East Indian Punjabi Society - Term Paper Example

East Indian Punjabi Society Introduction “Punjab” has been derived from Sanskrit terminologies, which pertain to 5 rivers, ly, Beas, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej , and āb which is translated as water. Literally, Punjab means giving the literal meaning of the "Land of Five Rivers". The Punjabi is divided into the west, the Pakistan Punjab, and the east, the Indian Punjab. The rivers that run along the Indian Punjab make it suitable for farming and paved way for progress. The land of Indian Punjab is as rich as their culture and history. But along with the diversity, are the apparent differences among the various inhabitants, leading to hostility and violence. The growing mismanagement, corruption and increasing migration to Indian Punjab is also posing to threat to the otherwise Indian paradise. Geography There are about 88 million Punjabis. Abut 68 million live in Pakistan Punjab, the remaining 20 million lives in Indian State of Punjab. In 1947, the Punjab province was split into West Punjab (Pakistan) and the East Punjab Province in India (Punjab India. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_India). The Indian Punjab State encompasses Pakistan to Delhi. In 1966, however, the turmoil that arose from Punjabi-speaking state caused the establishment of the current Punjab State. (Punjab state information. Available from http://www.newkerala.com/states-of-india/punjab.php). With the massive river system, majority of Punjab is blessed with abundant plains where irrgination comes from extensive systems of canals. The southeast region is semi-arid and further extends to a desert landscape, the Great Indian Desert. The northeastern part of the state is an undulating Siwalik Ranges extending to the foot of the Himalayas. The Indian Punjab State has a subtropical climate, with hot summers and cool winters. Climatically, there are 3 major seasons, hot weather from April to June, rainy weather from July to September, and cold weather from October to March. Dust storms are common in the hot weather. The temperature drop close to freezing on winter and hard frosts are common (Punjabi. Available from http://www.punjabi.com/history.html). Economy Because of the fertile land of Punjab, it is most ideal for agriculture. In fact, the world’s leading school of agriculture is found in this region. Indian Punjab is called the “Granary of India” or otherwise “bread-basket” of India, since it is the biggest source of wheat in the country. Other produce such as rice, sugarcane, cotton, fruits and vegetables are likewise sourced from Indian Punjab. Moreover, the Punjab State has been given a recognition on National Productivity Award for agriculture extension services. This has been given to them consecutively ten years; that is, from 1991-92 to 1998-99 and 2001 to 2003-04. Industries in the Indian Punjab State produce a wide-array of goods including starch, scientific instruments, electrical goods, fertilizers, oil and sugar manufacturing. Of late, a decrease in productivity has been reported due to falling fertility of the soil. This is accounted for by the excessive utilization of fertilizers and pesticides, and the problematic falling soil water table. The challenge therefore is to adopt a new and more environmentally friendly agricultural method, such as the use of less water-intensive crops (Punjab. http://punjabgovt.nic.in/ECONOMY/Poverty%20Alleviation.htm). According to the India State Hunger Index 2008, Punjab has the lowest level of hunger in India. According to reports, Punjab has the best infrastructure in all of India. It has highest per capita generation of electricity in India. All of Punjabs villages have been given electricity and linked to the state electrical power grid since 1974. However, the electric department of Punjab is on a constant crisis accounted for by corruption, problematic subsidies and ineffective work ethic (Punjab. http://punjabgovt.nic.in/ECONOMY/Poverty%20Alleviation.htm). The Punjabi Way of Life Punjabi is the name of the language, as well as the people of the Punjab region. Punjabi is the mother tongue of just fewer than 3% of the population of India (Punjab India. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_(India). The religious variety of the Punjabis mirrors their long and rich history. Early Hinduism has been formed in the Punjab, Buddhism flourished in the region, and Islam followers were in power in the area for close to six centuries. Sikhism had its origins in the Punjab, where Sikh states survived until the middle of the twentieth century. The British extended the Punjab in the 19th century and presented Christianity to the region. In contemporary times, Sikhism is the most frequently practiced religion in Punjab, and an estimated 60% of the population are affiliated to the Sikh faith. 