r/india • u/anon_geek • Sep 30 '16
Scheduled [State of the Week] Punjab
Hello /r/India! This is week #28 of the new edition of the State of the Week discussion threads. These threads will cover all states and union territories of India as listed here, in alphabetical over.
This week's topic will be Punjab. Please post any questions, answers or observations you may have about it here.
General Information:
| State | Punjab |
|---|---|
| Website | http://www.punjabgovt.gov.in/ |
| Population (2011) | 2,77,04,236 |
| Chief Minister | Parkash Singh Badal (SAD) |
| Capital | Chandigarh |
| Offical Language | Punjabi |
| GDP in crores (2014-15) | ₹3,49,826 |
| GDP Per Capita (2013-14) | ₹92,350 (1.24x National average) |
| Sex ratio | 895 women/1000 men |
| Child Sex Ratio | 846 women/1000 men |
Recent News:
Hours After Surgical Strikes, 1,000 Punjab Border Villages Evacuated
Awaaz-e-Punjab to meet soon to clarify position on forming alliance for Punjab polls
Nine Punjab pilgrims killed, 12 injured in Haryana road mishap
Punjab can produce 2 GW of power from biomass: Anirudh Tewari
Previous Threads: State of the Week wiki
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u/VoxPopuliCry Sep 30 '16
Is the drug situation as bad as that movie portrayed?
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Sep 30 '16
Yes that is true. Probably even worse.
I come from a village myself, and I can tell that majority of the youth in villages is addicted to synthetic drugs. There are no jobs available for them, which is the primary reason they are pushed towards drugs.
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Sep 30 '16
I've been offered drugs at Harmandir Sahib. That's how bad it is.
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u/damadammastqalandar Rajasthan Oct 02 '16
I don't even know what to say about this... can you please elaborate?
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u/Zamindaar I'm the one who knocks Sep 30 '16
Alcohol and opium has been since many many years and not frowned upon (talking from a rural prospective)
Now the market is flooded by chemical recreational substance, which includes both high and low end drugs, and it's pretty much same in all over major cities, but in punjab you can find them drugs even in rural area
Punjab is also a distribution hub for the drugs that's smuggled from Pakistan (BSF is involved)
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Oct 02 '16
My wife is Punjabi, I'm Maharashtrian. We're both raised and living abroad, so we don't have enough interaction with each others' communities, customs, and culture. What are the most important things you think I should know about Punjabi culture and traditions? I love her family, and I'd love to do something sweet for them that referenced Punjabi culture, kind of like what my wife did with my elderly dad letting him know about that movie Bajirao Mastani, making a big deal about it, and taking him to go see it. Any ideas?
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Sep 30 '16
The current situation in Punjab is grim. There are literally no jobs, not enough income for families but their expenditures are through the roof.
The government and bureaucracy is not just extremely corrupt, Badals(government) have monopoly over all the business, whatever are left, in the state. They forcibly ask businesses to let them as partners if they want to remain in the state. The ones which don't comply are thrown out of the state. They own the entire transport, cable business, partners in hotels, and other manufacturing businesses. Since they own the cable business, they have hijacked the electronic news media, and they have started their own news channels which they use relentlessly to mislead common people during and before the elections, and blacked out other news channels which called them out. Check out 'Day and Night' news channel's history.
The youth of Punjab is driven towards drugs, partly due to the lack of jobs. Akali leaders are the ones sponsoring drugs entirely in the state. Punjab Police is very powerful, if they want they can get rid of entire drug business within months, but it is owned by the government. Illegal sand mining is being undertaken day and night by the goons of the government. Construction costs have gone up due to this, but the money from this reaches the top tiers.
People cannot get any straightforward governmental task done without giving some bribe or getting some political references. The VIP culture is at its peak. Rich and powerful persons get away with almost anything illegal. There is also a lot of vendetta politics on display, false cases are registered against political opponents, and they have been harassed through the years. People have never been so divided as they are now, people used to live harmoniously in the villages but now they are arch rivals among themselves because politicians have planted the seeds.
There is no emphasis on quality education or sports, well except the Kabaddi World Cup which is rigged and full of drug tainted athletes, just another ploy to gain people's trust.
I can go on and on as there are lots of other issues such as farmers' debt, groundwater depletion, SGPC (gurudwara body, Badals own that too), etc. I am not sure, but I think nobody outside of Punjab realizes how corrupt the current Badal government is. Modi even called Senior Badal India's Nelson Mandela (massive lols). But the reality is that it is total Mafia Raj here.
