Shout Out to People Interested in Punjabi Literature & Language

[dallysingh101]

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

[proudkaur21]

I was born in India and had to learn to read and write English, Punjabi, Hindi . I mean if there are good classes teaching punjabi i dont see how it is difficult for people born in West to learn 2 langauges. I mean the jews preserved hebrew since so long and our people cant preserve punjabi even after one generation? How strange? Or maybe some groups are more intellectual and creative than others . Ours are just weak willed people who constantly make excuses except a few. I was interested in rumi's poetry and started learning persian and these people cant even read the language of their religion. This just seems like a lack of interest.

[dallysingh101]

5 hours ago, proudkaur21 said:

I was born in India and had to learn to read and write English, Punjabi, Hindi . I mean if there are good classes teaching punjabi i dont see how it is difficult for people born in West to learn 2 langauges.

I can only go by my experiences as a child learning in a Gurdwara (even if this was a while ago). The provisions back then were 'woefully inadequate'. The cultural divide between teachers and children - enormous!  But given the changes that have taken place since then with both understanding and technology, this shouldn't be an issue like it was before. 

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I mean the jews preserved hebrew since so long and our people cant preserve punjabi even after one generation? How strange?

There was no financial incentive for them to preserve it (which dictates what most apnay parents push their kids into), and all quarters tell us that it is an underdeveloped language, which is partially true because people haven't adapted it to the 21st century, and most writings are boring/irrelevant to diasporan children because they largely consist of 'pendu navel gazing'. I imagine initiatives like this are aimed at trying to rectify that?    

 

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Or maybe some groups are more intellectual and creative than others . Ours are just weak willed people who constantly make excuses except a few. I was interested in rumi's poetry and started learning persian and these people cant even read the language of their religion. This just seems like a lack of interest.

I've met a few Alevi Turks in the UK (who are descendants of a movement affiliated to Rumi's work), they have no idea about this and can't read their own texts. Some even didn't know about Rumi. 

But, what you're saying is right, but should we be surprised when gianis seem like crusty, out of date people to most youngsters? Also, when the following type of stuff is promoted way over any serious linguistic/intellectual type stuff: