Traditional life in a Punjab village. Image credit- YouTube

For the third time, Shri Surya Rao suggested that Muse India should have an issue on Punjabi Literature. His offer was a privilege that was welcome to me from the core of my heart. I remembered for the first time, such an offer had come from him in the first half of the first decade. Then, I did not have any clear-cut view, but the offer was too welcome to be ignored. It struck that during the preceding decade, several writers who had shaped Punjabi literature a lot and given it name and fame, the world over, had expired. It was an occasion not only to cherish their memories but also, howsoever briefly, to recollect and re-value their writings.

First came to mind Sant Singh Sekhon, novelist, playwright, story-writer and, above all, the founder of literary criticism in Punjabi. Then I remembered Dr. Haribhajan Singh, celebrated poet and critic, teacher par excellence, whom new critical theories charmed a lot, and he missed no chance in writing about them. Overwhelmingly painful was the demise of Amrita Pritam. While alive, she had been an epitome of love and glory, but death had come to her as if to wreak vengeance for her glory. Lal Singh Dil was the last one. Born in a poor, low-caste family and in his life, not long either, he faced privation and pain, not to grieve and mourn, but to articulate the injustice, inequality, and iniquity that had meant for him and others looked down upon, for all the turns in life and history.

Second time, such an offer came from Shri Surya Rao in 2020 when the 550th birthday anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev was being celebrated with the enthusiasm of the nostalgic sort. The moment the offer came, it was accepted to bring a full-fledged issue upon the personage whose contribution to Punjabi life, thought, language and literature has been enormous, even more for which to coin a word seems so very arduous, if not impossible. The whole issue was devoted to his life, Bani, vision and ardour, likely to charm human beings for all times to come. With articles written by the best Punjabi minds then alive, the book charmed one and all, so much so that a Bombay-based Sikh-Echo Trust, on its own, published the issue in a book form. Though small in size, it looks very elegant and charming.

To avail the offer made the third time by Shri Surya Rao, it was decided to bring out an issue on Punjabi Literature being written at present. It was decided to have at least one paper, if not more, on each trend of poetry, short story, novel and playwriting in the Punjab and abroad where Punjabis are settled.

On poetry, there are two papers: one on poetry by male poets and as a counterpoint, the other on poetry by female poets. Both papers are written by Dr Vanita (1955-), who is herself a very prominent poet. Winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award, she has eleven books of poetry to her credit. Her mastery over Gurmat and Classical Raag has further enhanced her grasp over poetic writing. No wonder, in both papers, she has presented their distinctions with equal grasp and candour.

Dr Dhanwant Kaur (1958-), in her paper on Punjabi short stories, presently being written by male as well as female writers, has judged them fairly enough. With her comprehensive grasp of how the Punjabi short story came into being, grew and altered, she, confident of its future, proves that changes in theme, form and style may have rendered its growth less aesthetic, but it is all the more crucial for providing glimpses of the indistinct phases of life.

Pali Bhupinder Singh has written on the state of playwriting in Punjabi. Written with a focus on his own origin and growth as a playwright, he has given a very candid account of the problems and prospects, thematic choice, scripting, playing and managing the resources, to leave a lasting effect on the audience. Writing in the personal mode, he has reflected upon them and further refracted with ease, of the wonderful sort.

Dr S K Deweshwar, a retired professor taught Punjabi fiction while in service. During his teaching career, he devoted himself most to the novel, its theory and history. Much influenced by MM Bakhtin’s theory of the novel, he has pondered a lot over problems faced by novel-writing in Punjabi and prospects of resolving them in actual practice. His wide-ranging references tell a lot about his involvement in issues of this sort.

Dr Surjit, a professor of Punjabi, teaches the origin and history of the Punjabi novel and its criticism. He is deeply aware of the nuances, novel-writing acquires in form and style. While grappling to achieve wholeness in theme, form and style, historical factor plays a cardinal role. A grasp of them all ensures a wholesome study of this literary form. Coming to the latest phase of novel-writing in Punjabi, he is sceptical of all these aspects and facets.

Dr Jatinder (1978-), the youngest of all these contributors, teaches Punjabi poetry to undergraduate classes. Keeping in mind the nature and age of the students, he talks of modes likely to interest them. His study of the medieval Punjabi poetry of the Gurus and the Sufis has convinced him that colours play as crucial a role in the making of a poetic whole as do words. This lends more charm to its reading and writing. This is so evident from this paper and the articles featured in his book.

Avtar Billing (1952-) is a very perceptive Punjabi novelist of the present era. He has ten novels to his credit, besides a couple of short story collections. Most of his novels deal with the troubles the peasantry has to undergo at the present juncture. His treatment is very authentic. Evidence of it is the fact that the Dhahan Prize, amounting to fifty thousand Canadian dollars given each year, was first of all given to him for his novel Khali Khuahan di Katha (saga of empty wells). Several other awards have also come his way, proving that his portrayal of the peasantry is indeed authentic.