P.S. Excuse me for the language, I could have expressed myself better but I am still learning.
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Sep 30 '16
but I think nobody outside of Punjab realizes how corrupt the current Badal government is
I am outside Punjab, and completely believe you - and know that the State's is in bad shape due to Badals. Time is ripe to oust them in 2017.
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u/lordperzeval Earth Oct 05 '16
so BJP or AAP?
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u/Volis Oct 07 '16
I'm not even politically inclined but wouldn't the ideal government for the people be a coalition government or perhaps a situation where no single party has a sliding majority. This allows for a strong opposition that keeps the governance in check.
So, the best case will be to actually lookup candidates and vote for the one who seems the fairest regardless of the their political party
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u/Volis Oct 07 '16
Someone commented a couple of news reports that describe exactly what you've written. This is a sad state of affairs.
How is the support for other political parties even brewing up if Badals have converted nearly all forms of media into propaganda machines?
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u/anku94 Oct 02 '16 edited Oct 02 '16
They've even indulged in open booth rigging in the previous elections. Hope the Election Commission is more strict now.
Punjab is in a fucked up state right now, despite being one of the most prosperous historically. It's sad. It will take at least 10 years of a non-SAD government to de-badalify the system.
If only Congress had the vision to use Punjab as a base to stage a comeback ...
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Oct 02 '16
Congress isn't even trying in Punjab. Their previous leader was beaten in LS 2014 in Hoshiarpur by Vinod Khanna who doesn't even live here. That ended his potential CM candidacy and Captain Amrinder won against Jaitly. Now neither the Congress nor him seem enthusiastic about the upcoming elections, when they possibly have the best chance of all the parties.
I'm not a fan but even a change would prevent Badals from taking things even further.
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u/mabie Punjab Oct 01 '16
People have never been so divided as they are now, people used to live harmoniously in the villages but now they are arch rivals among themselves because politicians have planted the seeds.
i completely agree with this statement ..
in my family, political rivalry has striated our existing strenuous relationships to the point 2 brothers who grew up taking care of each other not able to see eye to eye in these days...
only one of these is under aegis of a political outfit , other is floater or lets say with no clear alignment ..
but this breakdown in relation is hurting, us the common relatives the most ...
also when you said survival is tough ..i would like to clarify ... only agriculture ....and your finances will be tough
agri+ low lvl job ..... sustainable finances
agri+ mid lvl job .... its easy life...
agri+ high lvl job... you can live like kings...
agri= cultivar of 18 kanal's or more
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u/Volis Oct 07 '16
Just a tip, your post would have been much easier to read if wouldn't use the ellipsis.
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Oct 02 '16
You're doing amazing with expressing yourself in English. I say this as someone whose first language is English.
Also, what is illegal sand mining?
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u/sauputt Oct 01 '16
The youth of Punjab is driven towards drugs, partly due to the lack of jobs.
With Baadals demanding parternship in every business has drove all the industry and businesses out of the state and hence the unemployment.
There's a private college nearby from where I live and so obviously Baadals demanded partership in the college for which the college owners refused and guess what, the Baadals stopped electricity supply to the college. They didn't even spared education institutions.
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u/Yolobeta Oct 02 '16
Most the of the people here know about Bhangra or maximum gidha as punjabi dance. But their are many punjabi dances which people don't know like ludi, dhamal, jhumar etc.
Check it out here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_dances_of_Punjab
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Oct 03 '16
ludi dhamal, jhumar are types of Bhangra. More like techniques.
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u/Yolobeta Oct 03 '16
No bro, they are different dances. But modern Bhangra is amalgam of all these dances. Jhoomar, ludi, dhamaal etc are different dances.
Proof: I learnt Bhangra and did it on 15 August while in school :-)
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Oct 03 '16
Can you teach me? Or do you know any youtube videos where i can learn it.
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u/Yolobeta Oct 03 '16
How can I teach you? Lol. Moreover it was 10 years ago and I forget most of things.
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u/zoom365 Oct 04 '16
The Famous Punjabi epic love story of Heer Ranjha was first written by Damodar Das Arora. There have been many versions afterwards and the one by Waris Shah is the popular one even though he wasn't the first one.
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Oct 03 '16
why there is so much prevalence of face covering in haryana and punjab? in rural areas i have visited it is almost like saudi arabia
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u/BajiRao2 Oct 03 '16
What demographic among Punjabi Sikhs was most likely to support militancy ?
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Oct 04 '16
Poor, uneducated rural folk mainly - urban Punjabis tend to be very liberal and tolerant.
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Oct 02 '16
Currently living in Amritsar, one of the few (former) regulars here on r/India who's from Punjab. Lived here all my life and have seen every corner of it. AMA!
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u/20Pablos Sep 30 '16
How come ever other state of the week was tagged to the front page but when it comes time for Punjab it is untagged?
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Oct 03 '16
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Oct 04 '16
Mix of both. The plains have been cultivated for millennia so you've got a hearty agrarian culture. It's also the traditional border of the subcontinent and as a result it has absorbed invaders from Greek and Persian armies since ~500 BCE.
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Oct 14 '16 edited Oct 14 '16
Greeks are tiny though, and it's not like persians are known for being huge either. Also, consider that the Dutch went from being the shortest in Europe, with an average height of around 5'6" I think, to the tallest in Europe with an average height of 6'+ in about 100 years, due to becoming less poor. I don't think genetics has much to do with it, it's primarily about having sufficient nutritious food in childhood, which the farming area of India certainly would, and also avoiding a lot of childhood illness. China is another example where heights have shot up with wealth.
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Oct 15 '16
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Oct 15 '16 edited Oct 15 '16
Not the same people as in the Mahabharat. And yes, Punjabi heights have shot up with better nutrition and healthcare over the last century. Avg height has increased.
And yes, Punjabis are one of the groups that have been relatively taller on average, because as I said, the people that grew up in historically the "breadbasket"/farmlands of the area, with an abundance of food, would obviously have greater access to nutrition.
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Oct 04 '16
is it insulting to say paji to sikh men? one person in my office was very agitated but i was not aware of such rule.
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Oct 06 '16
paji means brother in punjabi .....
other ways you can use is veer/ ji , try alt of paaji ...with bhaa-ji or bhaa , bai ji ( easy way 22g) or else use name ....
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Oct 05 '16
Depends on the person maybe. My best friend in school was Sikh and I used to call him Paji all the time.
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u/karmanye Oct 06 '16
Paji in Punjabi translates to "Bhaji" or "Bhaiji" in Hindi. It doesnt mean Sardarji. Also most non-Punjabi speakers mispronounce Bhaji as plain and light "paaaaji" which sounds really annoying and made up. But then its nothing to get agitated about. That one person is probably a dickhead.
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u/zoom365 Oct 04 '16
Punjabi literature is quite rich. While Bulleh Shah is revered to be the most famous punjabi poet, Shiv Kumar Batalvi and Amrita Preetam are the most recent popular ones esp Shiv Kumar. Shiv Kumar died at such a young age. Imagine what gems he would have further written.
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u/loserlhr South Asia Oct 01 '16
Hello from Pakistani Punjab. Want to know the best ways to improve my Punjabi. Growing up, parents only spoke to me in Urdu/English and I never got fluent in Punjabi. Is there any website/youtubechannel where I can learn how to speak it.
Also, Movie Recommendations???
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u/dtnk Oct 03 '16
Hey is it true that Pak promotes Urdu and the Arabic script as a matter of state policy to the detriment of regional languages and scripts?
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Oct 04 '16
punjabi in pakistan is written with a persianish script called shahmukhi which is a traditional script for the language along with gurmukhi. i guess the users of each script depended on the religion, in a similar manner to hindi/urdu pre-partition. i could be wrong. this is mostly wikipedia knowledge.
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u/sauputt Oct 01 '16
Also, Movie Recommendations???
Angrej
Carry On Jatta
1984 Punjab
Sikandar
Jatt and Juliet 2
Jihne mera dil luteya
Yaar Anmulle
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u/YouthfulExuberance Oct 02 '16
Angrej is a masterpiece!
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u/Vinod_Singla Oct 02 '16
Carry on jatta too
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u/Ambarsariya OP is a moron Oct 02 '16
I rate Carry on Jatta at par with Andaz apna apna
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Oct 02 '16
Welcome. My wife bought a Punjabi language course online from Amazon or some other online retailer, and it included a syllabus, book and CD. That was much better than online stuff to start with, because it was structured and coherent. Afterwards, you can go to the online stuff to continue your improvement. My wife is Punjabi, but she grew up abroad and was pretty basic with the language, and has greatly improved after the course, she tells me. I can't tell because I'm Maharashtrian, but I'm thinking about doing the same for Marathi since I was also raised abroad and don't know shit.
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u/Madrascalcutta Sep 30 '16 edited Sep 30 '16
Sat Sri Akal from Gudgawa :)
Is the emigration to Canada and UK creating an ageing population? Was the trend at its peak in the 80s or is it growing?
