r/PunjabReads

Sirf Punjab reads nu machaun lyi kitte gye upraale

Link for above mentioned report -

mentioned article

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Amnesty International campaigned and documented the disappearance and extrajudicial murder of Human Rights Activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.

Khalra had previously exposed thousands of unlawful secret mass cremation records of unidentified individuals during the insurgency period of Punjab.

Following Khalra's abduction by Punjab Police, Amnesty demanded accountability and fair trials for the accused police officials.

1. The Indian Constitution and its promises may be real, but so are their bloody and brutal violations and their ceremonial character of the state’s implacability. We cannot help being confounded by these parallel realities of constitutional promise and political practice, their structural insuperability and the annihilation of intelligence by the violence of the paradox. Incantations of human rights lose context or meaning and we begin to understand why Theodor Adorno said that “to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric”.

2. The repetition of the name Singh, as all male Sikhs carry the same surname must make it appear that the same Singh is abducted, tortured, disappeared or killed thousands of times. In a way, that appearance belongs to the irrationality of individual histories that vanish into nothingness. Human rights atrocities that remain unaccounted for and outside institutional verification leave the serial order of time. The past becomes a continuous nightmare, without awakening and beyond atonement. The individual identities of the victims and the perpetrators of crimes lose relevance in the myths of collective guilt and suffering.

3. India is a constitutional state that is supposed to confine the powers of its agencies by law and by clear divisions of their legislative, executive and judicial functions. The Constitution and its agencies remained intact even as pervasive atrocities occurred in Punjab. No official agency formally approved of them; all silently acquiesced. The operations did not develop out of deliberations or policy decisions, but the legislators and members of Parliament knew what was happening in their constituencies. Judges and magistrates colluded with the torture and elimination of detainees by literally closing their eyes to the evidence and by uncritically accepting the official denials and lies. The media appeased the state by practicing self- censorship. Many journalists in the print, wire and electronic media supported the murderous operations of the security forces more directly. This was the climate of approval in which the atrocities occurred and unless we recognize and address these issues contributing to the state of impunity in Punjab, the struggle for truth, accountability and justice will continue to be thwarted.

I was trying to find something and instead found these books with OG covers in my father’s book almirah.

In the frame-
Jaswant Singh Kanwal’s Sandhoor, Khoobsurat Dushman and the famous ‘Paali’. ☀️

We'll be reading these poems:

1. ਮਾਏ ਨੀ ਮਾਏ https://www.punjabi-kavita.com/MayeNiMayeShivKumarBatalvi.php#gsc.tab=0

2. ਆਰਤੀ

https://punjabi-kavita.com/AartiShivKumarBatalvi.php#gsc.tab=0

3. ਯਾਰ ਦੀ ਮੜ੍ਹੀ ਤੇ https://www.punjabi-kavita.com/YaarDiMarhiTeShivKumarBatalvi.php#gsc.tab=0

4. ਬਿਰਹਾ https://www.punjabi-kavita.com/BirhaShivKumarBatalvi.php#gsc.tab=0

5. ਕੀ ਪੁੱਛਦੇ ਓ ਹਾਲ ਫਕੀਰਾਂ ਦਾ https://www.punjabi-kavita.com/KiPuchhdioHaalFakiranDaShivKumarBatalvi.php#gsc.tab=0

My personal recommendation for Batalvi recitations is this YouTube channel (the loona recitation is amazing) https://youtube.com/@official.manpreetrandhawa?si=7CEuyiE68FVbLT38

It takes me some time before connecting with the characters. When I initially started reading this one, I thought it would be a short read, and I wouldn’t connect with the characters.

But damn, I was so wrong. I can’t gather up my thoughts to describe how I felt while reading the last few pages. I recently saw ‘Main Vapis Aunga’ and couldn’t stop thinking about the countless people who went through hell and then lived while remembering that hell.

This novel isn’t only about partition, but it’s mainly about women.

It talks about what women have been going through in the past and even currently.

I can watch the movie based on this novel now.

Books I went through this month…opinions??

In Punjab the reading habits are so free, book fairs and shops regularly have venerating books about militants, armed radicals, and it's considered almost a rite of passage for a punjabi to be anti-state.

This is stemming from my last post about Umar Khalid, he's such a mellow activist, gentle man in his approach and politics. Diligent researcher. And people flipping out over him is so comical. Hilarious, even.

So, Punjabis, which books in your list would make the average bjp voter foam at the mouth?

Drop your suggestions (shortest possible books please)

The painting is Jove decadent by Ramon Casas.

Pic unrelated just wanted your attention

Here's the full article - https://www.thehindu.com/books/umar-khalids-prison-reading-list/article71141134.ece

"the young must be chronicled as quickly as the old" reminds me of the AP Dhillon's docu-series

“Taiwan Travelogue” might be a good award winning book based on exploration of relationships, social system and indeed, a well researched sociological analysis of society in Japan occupied Taiwan but I just couldn’t “get” it.

The explanation of food culture is so immersive and detailed but still not able to understand it as a vegetarian. Sounds exotic but very alienated kind of feeling. I tried to give it a lot of chances but it is going to my “didn’t finish it list” now!

Just started this book “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin & completed only 10 pages so far, the premise feels interesting.

Didn’t read anything written by James Baldwin apart from The fire next time.

Share your non-spoiler views, if you have read it 💚

shugal mela

here’s the link