ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ

Looking to contact British Born and Raised Punjabis who 1) Are reasonably fluent in Punjabi 2) Can read and write Punjabi 3) Potentially have an interest in reading punjabi and possibly writing in it This year is the year that on a language census you could do your bit to help the status of Punjabi language. What my colleagues and I are interested in is looking for like minded British Punjabis who could help rekindle the use of Punjabi as a written and read language for the benefit and use of British Born Punjabis to help make this language last in this country. It is particularly important to Sikhs yet is neglected by western Sikhs who just about only speak it. Kulwant Kaur Dhillon is the President of the UK’s Punjabi Literature and Art organisation based in Southall and is actively looking for like minded people to help promote ans participate in reading by establishing book clubs etc I am supporting her in this as as yet the only UK born and raised Punjabi writer. In short we are looking for like minded individuals. Please contact me via here Or email Kulwant on kulwantdhillon@hotmail.com https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hdMSzhJq8zE&pbjreload=101 Just to give some clarity, the object of this article / request is to reach out to those raised in the west who can speak Punjabi and want to learn or explore either existing Punjabi fiction or want fiction in Punjabi created for them or want to be the creators. Punjabi is historically linked to being a Sikh, but also knowledge of Gurmukhi is needed to really understand the Granth for yourselves without the filter of others who may have their own reasons for not quite actually telling one what lies within. So for those interested in Sikhi this is to instigate a conversation between the young willing to learn Punjabi and native speakers who can pass their knowledge on. Hopefully a conversation will convert into new ways of learning Punjabi that will work for the western raised Sikh/ Punjabi (any religion). The goal here is not to accumulate likes for the article but for those who are genuinely interested in reading books in Punjabi to instigate Book Clubs locally and if not able to do that join a national group with the same interest. Currently we have Electronic media such as Zoom to enable that. Despite what I have said this must not exclude non British born but essentially is to spark interest in them in Punjabi. Kulwant Dhillon is the Padaan of Punjabi Sahit Kala Kendar in Southall and a conduit to British Based Native Punjabi writers, artists and teachers. Please contact her I myself am a British born and raised Punjabi Novelist who has become established over the last few years and wants to help UK Punjabis fall in love with Punjabi Literature and have access to books to read that they enjoy. My latest offering is Sindbaad a Punjabi Sci Fi novel, about which people can contact me. It is the first step in the effort to make Punjabi accessible for UK born Punjabis who can already read Punjabi. The second step is to encourage you to write stories in Punjabi. And hopefully we can create a forum amongst for this…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OoBPjTxDzk

Years ago I started writing fiction in Punjabi instead of English. This is documented elsewhere. It has been an arduous journey as I have been learning as I went along. My confidence grew when I found out that Latin American Spanish has changed from original Spanish but is still on the whole understandable to the original country. Same has happened to Canadian French and linguistically to other languages. Then I read an old study proving Punjabi kids raised in Handsworth Birmingham were subconsciously codifying Punjabi to English syntax, effectively creating their own creole or brand of Punjabi dialect. This boosted me even more so I chose to write like that. As time went by I sought out Punjabi writers and intellectuals and found that in reality they did not exist in the way they do in the west and most are to put it unkindly Pindu, limited or not intellectually curious about the Punjabi language or fiction in that way. Nevetheless I pursued the idea of improving Punjabi fiction from what it is which is how I ended up writing in a new style which I labelled Vachitarvaad. But as the word Vaad proves the idea was to begin a literary movement. A unique western one in Punjabi. Scroll down to the last entry on the link below and you will see vachitarvaad defined by the so called literary movement expert sin their study notes. I do not think it is 100% definition, but it is a good starting point. It was also nice to see that other Punjabi Literary Movements are mentioned. https://www.chegg.com/flashcards/modern-literary-movements-b2e22cb0-ca81-4762-a0a7-0193c3134159/deck I Myself defined it in Punjabi as below ਨਵਾਂ ਵਿਚਿੱਤਰਵਾਦ (ਵਿਗਿਆਨ ) ਕਥਾ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਇੱਕ ਸੱਜਰਾ ਅੰਦਾਜ਼ ਹੈ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਲਈ ਜਿਹੜਾ ਮੈਂ ਬਹੁਤ ਮਿਹਨਤ ਤੇ ਸੋਚ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਬਾਅਦ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਨਵੀਂ ਸਦੀ ਦੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਨੂੰ ਨਵੀ ਆਸ ਦੀ ਕਿਰਨ ਦੇ ਰੂਬਰੂ ਕਰਨ ਤੇ ਤਾਂ ਜੋ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬੋਲੀ ਜਿਹੜੀ ਕਿ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਨਾਲ ਮਾਲਾਮਾਲ ਹੈ ੳੁਹ ਦੁਨੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਅੱਜ ਕੱਲ੍ਹ ਦੇ ਅਦਬੀ ਸੰਸਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਾਪਣੀ ਪੁਰਾਤਣ ਤੇ ਵਿਲੱਖਣ ਦਿਖ ਕਾੲਿਮ ਰੱਖਦੀ ਨਵੇਂ ਦਿਸਹੱਦੇ ਸਥਾਪਤ ਕਰ ਅਾਪਣੇ ਰੁਤਬੇ ਨੂੰ ਬਰਕਰਾਰ ਰੱਖ ਸਕੇ। ਸਾਡੇ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਨੇ ਸੌਂ ਸਾਲ਼ ਲਈ ਦੁਨੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੁੱਝ ਨਵਾਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ । ਇਸ ਲਈ ਜੱਗ ਨੇ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਅਡਿੱਠ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਪੁਰਾਣੇ ਸਾਹਿਤਕਾਰ ਤੇ ਬੇਇਲਮ ਪ੍ਰੈਫੇਸਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਸਾਡਾ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਬਿਹਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਫਿਰ ਵੀ ਪੈਸੇ ਪੱਛਮ ਦੇ ਅਮੀਰ ਲਿਖਾਰੀਆਂ ਤੋਂ ਲੈ ਲੈ ਕਿ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਕਮਤਰ ਲੇਖਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵਾਹ ਵਾਹ ਕਰਦੇ ਨੇ ਅਤੇ ਢੂਹੀਆਂ ਤੇ ਥਪੀਆਂ ਮਾਰਦੇ ਨੇ! ਪਰ ਸੱਚ ਹੈ ਕੋਈ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਜਵਾਨ ਬਹੁਤਾ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਨੂੰ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਨਹੀਂ ਰਿਹਾ। ਕਾਤੋਂ ਪੜ੍ਹੇ ਜਦ ਅੰਗ੍ਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਜਾਂ ਹਿੰਦੀ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਤੋਂ ਹੀਣ ਹੈ? ਸਾਹਿਤ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਜ ਕੱਲ੍ਹ ਸਿਨੇਮਾ, ਟੀਵੀ ਜਾਂ ਕੰਪੂਯਿਟਰ ਨਾਲ਼ ਭਿੜਣਾ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਲਈ ਨਵੀਂ ਸ਼ੈਲੀ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ। ਮੈਂ ਖਾਸ ਇੰਗਲੈਂਡ ਦੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਬੋਲੀ ਦੇ ਤਲਬੇ ਨਾਲ਼ ਗੱਲ ਬਾਤ ਕਰਕੇ ਪਤਾ ਲਾੲਿਅਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ੳੁਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਸਾਰੀਆਂ ਕਹਾਣੀਆਂ ਅਕਾੳੂ "ਬੋਰਿੰਗ" ਲੱਗਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹਿੰਦੀ ਫਿਲਮ ਜਾਂ ਦੁਨੀਆਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਮਹਸ਼ੂਰ ਫਿਲਮਾਂ ਵਰਗੀਆਂ ਕਹਾਣੀਆਂ ਚਾਹੀਦੀਆਂ ਨੇ। ਇਹੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ ਜਿੰਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨਾਲ਼ ਮੈਂ ਫੈਸਬੁੱਕ ਤੇ ਗੱਲ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ। ਚਾਲ਼ੀਆਂ ਸਾਲਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਹੇਠ ਲੋਕ ਕੁੱਝ ਨਵਾਂ ਹੀ ਭਾਲਦੇ ਨੇ, ਜਿਹੜਾ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਿਆਲਾਂ ਨਾਲ਼ ਮਿਲੇ। ਸੋ ਅੱਠ ਸਾਲ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਮੈਂ "ਨੀਲਾ ਨੂਰ" ਲਿੱਖ ਕੇ ਯੂ ਕੇ' ਚ ਛਾਪਿਆ ਸੀ। ਉਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ "ਭਰਿੰਡ" ਛਾਪੀ ਗਈ ਲਾਹੋਰ ਬੁੱਕਸ਼ਾਪ ਦੇ ਰਾਹੀ। ਇਹ ਸੀ ਦੁਨੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਵਿਚਿੱਤਰਵਾਦ ਲਹਿਰ ਦੀ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਅਤੇ ਨਮੂਨਾ। ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ "ਓ" ਛਾਪਿਆ ਗਿਆ, ਇੱਕ ਅਨੋਖੀ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਅੰਗ੍ਰੇਜ਼ੀ,ਫਰਾਂਸੀਸ਼ੀ ਜਾਂ ਐਸਪਾਂਨੀਅਲ ਦੇ ਸਾਹਿਤਾਂ ਵਰਗੇ ਅਫਸਾਨੇ ਹਨ। ਗੋਰੇ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਕਹਾਣੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ " ਸਾਇੰਸ ਫਿਕਸ਼ਨ, ਜਾਂ ਮੈਜੀਕਲ ਰੀਅਲਇਸਮ ਆਖਦੇ ਨੇ। ਪਰ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਬੋਲੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਲੇਬਲ ਲਾਉਣਾ ਚੰਗਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਲੱਗਦਾ। ਤਾਈ ਮੈਂ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਨੂੰ ਨਾਂਅ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ ਵਚਿੱਤਰਵਾਦ। ਜਿਹੜਿਆਂ ਨੇ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਕੇ ਪਸੰਦ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਟੈਕਨੀਕ ਵਰਤਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਨੇ, ਸਮਝ ਲੋ ਕਿ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਵੀ ਇਸ ਨਵੀ ਲਹਿਰ ਦੇ ਹਾਮੀ ਹੋ ਤੇ ਹੱਕਦਾਰ ਹੋ । ਵੈਸੇ ਇਸ ਦਾ ਜਨਮ ਬਰਤਾਨੀਆ'ਚ ਹੀ ਹੋਇਆ, ਅਤੇ ਖਾਸ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਵਾਇਲੈਤੀਏ ਨੇ, ਬਾਗ਼ੀ ਬੱਤੀ ਦੇ ਸਦੱਸ। ਪਰ ੲਿਕੱਲੇ ਵਾਇਲੈਤ ਵਾਲ਼ੇ ਹੋਣ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਨਹੀਂ। ਇੱਦਾਂ ਲਿਖੋਂ ਤਾਂ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਵਚਿੱਤਰਵਾਦ ਲਿਖਾਰੀ ਆਖ ਸਕਦੇ ਹੋ। ਵਚਿੱਤਰਵਾਦ ਦੀਅਾਂ ਵੀ ਤਿੰਨ ਕਿਸਮ ਦੀਆਂ ਕਹਾਣੀਆਂ ਨੇ। ਗੋਥਿਕਾ ( ਓ ਇਸ ਦੀ ਮਿਸਾਲ ਹੈ), ਪਰਾਕਰਮੀ ( ਸਮੁਰਾਈ ਅਤੇ ਗੁੰਡਾ) ਜਾਂ ਵਿਗਿਆਨਕ (ਸਮੁਰਾਈ ਅਤੇ ਭਰਿੰਡ)। ਇਹ ਹੈ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨੀ। ਦੂਜੀ ਪੈਦਾ ਹੋਈ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਵਰਗੇ ਪੱਛਮੀ ਜੰਮਪਲ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਨੂੰ ਘੁੰਮ ਘਮਾਕੇ ਅੰਗ੍ਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਵਾਂਗਰ ਵਰਤਦੇ ਨੇ ਸੋ ਆਮ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਲਈ ਗਲਤ ਜਾਂ ਅਣੋਖੀ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਗਰੈਮਰ ਜਾਪਦੀ ਹੈ। ਪਰ ਇਸ ਹੀ ਕਰਕੇ ਵਚਿੱਤਰਵਾਦ ਦੇ ਸਿਰਜਕ ਨੇ ਜਾਣ ਬੁੱਝਕੇ ਵਾਕ ਬਦਲ ਕੇ, ਅਨਿਯਮਿਤ ਗਰੈਮਰ ਨੂੰ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਨਵੀਂ ਬਣਾ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ। ਹਰ ਦੇ ਪੱਲੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਪੈਂਣੀ, ਪਰ ਸੱਚ ਹੈ ਦੁਨੀਆ ਦੇ ੳੁੱਘੇ ਲਿਖਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਵਾਕ ਵੀ ਆਮ ਬੰਦੇ ਦੇ ਪੱਲੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਪੈਂਦੇ! ਗੱਲ ਹੈ ਪਾਠਕ ਨੂੰ ਨਵਾਂ ਅਨੁਭਵ ਦਿਓ! ਸੋ ਜੇ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਇਸ ਬਾਰੇ ਗੱਲ ਬਾਤ ਕਰਨੀ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹੋ ਜਾਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਲੇਖ ਇੱਥੇਂ ਜਾਂ ਬਾਗ਼ੀ ਬੱਤੀ ਵਾਲੇ ਪੇਜ ਤੇ ਛਾਪਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹੋ ਤਾਂ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਜ਼ਰੂਰ ਬਣੋ। ਯਾਦ ਰੱਖੋਂ ਦੁਨੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਮਸ਼ਹੂਰ ਲੇਖਕਾਂ ਨੇ ਪੁਰਾਤਨ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਦਾ ਹਰ ਅਸੂਲ ਤੋੜਿਆ ਹੈ! I want to now elaborate further in English here. Ideally the concept behind Vachitarvaad is a bit more than just this. Originally I had set out to begin a group for those writers who want to write specifically in Punjabi but 1) Want to Rebel against the ground rules set by traditionalists both in context of syntax, freedom of expression and experimentation with language AND in context strictly to give Punjabis born in the west and raised and primarily exposed to English ( be they Sikh, Hindu. Muslim or otherwise) a loose group they could be a part of to express their world view in Punjabi and make it a medium to reflect the stories they want to tell and about their experiences of growing up in the west or writing in genres or mixing them all up. In this sense the intention was to defy accepted grammar rules , etc. I called this Baagi Batti ( Rebelious Flame ) and even adopted a graphic I found on the internet years ago of a match with water for a flame. This was used on the back of my second published book , Bharind. As time went by not many Brits or Canadians joined me, but only those born in Punjab did and it eventually evolved into a facebook page calle Vachitarvaad ਨਵਾਂ ਵਿਚਿੱਤਰਵਾਦ (ਵਿਗਿਆਨ ) ਕਥਾ ਸਾਹਿਤ as the idea of mixing up all sorts of Indian and western literary techniques with science fiction, fantasy, magical realism etc came up. In the end I am only one of a few writers who have attempted to experiment with the Punjabi language. There are others such as Pargat Singh Sautauj and Mudassar Bashir who have done so with story ideas. What I am hoping is if there is anyone out there from the west who wants to read Punjabi fiction or one day write in it, to start a discourse about it and maybe help this to become the umbrealla under which we all start creating our own western Punjabi Literature. If anyone is genuinely interested rather than click and read or press like, please give your views here and maybe this could be our way to connect and encourage each other. In my own specific case I have strongly adapted English syntax and storytelling methods in my own work which can easily be found on the internet if anyone wants to see an example

yeah sahi gal..that makes sense. Thanks for all this time and effort by the way You are the first reader who seems to be on my level and gets what i am doing Anyhow I'd say once I have finished Haul ( which is for the older reader who wants to be challenged) I shall go back to drawing board and restart Jinn story

ok that makes sense...Yeah I did make it a bit bland and simplistic because I was thinking of UK teenager not Punjabi born Canadian immigrant who I am sure had a higher level vocab before he/she left Punjab. I accept the sentences are a little english..but that's both intentional and natural given who I am and who when I wrote it I THOUGHT my reader was..I can easily go back to the drawing board. To be fair to me when I learnt English way back in the 1970s, I recall our school teachers encouraging us to always use a dictionary and have one next to you...I think as much as it may annoy the kids of the west if they are using the books to improve their Punjabi there is nothing wrong with giving them a little pain..as they get older and read more they eventually won't have to. thats my view at least. Did these guy read the last PDF I added? That has footnotes to prevent going to a dictionary. Is that readable now that I am a member of Sikhawareness??

ritish raised adult Sikh: Even some of the most devout NRI-born Sikhs barely know the language. Most lovers of fiction read for pleasure. If they're having to fish out the dictionary to understand even a sentence, it becomes an academic exercise; a chore. If he wants an audience and a market, he'd be better off writing in English and tailoring the character archetypes using Punjabi culture as an anchor to get his message across. I admire the effort and the desire to produce Punjabi language content, but as Jai Tegang said it takes a master writer in Punjabi to produce free-flowing, lyrical prose. Otherwise it just reads like a technical manual or a non-fiction article. Trouble is the current vocab knowledge I am guessing of British Punjabi Sikhs who have not read ate least several Nanak Singh, Sohan Singh Seetal, etc etc novels is so basic to make it simplier I'll get the same kind of comments made by the Canadian above, or it will be considered so basic it wil be laughed off as my early writing was..so whereas I get what this person is saying, but it is incumbent on the reader to make some effort to improve their vocab ( if we are talking again about Haul), but if they are saying this about Nina and the Iliti Jinn then I think I need that friend of yours who teaches punjabi to give me an idea of level of British reader standard, which is why I posted it here in the first place for feedback. I have been advised by one person I should maybe write for Native teenagers and its up the western ones to learn the words, as the market in both Indian and Pakistani Punjab is huge as is dying for teenage books, whereas hardly any western Punjabi can speak or understand Punjabi

Canadian adult who immigrated from India under the age of ten: there are quite a few gramatical errors, not sure if this is just the rough draft? Sounds very bland and simplistic, tbh. I was a native speaker who migrated early and completely forgot it all. Re-learned it from scratch in later years. Developed a great deal of love and admiration for Gurbani's poetic value and grammar. The contemporary Punjabi works feel too dry and dull and appear as an attempt at "aglicizing", or almost mentally translating, the Punjabi style of writing, imho. if that makes sense? I always found the non-religious gurmukhi literature very simplistic and difficult to engage my interest with, so i mostly stuck with Gurbani, steeks, sant-books. I got confused by this first thinking I didn't write this in English, then realised these are comment by people to you. only thing I am uncertain about is this the Nina story ( in which case the fact its is simple makes sense, and yes it has not been checked or proof read as I wrote it as first draft from the top of my head) if it refers to Haul, then once again this person is correct re it being a first draft which I have yet to fully read back myself and yes it needs proof reading..however I would like to think Haul isn't that simplistic?? I accept there is a natural influence of English syntax sentence structure ..however this is part intentional and part natural given my background. It's a bit like Marmite, I have seem some native Punjabi readers like it. some hate it

Guess I am being over sensitive. Its hard not to be when you have the older generation say one's writing is too western and alien to Punjabi and full of UK thinking and English Syntax etc...then you get the Brtish side saying we can't be arsed to learn Gurmukhi.. Makes it hard to know who I am aiming my fiction at and why am I bothering? Originally I just wanted to raise Punjabi's status to the same as the best in the world. I'll try and not let it impact me and just quietly do my thing

I hear your positivity brother, but really get the impression you are a one man band...The ones from India don't get my style of writing or syntax and find my vocal too basic at times or too intellectual at the other extreme. Guess my fiction isn't about zameen mind life and how to make a quick buck and suppress your women. They rather drink shrab or take drugs than read anything in their language. I get the impression from some of the points made by you that my vocab is too high for the western reader who do get my syntax. ( By the way in answer to your cognitive question I have long been told that my Anglized sentences make no sense to those in punjab and is why I am not taken seriously. My spelling is apparently reasonably good but the syntax is laughable at best, hard to understand at most). This and the fact many are not responding ( on my posts here and other places ) gives me the impression in reality no one in the west wants to learn Punjabi ( aside from you) especially to use it in practical terms. Which makes me think if I carry on writing I write for those in India ( in which case I too will have to write about the Pind etc) or I just stop and write normal English Literature for Gore.. Sorry feeling a bit depressed today, especially after Professor Opinderjeet Kaur's reponse from Wolves Uni. She says that Kids only interest in heritage is Religion which does not require Punjabi, Sikhism has a take up, as does Islam and Hinduism etc. So Sikh studies are thriving in English. Punjabi is not even asked for and at this rate the AQA would have closed the GCSE and A Level course as well if the Panjabi Board in the UK had not pressurised them. The take up stats for last year were the lowest in a decade. So I think your words we are f****ed are already true. Seriously thinking of writing in English . We need hard facts and stats from Sikeawareness members and others that they genuinely want to read Punjabi