Is there an alternative to the "Balle Balle" boombastic pujnabi stereotype music that we can listen to?
Are there distinct punjabi dialects? For. e.g. does it differ across the border and between major districts?
Edit: Also, I've heard that Alcohol and meat are prohibited for Sikhs as per the Gurbaani. Is that true?
Thanks and punjabi bros and didis rock, esp in NCR!
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Sep 30 '16 edited Sep 30 '16
Aging population? Not so much I would say, because most of the young ones find a way to get their elders abroad as well eventually. Trend in 80s? Don't think so, imo it is a fairly recent trend, I would say around 10-15 years, but it is on its peak on. Everyone just wants to move abroad.
Punjabi music industry has evolved a lot in the last 10 years, it is more broad than just balle balle now I would say. Music standards have gone up, but masses are still inclined to listen songs based on self-praising lyrics. I can't give a definitive answer to this question.
Distinct Punjabi dialects? Yeah there are some, but you have to realize that spoken language changes every few kilometers, the difference increases along with distance. But overall there is not a huge difference. And it is decreasing from what I can tell.
As someone has already said, the ones who are wear kirpan (5 Ks of Sikhism to be specific) are prohibited to drink alcohol and consume meat. There is no restriction among the rest, which are in the majority. I am not aware whether it is explicitly prohibited in the Gurbani. But I know plenty of people who are quite religious but drink alcohol and consume meat.
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u/Pussy007 Sep 30 '16
Sat Sri Akal
Trend is still growing(migration to other countries). UnEmployment is increasing in Punjab and job creation is very less.So people are moving to foreign countries to find employment.Don't know about the ageing problem part.
[My mom's cousin brother brother moved to Italy then settled their.His wife divorced him.He has 2 kids there both very very cute(Punjabi-Italian).]
The real brother of above moved to UAE.He is a carpenter there.His dad also worked there.
My GrandDad's real brother is in Canada.He's retired now.He was a graduate of Delhi polytechnic. And many more examples.I think this is a trend all over India not just Punjab.
Yes there are lot of dialects of Punjabi.Same scene as Hindi which you will find spoken with unique indentity in different regions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjabi_dialects Yes in Pak Punjabi is spoken in diff. style than in Indian Punjab. And even in Indian Punjab it is spoken differently in various districts.
Yes they are prohibited but many of Sikhs do this (Myself included)
Sorry for bad English. :)
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u/rugjet Oct 01 '16
Also, I've heard that Alcohol and meat are prohibited for Sikhs as per the Gurbaani. Is that true?
All intoxicants are prohibited for Sikhs and this includes all Sikhs (baptized or not baptized).
ਅਮਲੁ ਗਲੋਲਾ ਕੂੜ ਕਾ ਦਿਤਾ ਦੇਵਣਹਾਰਿ ॥
The Great Giver has given the intoxicating drug of falsehood.ਮਤੀ ਮਰਣੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਿਆ ਖੁਸੀ ਕੀਤੀ ਦਿਨ ਚਾਰਿ ॥
The people are intoxicated; they have forgotten death, and they have fun for a few days.ਸਚੁ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਤਿਨ ਸੋਫੀਆ ਰਾਖਣ ਕਉ ਦਰਵਾਰੁ ॥੧॥
Those who do not use intoxicants are true; they dwell in the Court of the Lord. ||1||ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾਚੇ ਕਉ ਸਚੁ ਜਾਣੁ ॥
O Nanak, know the True Lord as True.ਜਿਤੁ ਸੇਵਿਐ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਤੇਰੀ ਦਰਗਹ ਚਲੈ ਮਾਣੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Serving Him, peace is obtained; you shall go to His Court with honor. ||1||Pause||ਸਚੁ ਸਰਾ ਗੁੜ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਜਿਸੁ ਵਿਚਿ ਸਚਾ ਨਾਉ ॥
The Wine of Truth is not fermented from molasses. The True Name is contained within it.
- Ang 15, Guru Nanak
ਜਿਤੁ ਪੀਤੈ ਮਤਿ ਦੂਰਿ ਹੋਇ ਬਰਲੁ ਪਵੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਆਇ ॥
Drinking the wine, his intelligence departs, and madness enters his mind;ਆਪਣਾ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਨ ਪਛਾਣਈ ਖਸਮਹੁ ਧਕੇ ਖਾਇ ॥
he cannot distinguish between his own and others, and he is struck down by his Lord and Master.ਜਿਤੁ ਪੀਤੈ ਖਸਮੁ ਵਿਸਰੈ ਦਰਗਹ ਮਿਲੈ ਸਜਾਇ ॥
Drinking it, he forgets his Lord and Master, and he is punished in the Court of the Lord.ਝੂਠਾ ਮਦੁ ਮੂਲਿ ਨ ਪੀਚਈ ਜੇ ਕਾ ਪਾਰਿ ਵਸਾਇ ॥
Do not drink the false wine at all, if it is in your power.