37% of the population exercise Hinduism with other Sikh sects. Other faiths include Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Jainism. When Punjab India and Pakistan were divided in 1947, Hindus and Sikhs inhabited India, while Muslims sought a home in Pakistan. Armed conflict at that time among Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims left as many as one million people dead (Punjabis. Available from http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Punjabis.html). Punjabis take pride a rich mythology and folklore that encompasses folktales, songs, ballads, epics, and romances. A large part of folk tradition is oral, passed from generation to generations by conventional peasant singers, mystics, and wandering gypsies. Many folk tales are sung with music. The folklores depict birth and marriage, love, war, and heroism. The mixture of Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim themes in Punjabi folklore mirrors the presence of these religious traditions in the region (Punjabi. Available from http://www.punjabi.com/history.html). Caste or jati is the most crucial social group in Punjab. It gives meaning to social relations, possible marriage partners, and frequently to jobs, too. Castes are present even among Muslims and Sikhs, whose religions are strongly against the system of castes. Castes are further segregated into several gots, or clans. One cannot marry within the gots of ones four grandparents. There are four main castes, namely, the Brahmins (teachers, scholars and priests), the Kshatriyas (kings and warriors), the Vaishyas (agriculturists and traders), and Shudras (service providers and artisans). Below the Shudras are people of menial profession. The first subgroup was tagged Antyaja and covers shoemakers, jugglers, basket and shield makers, sailors, fishermen, hunters of wild animals and birds, and weavers. These eight professions were acknowledged as guilds. Handis, that cover sub-groups like Doma, Chandala and Badhatau, are not included in any caste or guild. They perform menial tasks in villages, and were acknowledged of equal to the category of illegitimate children. It is an implicit notion that they were cursed, because the marriage of a Shudra father and Brahmin mother. The latter is the most serious crime in a society centered around the caste system (Punjab India. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_India). In the Mulsim world, castes are pertained to as qaums or zats ; however, at the village level, it is the biradari, or patrilineage (descent from the fathers side), that is the more important unit of society. All men who have their roots traced back to a common male ancestor belong to the same biradari, and all members of the biradari are considered family. Members of a biradari are frequently together in village business and disputes, for they have a common sense of collective honor and self-identity (Punjabis. Available from http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Punjabis.html). From history, the caste system presented numerous advantages to the country. While caste in contemporary times is seen as anachronistic (Punjab India. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_India), the caste system has actually been an important vehicle for ensuring order. A clearly defined system division of labor created security at the community level. Moreover, the caste system was influential in economic activities. It accorded training of apprentices and permitted manufacturers to attain specific specializations. The family is the basic unit of Punjabi society. Parents and extended families live in one household. The men oversee the agricultural or business activities of the family. Women directed by the eldest woman in the family the runs of the household and raise the children. Among laboring castes, females as well as males carry out agricultural work or other manual work. Women are expected to marry and have children as their main role in Punjabi society. Marriages are arranged by the parents of the boy and girl, and each community follows its own marriage rituals and customs. Among Muslims, for example, the best match is thought to be marriage between first cousins. Hindu Punjabis prefer marriage partners within their own caste. The dowry is an important factor in negotiations for a Hindu marriage. Sikhs, on the other hand, do not give or take dowries. Various Punjabi communities have varying customs on divorce and marrying again. While Islam has rules for a man to divorce his wife, society does not support such divorce. Muslims are likewise against widows who remarry. Sikhs do not allow divorce; however, they do permit widows to remarry. Remarryingand divorce are not conventional practice for Hindus (Punjabis. Available from http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Punjabis.html). History of Violence When Punjab split the mostly Muslim western part of the province became Pakistans Punjab Province, while the mostly Sikh eastern part became Indias Punjab state. This partition saw many people displaced and caused communal violence. In 1950, two separate states were created Punjab and the combines state of PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union). PEPSU consisted of the princely states of Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot and Kalsia. In 1956, PEPSU was merged into Punjab state. The capital of the undivided Punjab province, Lahore, ended up in Pakistan after partition, so a new capital for Indian Punjab state was built at Chandigarh. On November 1, 1966, the mostly Hindu southeastern half of Punjab became a separate state, Haryana. Chandigarh was due to transfer to Punjab alone in 1986, but the transfer has been delayed pending differences in the agreement (Punjab India. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_India). In 1970s, the Green Revolution permitted economic prosperity for the Sikh community in Punjab. Although, a growing separation between the Indian National Congress caused the Indian government and the primary political party of the Sikhs to be aggravated in the 1970s. The violence was brought forth by what was widely seen by the Sikhs because of the increasing alienation, centralization and discriminatory practices agains the Punjab by the Indian government. This compelled the Shiromani Akali Dal to propose the Anandpur Sahib Resolution which accords independence for Punjab and constraining the role and authority of the Central Government. The decilne of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution caused chaos. There were militants who targeted officials and people opposed to their perspective which included Sikhs. This caused intenstive heavy military and civilian encounters (Upmanu, Lall. Available from http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/water/2009/07/28/punjab-a-tale-of-prosperity-and-decline/). As a result, the situation in Punjab deteriorated into anarchy with a rise in radicalized militancy. By the early 1990s, Punjabi Sikhs and armed resistance was eliminated and forced underground. In the following years there was concern over alleged human rights abuses conducted by the central and state government against radical Sikhs, and many human rights organizations were not allowed in the Punjab at the time (Crossette, 2009). The Indian BJP former leader stated that the Congress Party governments have been involved in creating terrorism in the Punjab. Recently, BJP national president Lal Krishna Advani, stated that it was his party which pressured Sikh Extremists to take a stand against the government. The policy to help the Congress Party by creating militants and moderates backfired resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent people. Two notable attacks in Punjab were in 1991 and 1987, both attacks involving militants (Punjab Trauma. Available from http://www.punjabtrauma.org/). Punjabs economy was greatly affected in the 1980s and early 1990s. However in recent times, there have been serious attempts by the Central Government to diminish resentment and strong feelings of Punjabis over the issue. Punjabs economic activity in contemporary times is now on its way to recovery. However, corruption and violence continues to hamper the state. Also, there is growing concern in the state about the immigration of laborers from other Indian states. Close to 10% of Punjabs population consists of migrants hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Sikhs are anxious that they will soon be considered a minority in the state, and that the unchecked immigration is actually advocated by the government (Thampi, 2008). Some organizations are blaming problems like rising crime rate and unemployment on immigration. Moreover, some leaders have expressed that immigration is crucial to Punjabs economy since the landlords of Punjab have constantly depended on immigrants for work. Over the last few decades, the conflicts between the Jat and the Dalit castes have wought much damage in Punjab. An example is a riot in which Dalit Sikhs were brutally suppressed by Jats allegedly with the police help over the management of the local Gurdwara. A daughter of a Dalit activist was also raped by a group of Jats (Military History of India. Available from http://horsesandswords.blogspot.com/2006/04/punjabi-society.html). Prohibited drugs are also a growing problem in the Punjab region of India. According to the World Drug Report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2007, Punjab is the leading transit point for opium internationally (Punjab India. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_India). Conclusion The rivers that run along the Indian Punjab make it suitable for farming. Industry is also booming. The land of Indian Punjab is as rich as their culture and history. In fact, progress is on their way. But along with the diversity, are the apparent differences among the various inhabitants, leading to hostility and violence. Numerous critical incidents can be mentioned to this account. Hostility between India and the local Punjabs have been with its long history. Violence between Punjab groups has also been documented. The growing mismanagement, corruption and increasing migration to Indian Punjab is also posing a threat to the otherwise Indian paradise. References Crossette, Barbara. Extremists in India Kill 80 on 2 Trains As Voting Nears End. Available from http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/16/world/extremists-in-india-kill-80-on-2-trains-as-voting-nears-end.html. Accessed 1 November 2009. Military History of India. Available from http://horsesandswords.blogspot.com/2006/04/punjabi-society.html Punjab India. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_India. Punjab state information. Available from http://www.newkerala.com/states-of-india/punjab.php Punjab Trauma. Available from http://www.punjabtrauma.org/. Punjab. http://punjabgovt.nic.in/ECONOMY/Poverty%20Alleviation.htm. Punjabi. Available from http://www.punjabi.com/history.html. Punjabis. Available from http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Punjabis.html Thampi, Praveen S. Simmering discontent: Sikhs in Punjab are fighting many wars. (2008). Available from http://economictimes.indiatimes/articleshow/msid-2846479,flstry-1.cms. Upmanu, Lall. Punjab: A tale of prosperity and decline. Available from http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/water/2009/07/28/punjab-a-tale-of-prosperity-and-decline/ Read More