PUNJABI

20 April, 2008 07:30:00

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The expression ‘Punjabi’ stands for the language of the Punjab—a land of five rivers, but the linguistic survey has marked its boundries beyond its home State. Sir G.Grierson remarks that the pujabi is spoken in the southern half of the State. There were relations between Punjabi and Dogri. The Punjabi language has two dialects—the ordinary idiom of language and Dogra or Dogra, but the latter is spoken over the sub-mountaneous areas of Jammu region of the State with variations in various forms. The south-east of Jammu region or hilly areas with Pahari language speak semi-Kashmir.

This area of the region is Punjabi in culture. Similarly, the Chibali dialect of Punjabi is a dominating one in the other hill region of Kashmir which lies between the Chenab and Jehlum rivers and up the valley of Kishen Ganga rivers. But despite these cultural variations there has been always a ‘unity within diversity’. It is an admitted fact that the Kashmir experienced successively and sometimes together Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim influences., creating a mixed, but harmonized culture which is so evident even today in Kashmir.

The people of Kashmir speak different languages, but understand one anothers problems and speak one anothers languages in addition to their mother tongue. The other languages of the valley are Gojri and unspecified pahari. Sir. G. Grierson has a poetic expression as,’ language is mountain and a dialect is a hill’ so in this regard, science of philosophy has to say, dialect and a language has a common Grammer, common nationality, and a common literature.The Punjabi, therefore in the valley with local peaculiarities fall within the sphere of the languages spoken in the Punjab.The Punjabi prevalent in the valley is more synthetic than the standard Punjabi. Sometimes, even one word conveys the meaning of a sentence.

This Special feature of Punjabi, spoken particularly in rural Kashmir is common with western Punjabi, Chibali and Kashmiri. The present tense of the standard Punjabi with (da) suffix is used in Kashmir also, i.e Khanda(eating), Peenda (drinking) and Likhda (writing) etc. But the future tense prevalent here differs from the future tense of Standard Punjabi. In standard Punjabi, future tense is represented by the verbs endng with ‘G’ and here in Kashmir it is indicated by the verbs ending with ‘S’. The characteristic of Punjabi in Kashmir also takes it to the group of the dialects of western Punajbi. In Kashmir too, there are future tense ending with ‘S’. in addition to it, the pronominal suffix is not found in standard Punjabi. To indicate,”I wrote” or “Likeheam”. This feature one shares with western Punjabi and Kashmiri. The use of pronominal suffix is also common with Sanskrit and Persian. In the use of nominative case, one again falls in the lap of western Punjabi, Pahari, Chilbali, Poonchi and Dogri. Besides the above, Punjabi in Kashmir has ‘asan’ or ‘asi’ (we) ‘tusi’ or ‘tusan’ (you); ‘mahada’ (my); ‘Tuda’ (thy); ‘Gachana’ and Julna (to go) – as special dialectic features. But this particularlocal qualification too, is shared by Punjabi spoken in Kashmir with the dialects of Punjabi spoken in west Punjab, Chibali dialects of Kashmir, and Kashmiri. In Kashmir, there is, ‘gachun’ for ‘gachna’, but with all the local characteristics of Punjabi spoken in Kashmir, it is Punjabi and with clear leanings for western Punjabi and Chibbali (which also belongs to the Punjabi for west Punjab). It is clear that dialectical standing of Punjabi in Kashmir is shared with the western Punjabi and the Kashmiri. But in addition to it, Punjabi of Kashmir has much from Kashmiri in the form of vocanulary and pronunciation. It is all natural and a fit for local environment. But on the other hand, the Kashmiri culture has a lot from the Punjabi culture. Punjab and Kashmir are two neighbouring states, with economic,political and social relations. Thousands of Kashmiris migrate temporarily in winter in different capacities to the plains of Punjab. So they live in Punjabi culture and speak Punabi. And on the return they bring numberless words of Punjabi. These Punjabi words have become an inseparable part of Kashmir vocabulary. The Punjabi culture has a definite impact upon the Kashmiri people. Economically speaking, Punjab is India for the Kashmiri people. Every edible commodity which comes from India or abroad, is ‘Punjabi’ for ‘Kashmiri’. The rice or fish which is imported from different provinces of India or from a foreign country ‘Punjabi Tamul’ (rice) and ‘PunjabiGad’ fish for a common Kashmiri. The Punjabi dress, music and language has an impressive appeal for the Kashmiri. The Kashmiri labourer, trader, and youth can easily enjoy Punjab language and music. Heer-Ranjha and Sohni-Mahiwal, the famous Punajbi Romantics, have a masterily appeal for the Kashmiri. Sohni-Mahiwal has been presented in Kashmiri by Darwaish Poet Mohi-ud-Din Miskeen. So the Punjabi language and Culture are not foreign for the Kashmiri. In the same tune, Kashmiri language and culture are not alien for the Punjabi. Thousands of Punjabi’s migrate temporarily in different capacities to the valley every year during summer.

The Punjabi spoken in the valley has its own literary treasure in addition to the folklore and romantic epics of the Punjab. We have ‘Chan’ and ‘Kajnchi’ in addition to Heer-Ranjha, Sassi-Punnu and Sohni – Mahiwal. The ‘Chan’ and “Kajanchi’ represent two romantic ballads purely local in content and form. But this rich folk literature of the people of the region has not yet seen the light of the printing press. In addition to it, the local writers of the valley have a valuable continuation for Punjabi literature as a whole. The Punjabi literature has many traditional poets.Prior to 1947, Punjabi poetry in the valley consisted generally of sufi lyrics. Mian-Nizam-ud-Din Larvi, has a rich and sweet poetic creations to his credit. But the modern Kashmiri Punjabi writers can be proud of the fact that hey have been able to present their Kashimiri social and economic scenario. There are new literary offings in addition to Shri Khalid Hussain, Shri Mohammad Yaseen, Shri Chanda, Shri Harbajan Singh Sagar and Shri Ram Singh, worth mention. As for the script, Gurmukhi and Persian scripts have been used by the writers, but Gurmukhi has doiminated their writings. With the above literary treasure, the Punjabi in Kashmir has still a long distance to cover. But Punjabi being one of the national languages of India, with its richest and oldest literary treasure, has a very bright future. Our country is undergoing a culture-revolution along with the economic revolution. Punjabi in Kashmir with its natural local variations, belong to the Punjabi spoken in the Punjab and the development of the Punjabi along with the other national regional languages of India, will definitely have an encouraging impact on the Punjabi in Kashmir in its different fields. It is being taught at degree level in the educational institution of the valley.

The people of Kashmir speak different languages, but understand one anothers problems and speak one anothers languages in addition to their mother tongue. The other languages of the valley are Gojri and unspecified pahari. Sir. G. Grierson has a poetic expression as,’ language is mountain and a dialect is a hill’ so in this regard, science of philosophy has to say, dialect and a language has a common Grammer, common nationality, and a common literature. The Punjabu, therefore in the valley with local peaculiarities fall within the sphere of the languages spoken in the Punjab. The Punjabi prevalent in the valley is more synthetic than the standard Punjabi. Sometimes, even one word conveys the meaning of a sentence. This Special feature of Punjabi, spoken particularly in rural Kashmir is common with western Punjabi, Chibali and Kashmiri.

The present tense of the standard Punjabi with (da) suffix is used in Kashmir also, i.e Khanda(eating), Peenda (drinking) and Likhda (writing) etc. But the future tense prevalent here differs from the future tense of Standard Punjabi. In standard Punjabi, future tense is represented by the verbs endng with ‘G’ and here in Kashmir it is indicated by the verbs ending with ‘S’. The characteristic of Punjabi in Kashmir also takes it to the group of the dialects of western Punajbi. In Kashmir too, there are future tense ending with ‘S’. in addition to it, the pronominal suffix is not found in standard Punjabi. To indicate,”I wrote” or “Likeheam”. This feature one shares with western Punjabi and Kashmiri. The use of pronominal suffix is also common with Sanskrit and Persian. In the use of nominative case, one again falls in the lap of western Punjabi, Pahari, Chilbali, Poonchi and Dogri.