Hi this is actually an answer to all the points you have made. In short I really really appreciate your feedback as no one else ( born in the west) has ever shared my stuff apart from you on Sikhawareness or shown an interest giving the older so called famous Punjabi writers I now know the excuse to say the language will die with them or only come across to the UK in the form of a new wave of immigrants ( the ones UK born insultingly call Freshies) but they don't even think that will happen they think the new generation will all go to Canada and it is only the type you highlighted ( money orientated) workers who will come over. In short Punjabi in UK will die within 15 years. If this is so on a different question we need to understand what that means for the Sikh Religion. I don't think the threat is as severe there as it does not require the knowledge of one language anyway and can be learnt in English. I suspect that Western Sikhi will go its own way compared to the one in Punjab and may be a more honest and purer version. I also think those who can't speak punjabi will focus more on Sikhi as their roots, and the those who are not religious or able to speak Punjabi will simply be absorbed into being English and will lose all roots. I agree with your points and accept them. I do also think you are correct about the freshies, they have nothing between their ears and I have seen the same to be honest and cruel amongst the so called famous punjabi writers who are only interested in standing up amongst their peers and reading out stale poetry to get applause. There are no intellectuals. I decided long ago to start a separate movement for British Born Punjabis in this respect but I need to link up to similar minded people so that is a separate thread. I understand what you say about simplifying Punjabi but I then get caught up amongst two schools of thought. Those who just use English nouns for words they know no one in the UK understands or those who want to look up the correct word in the dictionary. I have seen both schools of thought and they both have their merits. However I have seen the ones in the latter laugh down the former as bad and fake Punjabi. To not get slagged off ( one intellectual senior phoned me and told me off for using English words) I have gone with writing the way I have so far. I see it as an exercise to improve the punjabi of the reader and when I was taught english I was also taught to have a dictionary at hand. So it is a matter of view. I will reapproach the Nina project after I have done Haul, or I will give up and start writing in English I have now joined Sikhawareness as you can see and started another thread. Let's see if you are right and I get responses on that. That will tell me if its only you and me or others are interested. Re the words etc I have made a few comments on your thread about Panjabi Vocabulary. I got the following message on whattsapp this morning from a lady who is a senior professor for Sikh Studies in a UK Uni..I quote..." Great, but for any university / collage to start a course the demand for it has to be evidenced. Sorry to say, take up of Panjabi is very poor. Without this I can't even start any process" I responded : " No. I get it, I am beginning to think punjabi can only survive in private lessons or at local school level " What i will say is listening to her I have realised that I may be wasting my time creating Punjabi literature for British Sikhs ( or others) as they will only read English and can not be bothered or are not interested in Punjabi fiction poetry or using the language other than swearing or dancing at weddings. On top of that the Punjab born Punjabis are day by day losing their knowledge of Punjabi words and replacing it entirely with Hindi , Urdi and English. Won't be long before no one can read the Guru Granth Sahib unless it is a translated version or taught through a mediary who may have their own agenda, because really we should all be able to read it for ourselves as was the original intention of the Gurus. So lets see if the Thread I started about Punjabi Literature gets anyone apart from you responding. If not, I may have to abandon the UK kids as possible readers and in order to be read write the same Pindu stuff for those in India or learn their syntax or just start writing in English...

