The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Retracing the glory of Shah Mohammad
Tribune News Service

With a Shah Mohammad Festival dedicated to Sardar Majithia on the anvil, its time Punjab remembered the poet from Amritsar who wrote ‘Jangnama’— an eyewitness account of the first Anglo-Sikh War, says Varinder Walia

It took more than a century to establish that Shah Mohammad, who wrote “Jangnama”— a colossal work that gave an eyewitness account of the first Anglo-Sikh War that took place after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, actually belonged to the border village Wadala Veeram in Amritsar district and not Batala, a steel town in Gurdaspur district.

The poetry of Shah Mohammad is part of Punjab’s golden heritage and is considered a lighthouse for the generations to come.

It was Maula Baksh Kushta, a famous Punjabi critic, who also hailed from Wadala Veeram, to first to point out that Shah Mohammad belonged to his own village.

The second International Shah Mohammad Memorial Festival has been dedicated to Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, founder of
The Tribune. Majitha, the ancestral village of Sardar Majithia is only 6 km from Wadala Veeram.

The famous Pakistani poet and General Secretary of the World Punjabi Conference, Mr Kanwal Mushtak, said his organisation would evolve a plan to organise joint functions in India and Pakistan in the name of Punjabi poets.

The festival, in the name of Shah Mohammad, would be held in Pakistan in the near future, he said. Similarly, a function in the name of Hasham, the Muslim Punjabi poet (who also belonged to Amritsar) was also being planned, he added.

Kushta wrote that the poet was born in 1780 and died in 1862, a few years after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The world famous “Jangnama,” he said, might have been written around 1846.

Aghast at palace conspiracies and intrigues following the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the classic poet accurately presented the reasons for the demise of the Sikh rule.

An ardent admirer of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s rule, Shah Mohammad believed that the king had converted Punjab– the land of five rivers— from the “an abode of sorrow to a garden of paradise.”

The poet had rued that soon after Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death, the entire edifice of his kingdom collapsed due to internal intrigues and British machinations.

After two abortive Anglo-Sikh Wars, Punjab was finally annexed to the East India Company in 1849. Dr Harbhajan Singh Bhatia, a professor at the School of Punjabi Studies, describes Shah Mohammad as a great patriot who infuses a sense of nationalism among the readers.

Members of the Trust point out the place where a well belonging to the poet’s house was filled up.

A school hall , named after the poet, at Wadala Veeram village near Amritsar.

Showering praise over the composite Punjabi culture during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, where Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims lived happily with each other, the poet had written that Punjab was fortunate in having developed and cherished since centuries a long and glorious tradition of such culture.

The mystic songs of Sufi-saints and Punjabi poets in particular were the pride of the whole of Punjab, he had further written. During this reign, all communities reaffirmed their Punjabi roots, he had mentioned.

For him, Punjabi Muslims became a part and parcel of Sarkar-e-Khalsa who had earlier looked towards Afghans and Pathans and were consequently betrayed by them.

Shah Mohammad wrote that the Maharaja’s legacy was such that he had created a secular kingdom that was equal to all.

The poet in him could project, in most appropriate words, the infighting of the Sikh Sardars and the treachery perpetrated by the Dogras led by Dhyan Singh Dogra, making the descriptions a “primary source” for all historians.

Dr Bhatia says the historical facts given in “Jangnama” are verifiable from the “Roznamacha” (a daily diary) written during the reign Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

An old mosque in the ancestral village of poet
Shah Mohammad. The four majestic mosques are a testimony to the fact that the village was Muslim-dominated before the Partition.
Historians have pointed out that close relatives of Shah Mohammad were employed in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army.

It was with their help that the poet could piece together a complete picture of the battle between the Sikhs and the British.

Dhyan Singh Dogra, who originally belonged to Jammu, rose to the rank of Prime Minister of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s kingdom.

The other group was led by the noblemen of Lahore, who were both Muslims and Hindus and had important portfolios like foreign affairs, medicine and science.

The secular rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh worked well during his lifetime, but with Kharak Singh, his eldest son, becoming the king, things started to change.

The new Maharaja turned out to be full of vices and lacked the ability to rule. Hence it was high time for Sikh Sardars and Dogras to indulge in conspiracies. Historians attribute the inability of Sikh leaders and the intrigue started by the Dogra brothers responsible for the fall of the kingdom.

Even as fests were being organised in the memory of modern poets, no major effort had been made to mark the contributions of Shah Mohammad.

Then, a couple of years ago, Mr Manjit Singh Bhoma and Mr Bhupinder Singh Sandhu, both residents of the area, formed the Shah Mohammad Memorial Trust to preserve the heritage of the legendry poet.

However, traces of history linking the village to the poet are being slowly obliterated.

A gurdwara and a private residence has come up at the site where the poet once lived.

Wadala Veeram was a Muslim-dominated village which witnessed communal frenzy as the country inched towards Partition, claiming many Sikh and Muslim lives.

Earlier, historians took more than a century to confirm that the actual village of Shah Mohammad was Wadala (the last village of Amritsar) and not Batala (Gurdaspur).

