The Tale of Five Rivers

I appreciate your reply.
Other than the historical context, the article is well-written.
It`s never late or impossible to preserve something that one feels valuable.
I barely understand Punjabi, but sure it must have the fervor that I can imagine.
Thanks.

Nazar Sahib - This article seems to be identical to an article authored by Durlabh Singh posted on this site:

http://poetry.allinfo-about.com/features/punjabi.html

For example: regarding Bhai Vir Singh, you write:

[Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957): Known as father of modern Punjabi literature, he single handed brought a renaissance of Punjabi poetry. In his poem lagian Niban, a girl complains about her insensitive lover:]

And this is how it is written by the original author:

[Bhai Vir Singh – (1872-1957) The father of modern Punjabi literature, he single handed brought a renaissance of Punjabi poetry. He was the first to use blank verse form in poetry and was the author of numerous novels, plays and poetry collections. He was a pioneer in starting the first Punjabi daily newspaper, the winner of many literary awards and a grand personality. He gave Punjabi verse a sophistication and new expression. In his poem lagian Niban, a girl complains about her insensitive lover:]

Please note that the word ``handed`` is grammatically incorrect in both your and his version.

Here is how you describe waris shah:

``Waris Shah (1736): His Heer Ranja is a romance of star-crossed lovers who were doomed to a tragic end. This ballad of two lovers is an all time true Punjabi classic of a great beauty and pathos. ``

and here is how the original author describes waris shah:

``In the tradition of Punjabi Quisa, the arrival of Waris Shah was an epoch making event. His Heer Ranja is a romance of star-crossed lovers who are doomed to a tragic end, something akin to Shakespeare`s Romeo and Juliet. This ballad-like form consists of 600 stanzas and is full of a true classical dimension of beauty and pathos.``

In short, I am wondering who plagiarized who. If Dilrabh Singh is the original author, then you should have attributed proper credits to him. If you are the original author, then he should have done that.

Please shed some light on this. Thanks

Ralph: I agree with post #7. If NHK is a Mullah apologist, then I am a bloody martian.

The Mughal Emperor Akbar`s Deen-e-Ilahi, which was the ``enlightened moderation`` (pun intended) of that time, damaged various religions that were peacfully coexisting at that time. The question whether the king has the constitutional right to wear uniform or not pleague us even today. As a result what we have today is the aadha teetar aadha batair of sikhism and present day sufism which treads right onto the boundries of Kufr and Shirk. I don`t understand. Why can`t the so called sufis be content on smoking pot only and why they have to drag religion into it. Live and let live for God`s sakes.

I avoid criticizing Indians on this site because, rightly or wrongly, I see this as a primarily Pakistani site. A place where some intelligent Pakistanis come to discuss issues, and where we Indians, sharing almost everything with them, are naturally drawn in.

But the Indians who criticize NHK for playing an `equivalency game` get him as wrong as do the Pakistanis who take him for a Punjabi `supremacist.` With due regard, in this case, you guys behave like idiots.

punjab - pancha + aap ( water in Sanskrit )
Also, Sapta-Saindhava - means one/that which hails from the Sapta Sindhu

In Persian/Avestan Sapta-Sindhu is referred to as Hapta Hindu

NHK - falls into the same old equivalency game trying to equate mullah with pandit -
in order to appear ``fair`` without any concern for facts.
NHK - you should be more intellectually honest and understand the ideologies.

Nazar Khan Saab,
Is it possible for you to give me the whole poem of Amrtia Pritam ``AJ Akhan Waris Shah noo, Kite kabran wicho bol, Te Kitabe ishak da koi, Aglaa varka khol.......’’ .
Thanks

Gandiv # 2

There is absolute no reference or comparison with any other place or area. Just localized something about Punjab. Other areas may also have lush green forests. And equally good genes. The mud villages still exist.

No superiority is intended in any form. Just the historical context.

NHK

The effective decimation of Punjabi language and emotional de-Punjabization of Punjabi children themselves is among the greatest cultural events of the twentieth century.

It`s also the ONLY event of its kind where an immigrant minority arrived at a place and within a few short decades removed the intellectual roots of the language and the culture of the majority while still being a minority!

The methods and the process used to achieve this end hold the key to understanding what happened in this part of the world for the last 50 years.

yes its time ....

things should be Put in their proper prespective......


Panjabis sacrificed their Pubjabi for URDU ( nearly all major urdu poets like

Faiz , Iqbal, qasmi, faraz ... etc etc... are Pubjabis )....

Fro what......!!!

Pathetic historical perception., otherwise run of the mill.

First, the word ``Sapta Sindhva`` in Persian is originally ``Sapta Sindhu`` in Sanskrit, so it was not that the Persian invented the term, they just reused what was already in vogue in India.

Second, ``People lived in small mud built hamlets ruled by local chieftains``.
It was not just that was used to build homes, in fact, if you look at Harppan excavations, bricks were used, and well-planned streets and sewage systems were employed.

Third, ``The life revolved around simple customs and old superstitions``.
Well customs are never simple or complex, its the message contained within that. And the vedantic customs have been very profound, far from ``Simple``. Anything old can be renamed as ``Old superstitions`` if you don`t believe in it. There is very short and fine boundary between faith and superstition, when science is kicked out from faith, superstition steps in, and you can`t be sure when exactly this occured in Punjabi context, or if ever occured.

The sequence of invasions have missed out the original migration of the Sindhu population from east to west, which clearly can be seen in the language connection.

The word ``Punjab`` can be broken into ``Panch`` + ``Aab``. ``Panch`` means five in Sanskrit, ``Aab`` means water in ``Persian``, so it seems to be confluence of two cultures.

If anybody knows persian, can you please expalin if ``Panch`` means anything there?

Punjab is by no means the only land in Indian penninsula that has lush green forrest. Across Rajasthan there is eatern Ganga plain and starting from Vindhya in the south you can trace forrest till Nilgiris in the south.

``mostly settled down injecting Persian, Greek, Afghan, Turk, Arab and Mongol blood in the local blood line. The did improve the local genetic quality...``
This is hilarious, to say that Punjabis have better genes(really?) due to the invaders.

The complexion of Punjabis, is not due to the genes but due to the weather. Nepali sherpas and Assamese also have similar complexion and if you go further north, you will find more fair complexion than that of Punjabis.

The height can be attributed to terrain. I am sure Afghans are taller than Punjabis and Gorghas in east, Coorgis in South India are not less tall than Punjabis.

Punjabis really have nothing that shows absolutely ``better genes`` than the rest.