6 replies to this topic

[dalsingh101]

I know this isn't exactly 'Sikh literature' as in literature about Sikhs/Sikhi but I'm really enjoying this piece of modern Panjabi literature. The account of the first robot mirrors early Panjabi migrant experiences in foreign lands, whilst the second is like talking to a terminator! lol


Roop Dhillon




http://www.roopd.kit....com/kaldar.pdf

[dalsingh101]

If any desi brothers (or sisters!) have 15 odd minutes to spare, I'd really appreciate you talking the time to read this and giving some blunt, honest feedback on how you find it. Does it engage you? If not, why? What do you feel about the use of language? The subject?

Edited by dalsingh101, 17 June 2011 - 09:20 PM.

[HSD1]

Why doesnt the robot have a turban?

[Mithar]

This is pretty good. This type of stuff should be taught in the schools of Punjab. This can encourage Punjabi children to become more creative when writing Punjabi. The Punjabi language needs to be expanded so that even science and technological studies can be taught in the Punjabi language.

Since the times of Bhai Veer Singh Jee, the Punjabi language has not moved farward. Punjabi language needs a new Bhai Veer Singh Jee so that Punjabi bhasha can cover new ground.

Edited by Mithar, 17 June 2011 - 10:10 PM.

[dalsingh101]

Mithar, on 17 June 2011 - 10:08 PM, said:

This is pretty good. This type of stuff should be taught in the schools of Punjab. This can encourage Punjabi children to become more creative when writing Punjabi. The Punjabi language needs to be expanded so that even science and technological studies can be taught in the Punjabi language.

Since the times of Bhai Veer Singh Jee, the Punjabi language has not moved farward. Punjabi language needs a new Bhai Veer Singh Jee so that Punjabi bhasha can cover new ground.

Thanks for that.

I was wondering, did it use familiar Panjabi words in ways you never encountered before? I think this guys writes the story in English first then translates it.

[Mithar]

dalsingh101, on 17 June 2011 - 10:26 PM, said:

Thanks for that.

I was wondering, did it use familiar Panjabi words in ways you never encountered before? I think this guys writes the story in English first then translates it.

It seems like it is a translation or maybe inspired by another story. Either way, this is good stuff. Firstly, I have never encountered anyone writing science fiction in Punjabi. Writers like him should expand on this and even write whole novels of science fiction in Punjabi and have it promoted. I just wish that some organization in Punjab could start a magazine on the subject of science written in Punjabi. It would be a great development for the language.

We should take inspiration from the Jews who managed to revive a dead language (Hebrew) after 2000 years and turn it into a language of the contemporary world. Today in Israel, science is taught in Hebrew! If they can do it to a dead language, then surely Sikhs can do it to a language which is still spoken and has official status in the state of Punjab spoken by millions through out the world.

[dalsingh101]

People seem to be aware of the issue but nothing or little appears to be being done to resolve it.

Gupreet Singh Lehal who is a computer science professor of Punjabi University, has this to say:

Quote

The lack of linguistic resources for Punjabi is a serious issue but unfortunately no conceret steps are being taken in that direction. As an example, we have hundreds of scholars doing PhD in Punjabi but none of them is related to development of these resources. To promote and spread Punjabi language, according to me there is an urgent need to develop:

1. Comprehensive Punjabi-Punjabi, Punjabi-English & reverse, Punjabi-Hindi & reverse, Gurmukhi-Shahmukhi & reverse dictionaries, with sample sentences for each meaning.
2. Punjabi thesaurus
3. Collection of all Punjabi idioms and phrases with meanings in Punjabi and English along with sample sentences.
4. Technical dictionaries for the latest terminolgies being used espcially in Information Technology field.
5. Collection of Punjabi words whose usage is decreasing or words used in ilder text along with their meanings.

If you haven't seen it already, it is well worth watching this interview which covers some of these issues:

Edited by dalsingh101, 18 June 2011 - 11:25 AM.