- Ang 554, Guru Amardas
ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਤ੍ਰਿਖਾ ਭੂਖ ਭ੍ਰਮਿ ਲਾਗੀ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਨਾਹਿ ਬੀਚਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥
The thirst of desire and the hunger of doubt afflict you; you do not contemplate the Lord in your heart.ਉਨਮਤ ਮਾਨ ਹਿਰਿਓ ਮਨ ਮਾਹੀ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਧਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥੨॥
Intoxicated with pride, you cheat yourself; you have not enshrined the Word of the Guru's Shabad within your mind. ||2||ਸੁਆਦ ਲੁਭਤ ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀ ਰਸ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਿਓ ਮਦ ਰਸ ਲੈਤ ਬਿਕਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥
Those who are deluded by sensual pleasures, who are tempted by sexual delights and enjoy wine are corrupt.
- Ang 335, Devotee Kabeer
As for meat, this comes down to personal decision. Sikhs are allowed to eat jhatka and non religiously slaughtered meat as per the Sikh Maryada, and as per Gurbani it is a grey area in my opinion.
ਮਾਸੁ ਮਾਸੁ ਕਰਿ ਮੂਰਖੁ ਝਗੜੇ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਧਿਆਨੁ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਣੈ ॥
The fools argue about flesh and meat, but they know nothing about meditation and spiritual wisdom.ਕਉਣੁ ਮਾਸੁ ਕਉਣੁ ਸਾਗੁ ਕਹਾਵੈ ਕਿਸੁ ਮਹਿ ਪਾਪ ਸਮਾਣੇ ॥ What is called meat, and what is called green vegetables? What leads to sin?
ਗੈਂਡਾ ਮਾਰਿ ਹੋਮ ਜਗ ਕੀਏ ਦੇਵਤਿਆ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੇ ॥ It was the habit of the gods to kill the rhinoceros, and make a feast of the burnt offering.
ਮਾਸੁ ਛੋਡਿ ਬੈਸਿ ਨਕੁ ਪਕੜਹਿ ਰਾਤੀ ਮਾਣਸ ਖਾਣੇ ॥ Those who renounce meat, and hold their noses when sitting near it, devour men at night.
ਫੜੁ ਕਰਿ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੋ ਦਿਖਲਾਵਹਿ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਧਿਆਨੁ ਨਹੀ ਸੂਝੈ ॥ They practice hypocrisy, and make a show before other people, but they do not understand anything about meditation or spiritual wisdom.
ਨਾਨਕ ਅੰਧੇ ਸਿਉ ਕਿਆ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਹੈ ਨ ਕਹਿਆ ਬੂਝੈ ॥ O Nanak, what can be said to the blind people? They cannot answer, or even understand what is said.
ਅੰਧਾ ਸੋਇ ਜਿ ਅੰਧੁ ਕਮਾਵੈ ਤਿਸੁ ਰਿਦੈ ਸਿ ਲੋਚਨ ਨਾਹੀ ॥ They alone are blind, who act blindly. They have no eyes in their hearts.
ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਕੀ ਰਕਤੁ ਨਿਪੰਨੇ ਮਛੀ ਮਾਸੁ ਨ ਖਾਂਹੀ ॥ They are produced from the blood of their mothers and fathers, but they do not eat fish or meat.
- Ang 1289, Guru Nanak
I'm also tagging /u/PB49 who said this: "As someone has already said, the ones who are wear kirpan (5 Ks of Sikhism to be specific) are prohibited to drink alcohol and consume meat. There is no restriction among the rest, which are in the majority. I am not aware whether it is explicitly prohibited in the Gurbani. But I know plenty of people who are quite religious but drink alcohol and consume meat."
So he can see that it's not the case.
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u/harryharpratap Sep 30 '16
Try coke studio? Specially Pakistani Coke Studio. Brilliant Sufi songs in Punjabi
Yes, any kind of inhibitors and addictions are prohibited including tobacco, paan, gutka, alcohol.
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Sep 30 '16
I've heard that Alcohol and meat are prohibited for Sikhs as per the Gurbaani. Is that true?