Besides the above, Punjabi in Kashmir has ‘asan’ or ‘asi’ (we) ‘tusi’ or ‘tusan’ (you); ‘mahada’ (my); ‘Tuda’ (thy); ‘Gachana’ and Julna (to go) – as special dialectic features. But this particularlocal qualification too, is shared by Punjabi spoken in Kashmir with the dialects of Punjabi spoken in west Punjab, Chibali dialects of Kashmir, and Kashmiri. In Kashmir, there is, ‘gachun’ for ‘gachna’, but with all the local characteristics of Punjabi spoken in Kashmir, it is Punjabi and with clear leanings for western Punjabi and Chibbali (which also belongs to the Punjabi for west Punjab). It is clear that dialectical standing of Punjabi in Kashmir is shared with the western Punjabi and the Kashmiri. But in addition to it, Punjabi of Kashmir has much from Kashmiri in the form of vocanulary and pronunciation. It is all natural and a fit for local environment. But on the other hand, the Kashmiri culture has a lot from the Punjabi culture. Punjab and Kashmir are two neighbouring states, with economic,political and social relations.

Thousands of Kashmiris migrate temporarily in winter in different capacities to the plains of Punjab. So they live in Punjabi culture and speak Punabi. And on the return they bring numberless words of Punjabi. These Punjabi words have become an inseparable part of Kashmir vocabulary. The Punjabi culture has a definite impact upon the Kashmiri people. Economically speaking, Punjab is India for the Kashmiri people. Every edible commodity which comes from India or abroad, is ‘Punjabi’ for ‘Kashmiri’. The rice or fish which is imported from different provinces of India or from a foreign country ‘Punjabi Tamul’ (rice) and ‘PunjabiGad’ fish for a common Kashmiri. The Punjabi dress, music and language has an impressive appeal for the Kashmiri.

The Kashmiri labourer, trader, and youth can easily enjoy Punjab language and music. Heer-Ranjha and Sohni-Mahiwal, the famous Punajbi Romantics, have a masterily appeal for the Kashmiri. Sohni-Mahiwal has been presented in Kashmiri by Darwaish Poet Mohi-ud-Din Miskeen. So the Punjabi language and Culture are not foreign for the Kashmiri. In the same tune, Kashmiri language and culture are not alien for the Punjabi.

Thousands of Punjabi’s migrate temporarily in different capacities to the valley every year during summer. The Punjabi spoken in the valley has its own literary treasure in addition to the folklore and romantic epics of the Punjab.

We have ‘Chan’ and ‘Kajnchi’ in addition to Heer-Ranjha, Sassi-Punnu and Sohni – Mahiwal. The ‘Chan’ and “Kajanchi’ represent two romantic ballads purely local in content and form. But this rich folk literature of the people of the region has not yet seen the light of the printing press. In addition to it, the local writers of the valley have a valuable continuation for Punjabi literature as a whole. The Punjabi literature has many traditional poets.Prior to 1947, Punjabi poetry in the valley consisted generally of sufi lyrics. Mian-Nizam-ud-Din Larvi, has a rich and sweet poetic creations to his credit. But the modern Kashmiri Punjabi writers can be proud of the fact that hey have been able to present their Kashimiri social and economic scenario.

There are new literary offings in addition to Shri Khalid Hussain, Shri Mohammad Yaseen, Shri Chanda, Shri Harbajan Singh Sagar and Shri Ram Singh, worth mention. As for the script, Gurmukhi and Persian scripts have been used by the writers, but Gurmukhi has doiminated their writings. With the above literary treasure, the Punjabi in Kashmir has still a long distance to cover. But Punjabi being one of the national languages of India, with its richest and oldest literary treasure, has a very bright future. Our country is undergoing a culture-revolution along with the economic revolution. Punjabi in Kashmir with its natural local variations, belong to the Punjabi spoken in the Punjab and the development of the Punjabi along with the other national regional languages of India, will definitely have an encouraging impact on the Punjabi in Kashmir in its different fields. It is being taught at degree level in the educational institution of the valley.

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