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On 9/20/2021 at 9:41 AM, ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ said:

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' 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 "" 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' 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 ( 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

You're killin it bro. Awesome. 

Posted
On 9/25/2021 at 4:41 PM, GurjantGnostic said:

You're killin it bro. Awesome. 

Thanks. I'm just an amateur. Many who are hung up on correct grammar ( both from India and Pakistan) focus on that and not the content. They won't agree with you. But it is a taste thing, as those from the same locations that bother to focus on the stories or want something fresh seem to like what I am trying to do. I think each book is an improvement punjabi wise on the previous ...hopefully...its now a case of trying to get us westerners equally hooked on Punjabi language fiction and reading habits...a habit that doesn't exist amongst too many punjabis whichever religion they are from, which is why the rest of India are ahead in the development of their own languages...we punjabis whilst very religious do seem to focus on easy for the mind stuff like modern punjabi songs, Bollywood etc and not intellectual pursuits

Posted
58 minutes ago, ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ said:

Thanks. I'm just an amateur. Many who are hung up on correct grammar ( both from India and Pakistan) focus on that and not the content. They won't agree with you. But it is a taste thing, as those from the same locations that bother to focus on the stories or want something fresh seem to like what I am trying to do. I think each book is an improvement punjabi wise on the previous ...hopefully...its now a case of trying to get us westerners equally hooked on Punjabi language fiction and reading habits...a habit that doesn't exist amongst too many punjabis whichever religion they are from, which is why the rest of India are ahead in the development of their own languages...we punjabis whilst very religious do seem to focus on easy for the mind stuff like modern punjabi songs, Bollywood etc and not intellectual pursuits

Fiction is one of the most powerful mediums. Especially in a Kalyug. 

Posted
1 hour ago, GurjantGnostic said:

Fiction is one of the most powerful mediums. Especially in a Kalyug. 

Agreed. I've doing a lot of thinking about why Punjabi has failed post 1947 and these are my conclusions. Tis might be more relevant in the section I called Gurmukhi is it Punjabi Alphabet etc...

 

1) In Punjab a) Hindification / Urduisation/ Arabisation/ Angloisation is happening because fundamentally for a language to be used it has to have economic value. These others are taking over as in the rest of the Indian subcontinent Industrialisation has occurred and those languages are building a business and science vocab. Punjabi is not

b) Where intellectuals are developing such words its unnatural as they are being coined in the corridors of universities , or books like I myself am guilty and often these are taking Sanskrit or Arabic as the root and have no link with ordinary people's everyday life. It may be better just to absorb the English words for these things into Punjabi

c) Punjabis do not have the reading habit culturally. English, Russian etc do. Fact is they never did before Industrialisation in their countries, but post industrialization their languages fulfilled point a & b and that is why they have a reading public. Initially language in those cultures was also to communicate religion but now in a post industrial world it is everyone's language so its literature has succeeded. We don't have a reading public and in Punjab that is due to laziness, lack of education and all points discussed above

d) Industrialisation is needed in Punjab and despite my support for the farmers against the current Indian Regime, the situation will not improve until people in Punjab replace their farms with factories , service and tourist industry etc. If that doesn't happen there will be no jobs for the locals who will continue leaving or to secure a job will give Hindi and English preference. This has already happened. If not reversed in the next decade it is the end of Punjabi ( separate issue to the Gurmukhi alphabet )

2) in the west a) everything said in point 1 

b) lack of interest as Sikhi, Islam and Hindu faith can all be communicated in English nowadays. 

c) Laziness on part of UK Punjabis who see a foreign alphabet and run a mile to wanting to use English alphabet

d) If we don't speak Punjabi at home with our kids ( who already know English from TV, School and outside world and are frankly schooled in it) the next step of reading and writing is irrelevant

e) Bad teaching and over reliance on uneducated volunteers who are not educators and expectation that its only the Gurdwara's responsibility. This is not true. It's the fault of parents and ourselves.

f) No economic incentive to learn it

g) the most controversial comment I can make is we have limited ourselves to only look through religious eyes and not scientifically questioning ones. Too many uneducated Punjabi villagers ( and our parents who come from the same place) have looked at Sikhi through Hindu eyes, western defined ( The white man named Sikhi as Sikhism a religion) eyes and forget that Guru Nanak although a believer in God, did not mean an Abrahamic God or a Hindu one, but a concept set in the Mool Mantra which in 21st western terms is not too far off the George Lucas concept of the Force. Also enlightenment then as per this reading of the Mool Mantra is being educated and always seeking the truth and knowledge but never ever being able to comprehend it all. In this way the Sikh "God" is genderless and is ultimately not a physical God figure but an idea about creation. The Gurus within the knowledge of their century defined it as they understood it but careful not to define it too solidly. Also to communicate to the uneducated public had to put in in simple terms which sadly meant their metaphors have been taken literally. Sikhi should always be not redefining itself but comparing the Adi Granth to current knowledge and relooking at the world. 

 

We are famously taught how Guru Nanak rejected superstition and blind belief. And yet most of use are now more interested in the ceremonies, similar to the ones he criticized rather than the point the 10 Gurus made.

 

In short in terms of Punjabi Language, we need to go beyond such blind religious beliefs and like the Gurus question society and the universe. That means Punjabis need to educate themselves and have intellectual debates. It means Punjabi needs to become scientific.

 

Also to add to all of this,  we need 1) Rich Capitalists to make Punjab first an industrial society, then a post industrial society to evolve the language and make it useful 2) the Scientists etc then to make words and terms that fit the age and ensure they are part of the people's vocabulary 3) Give the general public economic reasons to speak and read punjabi..Art is not good enough on its own to convince them   

  • 1 month later...
  • 11 months later...
Posted
On 9/20/2021 at 9:41 AM, ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ said:

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. s to begin a literary movement. .

It seems all your works books/short stories/articles/audios are scattered on different websites.  

It might be good to have all the links to your work on one page.

By the way listened to the audio  book of yours you posted.  It was easy to understand and created a good scene with the way you used Punjabi words.

Posted
1 hour ago, Sajjan_Thug said:

It seems all your works books/short stories/articles/audios are scattered on different websites.  

It might be good to have all the links to your work on one page.

By the way listened to the audio  book of yours you posted.  It was easy to understand and created a good scene with the way you used Punjabi words.

Thanks. If you want I can collate them all here. It was normally Dalsingh100 doing that kind of stuff. I feel a bit arrogant to do that myself, which is why I haven't specifically done it like that. I had sent my Chita Te Kala to be made into an Audiobook but so far have not been told when and if that will be made available

 

Posted
17 minutes ago, ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ said:

Thanks. If you want I can collate them all here. It was normally Dalsingh100 doing that kind of stuff. I feel a bit arrogant to do that myself, which is why I haven't specifically done it like that. I had sent my Chita Te Kala to be made into an Audiobook but so far have not been told when and if that will be made available

 

Yes, please do

Dont know why it would be arrogant to collect all your work and put it in one place for easy access?  

Posted
3 hours ago, ਰੂਪ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ said:

Thanks. If you want I can collate them all here. It was normally Dalsingh100 doing that kind of stuff. I feel a bit arrogant to do that myself, which is why I haven't specifically done it like that. I had sent my Chita Te Kala to be made into an Audiobook but so far have not been told when and if that will be made available

 

You would be...honoring us...we probably aren't worthy of that. 

  • 1 year later...

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