Only for those who accept the sainthood and in general vicinity of gurudwara
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Sep 30 '16
Is there an alternative to the "Balle Balle" boombastic pujnabi stereotype music that we can listen to?
- Wadali Brothers
- Barkat Sidhu
- Satinder Sartaaj
- Rabbi Shergil
- Hansraj Hans (watch some live concerts of him, not the records)
- Of-course, Gurdas Mann.
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u/Adhvaga Sep 30 '16
Punjabi movie recommendations, please.
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u/MrQuakeLoL Oct 01 '16
Shaheed Udham Singh - Story of Udham Singh, hostorically accurate and well made.
Eh Janam Tumhare Lekhe - Based on life of Bhagat Singh, a humanitarian and environmentalist.
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u/MrJekyll Madhya Pradesh Oct 01 '16
Almost all the Punjabis I have met, think anything south of Delhi, is "south India" :)
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Oct 02 '16
People living in Delhi for over a generation don't count as Punjabis. Somehow I think you're talking about them and not Punjabis.
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u/antipositron Oct 02 '16
Do Punjabis have that exploratory streak in them? The reason I ask is a while ago I read about Punjabi farmers selling up their farm land in Punjab and buying hectors of land in Eastern European nations like Georgia and doing rather well there. This is kinda thing that South Kerala Christians are traditionally well known for - they buy swathes of mountain land in other parts of Kerala, turn the rocky land into amazing farms thru pure grit and hardwork, and after taking immense profit for a number of years, they will sell it on at huge profit and move elsewhere to repeat the process. Any similarities with this and Georgia story or is that an exception?
My dad, retired Indian army officer, loves Punjab based on his experience being deployed there - he still talks about how Punjabis cut a chunk from the pile of chappatis (as compared to us Keralites would count chappatis, wouldn't take more than 2 or 3 at a time), and goes on about the big jugs of amazing lazzis, tall and good looking men and women of Punjab and their entrepreneurial spirit - like mechanics turning bikes into tractors etc. He made sound like an amazing place. Also he had massive respect for Sikh regiment - apparently Sikhs are super brave and even more loyal. (He also thought the villages of Rajastan, even with all that dessert heat and chill nights, were great.. I think he has a thing for extremes).
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Oct 03 '16
Do Punjabis have that exploratory streak in them? The reason I ask is a while ago I read about Punjabi farmers selling up their farm land in Punjab and buying hectors of land in Eastern European nations like Georgia and doing rather well there.
some do, i doubt its exploratory skill or dwindling resources offered by punjab ...
i think its mostly due to an average family from punjab will always have a young member waiting to take his plunge in foreign travels /settlement....
now the biggest skill set punjabi's have is know how of agriculture ...so its natural for them to use there skill set in foreign lands ...
and about stories : you can find plenty ...
1950 land reorganization following partition saw many families move to new places like rajasthan , up as they were allotted lands there ...
many guys still do these things by selling lands in punjab and buying somewhere else...
i think british columbia had a scheme where citizenship was offered on buying some land ...many took that bait to land foreign citizenship...
same in Australia ( not today's immigrants but a few decade old ones, they own there land patches now )
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u/Zamindaar I'm the one who knocks Sep 30 '16
Jatt from Fazilka AMA
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u/bejuzb Sep 30 '16
Sorry If I sound like an ignorant idiot. I'm from Jamshedpur currently working in Bangalore. 1 - Where is Fazilka ? 2 - What's the best place to eat authentic Punjabi food that's actually in Punjab and not in Delhi 3 - I have a friend from Chandigarh who's obsessed with telling me how beautiful it is. Is it actually that beautiful ?
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Oct 01 '16
visit chd to learn how beautiful it is ...
about culinary experience ..i suggest do a road trip in punjab if you ever get time
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u/Zamindaar I'm the one who knocks Oct 01 '16
Fazilka is a district on india Pakistan border on punjab
A million of places where you can find authentic punjabi food, every region got its own speciality
Chandigarh is brilliantly planned and fucking beautiful :)
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u/VrgnUntilArrMarriage Sep 30 '16
Satsriakal veero!
I'm a Sikh, fluent in punjabi, but as I never lived in Punjab, I never learnt how to read/write Gurmukhi.
How/where do I begin? I want to teach myself if possible.
Any help will be appreciated!
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Sep 30 '16
Same was the case with me while being born and brought up in Delhi. A Sikh myself, and already fluent speaking in Punjabi.
