‘Punjabi Language, Literature and Legends’ is Safir Rammah’s book published by Kitab Trinjan. He is “a renowned Punjabi language activist, literary critic, and editor. He is a founding member and coordinator of Academy of the Punjab in North America (Apna). In 2000, he created the Apna web portal, making it the largest online repository of books, articles, research papers and other material on Punjab’s history, culture and language. Through this portal, he has established a vast online library of thousands of Punjabi and Punjab-related books, providing (free) easy access to readers and research scholars worldwide. His research papers and articles have been published in major Pakistani newspapers and US publications”.

The book is divided into four chapters. The first chapter, On Punjabi Literature and Writers, discusses Shiv Kumar Batalvi’ life and poetry (1936-1973), West Punjabi Poetry: from Ustad Daman to Najm Hosain Syed, and Bulleh Shah. The second chapter is On Punjabi Language that enlightens the readers on the following; Status of Punjabi in Pakistan, Why Punjabi Should be the Medium of Education in West Punjab’s Schools?, With a sense of nationalism–Punjabi and Punjabis in the USA, Urdu as Punjab’s Mother Tongue and What Punjab can Do and What Punjab Has Never Done. The third chapter, In Memory of Some Punjabi Legends, offers the author’s tributes to writers and poets such as Surjit Patar, Nadir Ali, Shafqat Tanvir Mirza, Sharif Kunjahi and Amrita Pritam for their contribution to Punjabi language and literature. Last chapter comprises Annual Reports on Punjabi Books and Magazines 2002-2005.

Most of the write-ups in the book are, what they say, short and sweet. Two longer pieces are on Shiv Kumar’s life and poetry. This is perhaps because the literati, like common people, are generally more impressed with the poets who are popular. But popularity can be a shiny veneer that may hide quality, which is not high. Quality is always difficult to discern. Shiv Kumar, in terms of poetic conventions and language, is a part of our literary mainstream but when it comes to vision and experiential content, he lags behind his contemporaries because of lack of critical social consciousness, which is the hallmark of Punjabi poetic tradition.

It’s noticeable that some of the important poets and writers such as Ustad Daman and Shafqat Tanvir Mirza get less space than what they deserve. Two great scholars and researchers Asif Khan and Ainul Haq Faridkoti are altogether missing. What however makes the book valuable is its being a small compendium of poets, writers and language activists who enriched Punjabi and fought for its legitimate rights denied to it by colonialism and Pakistani establishment for their pragmatic and ideological purposes till the 1970s.

Additionally, a short account of language movement is very informative as it can enable us to divine how it slowly and gradually developed in our part of Punjab. Some early supporters of Punjabi included persons like Syed Abid Ali Abid, M. B. Taseer and Faqir Muhammad Faqir and Hameed Nizami. Abdul Majid Salik started publishing monthly Punjab in 1951. Umar Din Ulfat Warsi, an immigrant from Jalandhar, organised the first Punjabi Conference in 1956 at Lyallpur. Safir Rammah quotes Dr Tariq Rehman: “The Conference demanded that Punjabi be used as the medium of instruction at the lower level. This was accepted in principle, although no real change was made. In fact, since all the provinces of West Pakistan had been amalgamated into One Unit by this time, the ruling elite was less supportive than ever of indigenous languages of the former provinces.” The author makes an apt comment on the role Punjabi writers have to play; “Most Punjabi writers have to play the dual role of Punjabi writers and activists for the promotion of Punjabi language, and when they turn their attention to the research work, their first preference so far has been to explore the rich heritage of Punjabi classical poetry.” The book informs and enlightens the readers in plain English. It’s an enriching read. Don’t miss it.

Afzal Rajput passed away last week in Bahawalnagar. He was a passionate poet and short story writer with a perceptive ability. He published four collections of poetry Sunja Vaihra, Harh Avan Ton Pehlon, Ik Darwaza and Nilofer. His collection of short stories ‘2 Mintan Di Gull’ got critical acclaim as it dealt with some of the experiences and socio-existential situations, which are thought to be off limits in our conservative society.

Afzal Rajput was born in a well-settled landed family in 1955 that migrated to Bahawalnagar from Haryana in the wake of the division of Punjab. His father was a police officer. He did his Senior Cambridge from the Sadiq Public School, Bahawalpur, and his graduation from Bahawalnagar College. As a young man full of revolutionary enthusiasm he joined Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and became its active member. Along with Anwar Chaudhry, an intellectual, poet and district secretary of PPP, he organised the party’s activities, mobilising the masses in a politically somnolent area. His political visibility made him a target after Zia’s martial law. He got arrested and served a jail term. He later joined the Mazdoor Kissan Party, which was committed to working for revolutionary social transformation. Finding the conditions intolerable at home, he left for the USA and lived there for 12 years. Eventually, he returned home and started farming.

Afzal Rajput was a man of opinion and wouldn’t let go unchallenged what was questionable. Being independent minded, he did what he thought was intellectually valuable and creative expression was most valuable for him. He refused to be normal in a culture that put high premium on the sickness of social normality. He struggled all his life as to how to be true to one’s inner self in an existentially distorted world. He, in fact, suffered from what the ancient Greeks called divine madness which was another name for the creative chaos the poets had to live with.

“The sky pours starvation down and earth grows thirst,” says one of his verses.

Afzal Rajput’s emotional and spiritual quest kept him restless all his life. In the words of Baba Farid, ‘under the immeasurable earths’, he can now rest for eternity. — soofi01@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2024