Attempt to insert the PDF file of the story, with footnotes, so this is what it would look like in print..see what you think.. Nina Ate Ilti Jinn.pdf

Sat Sri Akaal everyone So I am completely new to Sikhawareness ( page) and only became aware of it due to Dalsingh’s postings, specifically because for years he has been putting links up to my works for years which I only really discovered fairly recently. Then I decided to try and respond to him and naturally I was asked to sign up, so I have. I am a British born Sikh, whose real name is Rupinderpal Singh Dhillon, and at school Ioved reading fiction, to the point I did an English Literature GCSE and then A level. I am of the generation that always wondered why there aren’t any positive Sikh Characters in English Literature so I embarked on a journey which started at the V&A exhibition of the 300th anniversary of the Sikh Khalsa and ended up being this unpaar in Punjabi ( meaning no punjabi lessons were ever taken) learnt the Painti Alphabet and then thought now what…and promptly attempted to write in Punjabi to mainly counteract the kind of fiction our parents generation wrote. Why? Because in it all British born punjabis ( Sikh or otherwise) were portrayed in a negative light and by those who don’t know what it is like growing up with both cultures. So 20 years later, here I am, an amateur Punjabi Fiction Writer. So Why am I posting this? Dalsingh has given me the impression there may well be others out there like me who have been raised here, can read Punjabi, but not relate to the Punjabi of Punjabi Fiction or those locals and experiences and need Literature to read that either reflects their lives and thoughts or touches on fields that traditional Punjabi Literature doesn’t. Such as Science fiction, Spy stories, etc etc.. I can do a post about that later. The reason I have done this post is a kind of a challenge to those of you who can read Punjabi but maybe would like to write fiction and particularly in an imaginative way as i have heard punjabi students have never been taught to write like that or think like that… So here is Photo I found on the net and I have written below it in Punjabi, my attempt at writing an imaginative description..Would love to see others who are up to the challenge sharing their attempts.. ਉਸ ਦਾ ਮੁਖੜਾ ਦੁੱਪਟੇ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਖਿੱਝ ਕੇ ਨਾਪਸੰਦ ਚੁੰਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨਾਲ਼ ਖੱਬੇ ਪਾਸੇ ਝਾਕਿਆ। ਦੁੱਪਟਾ ਕੱਚ ਵਾਲ਼ੇ ਮਣਕਾਵਾਂ ਨਾਲ਼ ਸਜਾਇਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੀ। ਕਦੀਮ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਉੱਪਰ ਓਨੇ ਪੁਰਾਣੇ ਭਰਵੱਟੇ ਇਕੱਠੇ ਹੋਏ, ਨਾਲੋਂ ਨਾਲ਼ ਨਾਸਾਂ ਫੈਲ ਗਈਆਂ। ਖੱਬੀ ਨਾਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੋਕਾ ਇੱਕ ਚੰਦ ਸੀ, ਜਿਸ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾਂ ਖੱਬੇ ਕੰਨ ( ਜੋ ਦੁੱਪਟੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੁਕਿਆ ਸੀ) ਤੋਂ ਵਾਲ਼ੀ ਝਾਤੀ ਮਾਰ ਕੇ ਵੀ ਖੱਬੇ ਪਾਸੇ ਹੀ ਦੇਖਦੀ ਸੀ, ਜਿਵੇਂ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਮੂੰਹ ਦੇ ਮਾਲਕਣ ਨੂੰ ਸਹਾਰਾ ਦੇਣਾ ਸੀ ਜਾਂ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ਼ ਹੀ ਜਿਸ ਵੱਲ ਨਿਗ੍ਹਾ ਮਾਰ ਰਹੀ ਸੀ ਵਿਰੋਧ ਕਰਨਾ ਸੀ। ਉਂਝ ਮੁਖ ਇੱਕ ਛੁਹਾਰਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਖਜੂਰ ਵਰਗਾ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਦੇਖਣ ਵਾਲ਼ੇ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਪਦਾ ਸੀ। ਬੁੱਲ੍ਹਾਂ ਇੱਕ ਤੇਵਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਸ ਕੇ ਜੁੜੇ ਸਨ, ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਆਲ਼ੇ ਦੁਆਲ਼ੇ ਮਾਸ ਉੱਤੇ ਸੁੱਕੇ ਦਰਾੜਾਂ ਗੰਜੀਬਾਰ ਵਾਂਙ ਝਰੀਟਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਾ ਦੀਆਂ। ਇੰਝ ਹੀ ਸਾਰੇ ਮੁਖੜੇ ‘ਤੇ ਝਰੀਟਾਂ ਸਨ, ਗੱਲ੍ਹਾਂ ‘ਤੇ, ਨੱਕ ‘ਤੇ ਅਤੇ ਮੱਥੇ ‘ਤੇ। ਹਰ ਝਰੀਟ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਬੀਤੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਕਹਾਣੀਆਂ ਦੱਸ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਸਨ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਝਰੀਟਾਂ ਨਾਲ਼ ਤਿੰਨ ਸ਼ਾਹੀਆਂ ਜਿਦ ਕਰ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਸੀ। ਉਂਝ ਇਹ ਪੁਰਾਣਾ ਮੁਖੜਾ ਇੱਕ ਦਮ ਕੁਲਵੰਤ ਜਾਪਦਾ ਸੀ, ਇੱਕ ਦਮ ਗਿਆਤਾ, ਭਾਵੇਂ ਇਲਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਹੀਂ, ਪਰ ਜ਼ਰੂਰ ਹੱਡ ਜੱਗ ਬੀਤੀ ਵਿੱਚ। ਅੱਗਲੀ ਪਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਹੋਠਾਂ ਉੱਤੇ ਮੁਸਕਾਨ ਨੱਚ ਸਕਦਾ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਦੀ ਦਾਦੀ ਜਾਂ ਨਾਨੀ ਲੱਗੇਗੀ। ਜਾਂ ਹੋਰ ਰੁਸ ਕੇ ਤਿਹਾਈ ਧਰਤ ਵਰਗਾ ਮੂੰਹ ਦਿਸਣਾ ਹੈ, ਹਰ ਲੀਕ ਇੱਕ ਖੁਣਸੀ ਡਾਟ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਡੈਣ ਦੇ ਨੈਣਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਿਸਦੀ ਹੋਵੇ। ਜਾਂ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਕਲ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਇੱਕ ਮਾਯੂਸ ਬੁੱਢੀ ਦੀ ਹੈ। ਰੱਬ ਜਾਣੇ ਸੱਚ ਕੀ ਹੈ। i'm no expert at all at Punjabi, and there may be errors, but I hope I have at least attempted something that depicts the photo in words. Certainly I will remain a student all my life...Be interesting to you your interpretations

Just found out for someone these are actually called ਜੰਤਰਅੰਸ਼ and ਤੰਤਰਅੰਸ਼

Just some ideas.. what do you think? Others attached... Hardware-->> ਪੱਕਾ ਜੰਤਰ or ਕਲਬਦਨੀ Software--->> ਰਵਾਂ ਜੰਤਰ or ਕਲਛਲਾਵੀ British Punjabi Dictionary.pdf

I don't know how strong other people feel about what I am going to say 1) Where a word already exists in the punjabi dictionary we should learn it and get into habit of using it 2) however where we need NEW words that are business, science or technological I am against always adapting the from English but also super against them being sanskrit based words no normal punjabi can use. 3) Where we we need to adopt words they don't always have to be from English. Not sure how you feel about it but I find the way chips ( UK meaning) or stawberries are said in Punjabi it sounds wrong and its embarrassing when UK kids call the Punjabis freshies for doing it. Pizza is a bag bear as punjabis say it with the zz but that doesn't matter as its such a common word it has become the punjabi word..I feel there are other languages that have similar rhythm to punjabi that can be adopted from if necessary. For Example Spanish. In the case of Chips I prefer to say Freet ( literal punjabi way of saying the French Frite ) or Fragula for Stawberries from Italian and I use these in my writings. What is the view of others? 4) Just coin new words, eg for Aquarium in Pakistan they say MuchiGhar, but I have used ਜਲਪਿੰਜਰ in my stories used which seems popular amongst my readers anyway. Anyhow I think I'll enjoy listing actual words from Punjabi dictionaries here as well as trying my ideas for point 2 above