indicator of how things have taken a turn for the good. And it’s not just life expectancy, it’s almost each and every aspect of modern life- electricity, cars, airplanes, Rajdhanis, houses, electric stoves, mixers, grinders, taps, municipal water supply, hospitals, public transport, T.V., radio, internet, shoes, nail cutters, combs, face creams, electric shavers, tables, chairs, pencils, lead, paper, pens, pins, clips- everything! Where would we have been had it not been for all this and infinitely more? Most probably, people like you and me, normal, everyday people with no royal blood and no great aristocratic lineage to boast of, would, even two hundred years ago in this city of Delhi, have been living in one room houses or perhaps straw shanties outside the walls of Shahjahanabad…

People say that crime is on the rise today- the rate of murders, rapes, burglaries is rising at an unchecked pace. Look back into the squalor of Delhi’s, India’s past-were there not rapes, murders, arsons, pillages? Did they not occur on a larger, more organised scale? Delhi has been looted, its men beheaded, its woman raped and its children carried away as slaves not once or twice but countless times, most notably and most horrendously by the Timur Lang, Nadir Shah and the British of the East India Company.

To say that all this happened in the times of the Mussalmans and that the Age of the Hindus was a much better one is nothing but an elaborate bogey, a hoax. Did not the princes of medieval, post-Gupta age raid each other’s lands for treasure and ‘bounty’? Was not ancient India, the India of the Mauryas, the Cholas marked by savagery and violence of the most barbaric and inhuman kind? Is not war a ‘dharma’ of the Kshetriyas, the rulers of the age of Hindu hegemony and did not war remain a never ending, never ceasing process all through the history of India, especially in the Age of the Empire, the Mauryas, Guptas and, more recently, Mughals, all of whom had large standing armies which, according to one expert, “fed on war”?...

Some people would say that all this lies in the realm of politics, that feuds of kings and rulers had little effect on the lives of common people, who, to these doom day sayers, lived simple and down to earth lives?

To these people, I say yes and no.

Yes, for I acknowledge that simplicity was and, decreasingly so, still is a virtue that characterises the rural man’s/woman’s life. Essentially a country of innumerable villages, many of them not more than a hundred houses strong, the Indian rural landscape was and still is of closely knit communities that share each other’s joys and sorrow’s. Slow moving, almost fixed, this ‘quasi-static’ way of life was more or less self sufficient and independent of outside interference, except, of course, in times of emergencies.

Which, considering the long history of fighting and warfare in India, were not all that rare. This, and some other arguments, lead me to ‘no’.

Agreed rural Indian lifestyle, the lifestyle of the masses, was simple. Simply horrendous in fact, for there is no better example of organised, officially sanctioned and justified slavery in the world than the one afforded by the caste system of ancient and, more so, medieval India. True life was ‘peaceful’, but yet that peace was naught but a floating castle suspended in mid air without any real foundation. The bubble was bound to burst and it did burst, sporadically at the time of the Muslim invasion when the condition of all castes except the Brahman and the Kshetriya was as pitiable, beggarly and appalling as possible and fully and completely in recent memory. If caste based politics and caste inspired violence have become blots on the history of democratic India, we have only our forefathers, our castist forefathers, followers of that disgusting demagogue Manu, to blame.

Talking of democracy, is not the creation of a democratic nation-a nation where there is ‘freedom, justice and liberty’ for all-in a land where political entities have always been forged by the might of the sword and the shedding of blood in itself a wonder and so, a sure-shot indicator of better things to come?...

Taking sides is always a tricky affair. What is needed, therefore, is, as (perhaps?) Buddha called it, a middle path-a place from where can balance both the optimist and the pessimist. For while it would be naivety to suggest that things are on a roll, it would also be stupidity to announce the Day of Judgement to be nigh. Human life has always been, is and will always be too complex to be defined and its one course predicted by sticking to just one extreme and ignoring the merits of the other. We, the members of this race, have an infinite capacity and potential for not just good but also evil and the cultural progress from barbarism to modernity has only helped in making the inner and, consequently, outer tussle between the two more pronounced. So while it must be accepted that there are many, if not some, very glaring aberrations and very cancerous abnormalities in modern life, it must also be acknowledged that all never was, never is and never will be lost and that even the realisation of the presence of these aberrations and abnormalities is in itself a step in the positive direction towards their final elimination.

This is surely not utopia.

But the times are changing…

So Long, Farewell!

School is one of the most important part of a human’s life, for not only does school prepare one for the challenges that lie ahead and moulds a child’s personality, but also gives to a person what he/she will always look back upon as his/her golden years and whose memories he/she will always cherish.

I had joined this school in 1993 as a chubby cheeked, 2 foot 8 inches boy. Much has changed in my appearance (I still retain a little of that chubbiness), but one thing, one over-powering emotion has always stayed with me for all these years- my great love for this school, for what it was, what it is and what it will be. The 14 years of my life that I spent in this school are very dear to me; they are the golden years that I will always cherish.

Like every other student, I too have had my share of ups and downs and my life has been extremely eventful. From peeing in my pants in Montessori 1 (I still remember that horrible day-I wasn’t able to get to the loo in time!) to puking on my class teacher in 4th (she was standing in front of the door and wouldn’t let me out because I didn’t say where I was going, so I vomited on her); from starting a Society for ‘Sober Students’ in 8th (its another matter that it was closed down in just 2 months- the members just wouldn’t pay their weekly share!) to leading the Editorial Board as the Chief Editor in 11th and 12th, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in this school. Yes, there have been times when I felt like locking all the teachers in the staff room, or slapping some very pesky girls, or even proposing to a good looking one, but thankfully, I have managed to steer away from all such ‘extra-curricular’ activities.

But now, it is the end. Even as I write this article, it is, as Churchill famously said, the beginning of the end. In less than 4 months, I will cease to be a school student. While Vijay Malaya may claim Kingfisher to be the ‘King of Good Times’, for me (and I’m sure for many others around me), Bal Bharati has been the best of and has brought out the best in all our lives. So as I bid adieu to this wonderful place called school, the words of an unforgettable Rogers and Hammerstein haunt me again and again- “So long, farewell, we hate to say goodbye!!!”…