A team of researchers in 1973, led by the then Director of the Punjabi Languages Department, visited this village and with the help of revenue records, discovered an old marble slab fixed on the well of Shah Mohammad’s house.

After holding two commemorative functions, first in 1973 and then in 1978, Shah Mohammad forgotten again by the villagers, the Languages Department and the state government.

Now Shah Mohammad Yadgari Charitable Trust has decided to retrace the life of the legendary poet with the help of Almi Punjabi Virasat Foundation.

Both the organisations will hold a festival in the name of Shah Mohammad on December 8 at Wadala Veeram.

Mr Jagir Singh, a retired Sub-Inspector, who witnessed the communal riots in the village, said all its Muslim residents migrated to Pakistan after the carnage.

The villagers, especially the family of Late Niranjan Singh Chabba, have made efforts to preserve an ancient mosque in the village. Though two mosques are in a dilapidated condition, one of these— Baba Taran Shah— situated on the main road, is being maintained by a Sikh family.

City’s old water supply system put on revival path
Rashmi Talwar

Along with the installation of the gold palanquin at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan on other side of the Radcliff line on November 30, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh also laid the foundation stone of a water supply system project for the holy city.

With assistance of technology, Capt Amarinder Singh pressed remote control button which started a tube-well at the backside of the historic Town Hall, now housing the office of the Municipal Corporation while another button drew the curtains off the scheme’s foundation stone.

The new scheme drafted by the Amritsar Municipal Commissioner, Mr K.S. Kang at an initial budget of Rs 6 crore, would re-use the seven overhead reservoirs of built during the British Raj as well utilise the forty wells for refilling the depleting water table.

With a residential population of nearly two lakh in addition to tourist and commercial population, the walled city which had an ancient supply system since 1904 needed to cater to the growing needs.

With only 23 of the 91 tube-wells functioning, 30 new tube-wells would now be installed and supply pipes made of water-resistant material would be laid to eliminate chances of water contamination.

The plan formulates the repair of reservoirs, replacement of old pipelines, besides supplying seven generators to ensure uninterrupted water supply.

As many as 14 wards would benefit from the new initiative. Contractors have been given the responsibility of maintenance.

The Chief Minister also announced a grant of Rs one crore to revive the Moti Lal Nehru Library at the Corporation.

Punjab Local Bodies, Labour, Employment and Parliamnetary Affairs Minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh was the guest of honor on the occasion. He promised a fast-paced development of city which included elevated roads, food courts and five-star hotels.

Meanwhile, local MP Navjot Singh Sidhu said the inauguration of the new scheme and publicity of other development schemes were merely an eyewash to befool the public when the Corporation could even not clear its liabilities of Rs 40 crore.

Channa Chure Wala to donate bridal churas to
550 poor girls
Pawan Kumar

Donations could be of any type and have no limit. This seems to be the motto of Gurcharan Singh, popularly known as Channa Chure Wala.

Channa Chure Wala, who is also known as one of the great fans of Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit, has been donating bridal Churas to poor girls at mass marriages at various places for quite some times now. He has now planned to donate bridal churas to 550 poor girls, who would congregate at a grain market in Ludhiana during their mass marriage on December 11. This mass marriage is being organised by Sant Baba Makhan Singh ‘Seva Panthi’ of Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Taksal, who often organise such marriages at various cities.

Gurcharan Singh said the churas would also have the names of the couple. He said he specially made these churas for donations. He has donated bridal churas to about 800 girls till date. He said he along with his whole family would attend the mass marriage at Ludhiana.

He has put a stall outside his house urging people to donate for this good cause. He said the residents of area were also donating various items for the brides to be. He thanked the residents for their good gestures.

Gurcharn Singh claimed to have given bridal churas to many actresses, including Madhuri Dixit and Amisha Patel.

Rare brain surgery performed
Rashmi Talwar

A rare brain surgery was performed on a two-year-old boy to clear out the excessive fluid in the brain using the endoscopic technique.

Dr Ajit Singh Randhawa of Ajit Hospital said the boy came to him in a semi-conscious state and was detected with a condition called Hydrocephalus where the fluid produced by the brain does not drain out automatically due to some congenital defect or reasons of infection as in brain tumour.

The life-threatening condition is commonly remedied by the shunt pipe technique in which a pipe is inserted into the brain and connected to the abdomen through the skin; but in this technique, a small incision is made to create a new passage for the fluid to flow out.

In the former process, the risk of infection and blockage keeps the patient and his family on tenter-hooks throughout his lifetime and many revision surgeries to correct the defect have to be undertaken, says Dr Randhawa.

However, in this minimum-invasive surgery, the patient has to undergo surgery only once and that can end his mental and physical trauma, he adds. “At least 1:10,000 patients suffer from this congenital defect or may develop it sometime in their lifetime due to infection or a tumor in the brain.”

The surgery costs about Rs 40,000, but the hospital offers to treat poor patients at a minimal charge.

Girl from city on cover page of ‘Wit Today’
Neeraj Bagga

Local girl Rhythm Sharma became the first girl from Punjab whose photograph was published on the cover page of a children’s magazine ‘Wit Today’.