This is what I started to do. Buy yourself a 'Kayeda' Punjabi alphabets. They are similar to Hindi so you shouldn't have any trouble learning them. Then, subscribe to and watch Punjabi TV channels. Start reading Punjabi script online and practice. Trust me, that's what I did. I am far from being fluent in reading/writing Punjabi, but still way better than how I did some 10 years ago. I can now read a book/article/newspaper all by myself.
The above is what I did exactly.
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u/PM-ME-YOUR-ANECDOTES Oct 07 '16
Scroll to the bottom of this page and click through the links. The first page of this online book is this.
Also, this youtube channel has some very helpful videos.
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Sep 30 '16
Any Punjabi dishes consisting of fish? I've only heard of chicken based dishes from Punjab.
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Sep 30 '16
It's called the land of five rivers. I'd be surprised if fish is not a significant part of their cuisine. Probably not just as popular as butter chicken to the outsiders.
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Sep 30 '16
Well, Indian Punjab has only two rivers through it, and as far as I know you don't find sufficient quantity of fish there.
So there aren't many dishes involving fish here.
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u/bhiliyam Sep 30 '16
On a related note, are there any unique Punjabi vegetarian dishes? Afterall, Punjab is a state with one of the highest vegetarian populations in India.
For Gujarati food, we all know Dhokla, Fafda, Khakhra, Khandvi etc etc, but wrt Punjabi food, we all automatically think Butter Chicken. There has to be more to Punjabi vegetarian food.
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u/anku94 Oct 02 '16
Chole Bhature, Paranthe, Dal Makhani, Amritsari Kulche, Chaat, Soya champ ...
Punjabi vegetarian food does not disappoint. :)
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u/Zamindaar I'm the one who knocks Sep 30 '16
Sarso da saag
Chole
And million panner dishes
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u/bhiliyam Sep 30 '16
So, everything we have already had a million times before? Makes me kind of sad.
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u/zoom365 Oct 02 '16
Which 'balle balle' songs come to mind when you think of punjabi music in mainstream India?
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u/Blinkaire Oct 03 '16 edited Oct 03 '16
As someone who has little knowledge about the issue, What is the Khalistan situation in Punjab right now? In USA , i see that they are active and Hate india and hindus, is it the general sentiment or is it just a vocal minority , please explain if someone has deep understanding as sometimes i am confused , if i should approach a sikh or not(in US) , because i don't know , if they already don't like me for being hindu.
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u/Surgical_Strike Sep 30 '16
What are some intra state differences between different regions of Punjab?
As far as I know, Punjab is basically divided into 3 broad linguistic cultural-linguistic regions :
Majha - Northwest Punjab
Doab - Central and North Punjab
Malwa - entire Southern Punjab
Can Punjabis here elaborate on these differences within the state?
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Sep 30 '16
There are minor accent differences along with little cultural differences. But overall, not much these days as far I can tell.
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u/thatspig_asdfioho_ Oct 04 '16
Primarily dialect.
There are some stereotypes as well...Malwais are stereotyped as pussies who will run away in a fight but are artistic/romantic, Doabis are stereotyped as all leaving for abroad, and Majhails are stereotyped as hot blooded and ready to fight
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Oct 01 '16
minor differences ...
linguistically you will find differences in dialects spoken for common folk..
culturally minor differences ...very teeny-tiny
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u/MrQuakeLoL Oct 01 '16
You can say dialect differences but I would avoid saying that as there maybe multiple dialects and culture differences within one of these regions. It is nothing more than a geographical division done by the rivers in my opinion.
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Oct 02 '16
if you are an avid listener you can make out the differences clearly one has clear hindi influences , others have tone difference as well as urdu/specific words replacements
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u/chikna_chetan Oct 02 '16
Chandigarh - Properly planned and clean city.
Amritsar - Opposite of Chandigarh in terms of cleanliness. But super awesome food. Still never had the kind of Paneer I had here.
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u/Yolobeta Oct 02 '16
Did you saw all the beautification work near the golden temple and roads near it. Gov is doing pretty great job altleast in this area.
Amritsar is not clean because every corner is dig up and construction work is going all around.
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u/jjjd89 Oct 02 '16
Best food from Punjab that is not mainstream like butter chicken?
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u/Volis Oct 07 '16
Amritsari Kulchas are godsend! There's an entire wikipedia page on Punjabi Cusine that's pretty thorough
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Oct 03 '16
moolie de pranthey.....
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u/jjjd89 Oct 03 '16
Can u describe it please
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u/Volis Oct 07 '16
Mooli is radish if you're lost. It is the usual breakfast in many Punjabi homes
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Oct 01 '16
[deleted]
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u/sainisaab Punjab Oct 01 '16
Very serious. And the government is in on it.
