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A Tale of Turmoil and
Trials Jaspal Singh
Rabinder
Singh Atwal has been living in California for decades now. He has seen
scores of Punjabi families moving to America, settling and disintegrating
over a period of time. This process of alienation and integration of the
Punjabi community in this part of the world has been waiting for a
narrative treatment for a long time. No doubt, the tale of the migration
of a community from its native environment to an alien set up is always
full of trials and tribulations that in literature usually give birth to
narratives of epic proportions. So thematically Atwal’s raw material has
all the ingredients of being an epical novel, yet the end result slightly
falls short of that. In spite of this, he has been able to spin extremely
interesting yarn, weaving it into a mosaic of melodious modulations that
engage the reader for hours together.
Stories of Human Failings
and Flaws
Jaspal Singh
Mohinder
Singh Ghagg is a peach farmer at Live Oak, California, U.S.A. he takes
keen interest in literary activities also. First collection of his short
stories titled ‘Asin Bhi Kujh Han’ appeared in 1988 followed in quick
succession by a collection of poems – Har Swer Har Swer. Ghagg is one of
the founder members of Sahit Sabha California and even now in his
mid-seventies he participates in literary functions with the same old zeal
that once attracted him to literature in his younger days. His second
collection of twentyone short stories Larrke Tum Kaun appeared a few
months back.
obalization and
Problematic of of Punjabi Culture
Jaspal Singh
Culture
is usually juxtaposed with nature or the physical world which includes
both the organic and inorganic modes of existence. In fact human
intervention into the processes of nature produces culture which usually
manifests in the form of material achievements or acquisitions and the
different symbolic modes of communication. Material achievements are often
designated as civilisation and the symbolic expressions are simply called
culture. So culture can be material attainment as well as symbolic
manifestations.
Punjab's Tragedy
Visited by Punjabi
Diaspora- Book Review -
Jaspal Singh
Prof. Harbhajan Singh from
Kala Sangian in Kapurthala district in Punjab is a well-known NRI Punjabi
writer who left for the States some six years ago in search of greener
pastures. In India he remained associated with the Naxalite movement of
the seventies and for some time he was a whole time revolutionary totally
committed to Marxism Leninism and the thought of Mao Tze Dong. Before
moving to America he had published two collections of short stories, one
collection of poetry, three novels and three collection of prose.
Gurdial Dalal’s Autobiography
Jaspal
Singh
Biography is not a very popular genre in
Punjabi. Sometime a stray writer does make an attempt to pen an
autobiography which usually ends in an exercise in panegyric self
glorification. Even biographies are equally eulogistic and more often than
not obfuscate the chronological life-line of the narrative. Consequently
the subject falls a victim to the predicate. Autobiography like Jean
Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions is yet to appear in Punjabi. Nevertheless a
few autobiographies of some of the woman writers like Amrita Pritam, Ajit
Kaur and Dalip Kaur Tiwana have been very popular with readers and a few
lesser writers have tried to imitate them albeit with disastrous results.
Rural Punjab in Turmoil
Jaspal Singh
... The other side of the picture is that
many smaller farmers and landless labourers have been completely
pauperised and have landed in limbo. Most of them have joined the gangs of
louts and lumpans. As the village cartography has undergone sea change,
such people living on the margins have either taken to drugs or to petty
crime. Some of them indulge in both.
Punjabi Writers on Warpath
Jaspal Singh
KENFRI Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, the largest
conglomeration of Punjabi writers is one again up in arms against the
Punjab government for its language policy. The writers are angry because
the bureaucracy at the higher levels does not pass orders on office files
in Punjabi.
Poetic Olympia Revisited
Jaspal Singh
SOM P. Ranchan is a notable literary figure
in north-west India. By now he has penned over four dozen of books in
different genres that include poetry, fiction, folklore, literary
criticism and mythcartography
English versus the Native Languages
Jaspal Singh
A few days ago government of Karnataka
announced that all the English medium schools in the State be closed or
they adopt Kanad as the medium of instruction at the elementary level.....
Problems of Punjabi Cultural Semantics
Jaspal Singh
CULTURE is whole of human achievement with
regional variations that has come into being as a result of man’s
intervention into the process of nature....
Tales of Protest and Assertion
Jaspal Singh
Sharanjit Kaur is a well-known reviewer and
commentator of Punjabi literature besides being a noted short story
writer......
The Lost Heritage: Punjab That No longer Exists
Jaspal Singh
Harkesh Singh Kehal, after his retirement
from the Punjab Civil Service goes back to his village Sandaur in Sangrur
district of Punjab to rediscover that vibrant pattern of life which he
left behind a few decades before.....
Silver Jubilee of Punjabi Akademi
Jaspal Singh
Punjabi Akademi, Delhi was set up in 1981
with a specific purpose of promoting Punjabi language, literature and
culture. During these twenty-five years, the Akademi has organised scores
of seminars and cultural events in the national capital. Many Punjabi
theatrical performances were staged in Delhi under the auspices of this
Akademi. Every year on Independence Day and Republic day the Akademi
organises national Kavi Darbars in which dozens of well-known Punjabi
poets participate.
Tales of Protest and Assertion
Jaspal Singh
Sharanjit Kaur is a well-known reviewer and
commentator of Punjabi literature besides being a noted short story
writer......
The Lost Heritage: Punjab That No longer Exists
Jaspal Singh
Harkesh Singh Kehal, after his retirement
from the Punjab Civil Service goes back to his village Sandaur in Sangrur
district of Punjab to rediscover that vibrant pattern of life which he
left behind a few decades before.....
Gurdial Dalal’s Autobiography
Jaspal Singh
Biography is not a very popular genre in
Punjabi. Sometime a stray writer does make an attempt to pen an
autobiography which... |