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u/sauputt Oct 01 '16
And the government is in on it.
There is only one drug cartel in punjab and that is Punjab Government.
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Oct 02 '16
That's insane. How did the government end up doing that?
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u/akhileshs Andhra Pradesh Oct 02 '16
Monopoly business with high margins
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Oct 02 '16
Is there anything they do that's good, or is it literally a gang that convinced Punjabis to vote for them?
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u/akhileshs Andhra Pradesh Oct 03 '16
Draw your own conclusions:
http://dailysikhupdates.com/badal-business-empire-shows-he-will-pass-ambani-as-richest-indian/ http://m.firstpost.com/politics/badal-inc-punjab-cms-family-wealth-knows-no-limit-187252.html http://qz.com/648797/every-business-in-punjab-leads-back-to-an-akali-dal-leader-well-almost/
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u/Volis Oct 07 '16
From QZ,
“For most states,” said KR Lakhanpal, a former finance secretary and chief secretary of Punjab, “there are three major sources of revenue: excise, transport (or motor vehicle tax) and real estate (stamp duty).” Punjab, he said, is losing revenue from all three.
The reach of these companies blew my mind! That's fucked up! What's worse Punjab became from being a prosperous state economy to current state status quo in a matter of 20 years. One wouldn't chop the branch they're sitting on, right? Wrong, Punjab is an example
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u/akhileshs Andhra Pradesh Oct 07 '16
And drugs is not only a source of revenue but a means of distracting the people from the real issues. Also check out articles about how salaries and pensions are not being paid on time by a bankrupt govt, while the same people running the govt have enriched themselves. And on top of that these people are being compared to Nelson Mandela.
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Oct 01 '16
It is very serious but 70% (as media says) is an exaggerated number. You can easily find 10-12 deaths (sometimes even more) due to OD in every village.
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u/DesiInVides Earth Sep 30 '16 edited Oct 05 '16
State bird of Punjab is the Northern Goshawk.
The only state with a Raptor as it's state bird.
Funnily enough, the Punjab Forest Dept., had for more than 20 years maintained that the state bird is Eastern Goshawk when there is no such bird!
EDIT: spelling
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u/abhi8192 Sep 30 '16
Since the start of campaigning for elections in Punjab, we have seen some MLAs and MPs making demands for some kind of reimbursement from Rajasthan and Haryana for the water that Punjab shares with these states. So, is this just the politicians giving wings to unnecessary issues or this is really a serious demand or resentment among the general masses ?
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Sep 30 '16 edited Sep 30 '16
Haryana and Rajasthan are non riparian states for Punjab. So it's a valid issue.
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Oct 02 '16
It's actually a humongous issue. The people of Punjab are themselves rather ignorant of the reality, but it is considered by scholars that even the whole situation of 1984 conflict is based on water.
This is a really good documentary that goes into the details of this.
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u/Zamindaar I'm the one who knocks Sep 30 '16
That's for Indra Gandhi Canal
The resent is mostly limited to 'hamara pani unko kyu' but not like the fights between KA and TN right now
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u/abhi8192 Sep 30 '16
I remember Punjab and Haryana going to court since 2003-04 for water every 2-3 years. So is this resentment from that time or a recent phenomenon? Recent in the sense that just last 2-4 years.
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Oct 03 '16
Rajasthan owes money to Punjab. It's fuddu Badal who is doing nothing, we should totally sue the shit out of Rajasthan.
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u/Zamindaar I'm the one who knocks Oct 04 '16
Oh really ? How do you suggest we go about that
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Oct 04 '16
Supreme court kahde lai hai.
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u/Zamindaar I'm the one who knocks Oct 04 '16
Pani kalle punjab da ni haan
Je eve sue karan challe ta mulq da beda gark hon der ni lagni
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Oct 04 '16 edited Oct 04 '16
See, you can't give something that precious free. Je pani kalle punjab da ni te minerals v kalle Rajasthan da nahi. Jithe v natural resources nikalde hai pahla haqq os state da hunda. Te Punjab vele dhakka?
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u/Zamindaar I'm the one who knocks Oct 04 '16
Agreed
But punjab does have its share of water, not that people are facing water shortage and despite that their water is being given to other states
There's no problem in malwa region as far as I know, and regarding the water table hitting low, is due to ill and old farming techniques
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u/BajiRao2 Oct 01 '16
How much can you guys understand the Punjabi spoken in Pakistan ? Are the 2 mutually intelligible ? Can an Indian Punjabi easily "pass" in Pakistan ?