Her photograph appeared on November issue of the book. The ten-year old student of Senior Study School loves to participate in modelling contests. She makes a point by taking part in each contest held in district.

Besides, she loves anchoring and keenly watches such programmes being telecast on TV channels. Her mother, Dr Meenakshi, says she imitates lady anchors at home and gives demos to family members and asks for their advice.

She plays the role of anchor during annual Prize Distribution day function of her school. “It has shattered my initial hesitation to speak on stage”, she feels.

The principal of her school, Ms. Kanchan Mehra, says that Rhythm actively participates in extra curricular activities. She always stands first in her class.

Her desire is to follow modelling and anchoring as a career. Apart from this, she likes poster-making. Her poster on the theme of ‘Energy Conservation’ was recently selected by the Ministry of Power.

Sachin lookalike draws crowds
Rashmi Talwar

For moment, one is literally ‘bowled over’ by the smile of Surjit Singh and his uncanny resemblance to master blaster Sachin Tendulkar.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise when he is mobbed almost everywhere and even in the Golden Temple recently.

A hoarding and billboard painter by profession, Surjit has almost forgotten his name as everyone calls him ‘Sachin’.

Nearly the same height, twinkling sharp eyes , similar complexion and ‘matching’ voice of the cricketing great the 24-year-old belongs to village Gumtala near here.

The lookalike feels great when at his maternal grandmother’s house in Wadala village, illiterate villagers tell his grandmother that her grandson is a Hero whom they often watch on TV.

The grandmother, of course, finds no need to dispel the confusion and instead basks in the ‘borrowed’ glory, says Surjit.

In a recent visit to paint a school board at Sansri Kalan village near here Surjit was greeted with cries of ‘Sachin Sachin’! by over enthusiastic students. He was taken to each classroom thereafter by the teachers, who were equally baffled by his looks. Only later when he started painting the board did many of them realise he was not their actual idol.

His parents were the only ones who call him Surjit and they are often corrected by even strangers! Laughs his mother Kuldeep Kaur and father Sukhdev Singh.

Come village fairs, Ram Tirath mela and ‘Sachin’ is mobbed as he tries out his acting skills by smiling like the real hero.

That he cannot speak a word of Hindi like his idol, is his major drawback at which he is working hard to get a role in film or serial. However, the ‘desi’ Punjabi speaking Sachin’s charms have not dimmed as villagers enjoy the flavour of their own mother tongue.

Having his studio in Ajnala he often practices to hone his acting skills in his free time and what motivates him —- is that his newly-wedded bride who is equally enamored by his looks —-also calls him ‘Sachin’!

Pak delegation appreciates jewellery
designs by students
Ashok Sethi

The visiting Pakistani entrepreneurs and others were smitten by the ethnic and traditional designs of jewellery and textiles put up by the students of BBK DAV College for Women at IPEX-2005 in the city.

Giving details of the interaction between the students and the Pakistani visitors, the principal of the college, Mrs J Kackria, said the Lahore, Islamabad and Federation of Pakistani Chamber of Commerce had mooted proposals for working together and explore the possibilities of creating joint platform, thereby, bringing the artists of both the countries together.

Mrs Kackria said they would study the offers made by the Chamber and prepare a joint strategy for showcasing the talent together at various international and national affairs being held in both the countries.

She said the jewellery designs prepared by the students were appreciated by the visitors from across the border.

Even the textiles designs received raving reviews, Mrs Kackria said. The Pakistani textiles boutique ‘Ruhi Rang’ has even offered to collaborate with the students for producing new vibrant designs for the ethnic wears of this region. She said the college authorities were working out modalities for holding joint workshops at Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

She said the college had been invited to exhibit their items at an exhibition ‘Made in India’ to be held in Lahore from January 26.

Expressing regrets for Partition through poetry
Pawan Kumar

Rare bonhomie was witnessed during the Indo-Pak Mushiara, organised by Sai Mian Mir International foundation at the local DAV International School.

Describing the sad chapter of the history when the two countries were divided by the thin line after Partition, the poets rendered poems with the heart full of sorrow. One of the poet in chaste ‘Urdu’ read out the following lines

"Jinde-vasde rehan hum-saaye,

nazar to uhna nu rab bachaye,"

Queering the emotional pitch, the Pakistani poet rendered the following verse to explain his love for the soil and what it had given to the people of both the countries only sadness and sorrow.

"Chup hain kyon, kuchh bole o rabba,

Inj na sanu role o rabba,

Kidre uthde pyar-janaje,

Kidre vajan dhol o rabba,

Dil dukh nal bhar gya hun te,

Sukha di pand khol o rabba."

Another Pakistani poetess Zubaida Haider Jebi, along with other Pakistani poets, reached out to the people with their poems

"Lekha di Jang Larde larde,

Jinde paye a marde marde,

Sach di baazi okhi hai par,

Jit jawange harde harde."

Other Pakistani poets, who recited poems on the occasion, included Anjum Savini, Sultana Ifatal, Anees Haider, Dr Khalid Javed, Sartarm Sheikh, Irfan Sadiq, Jahid Nabi, Kudrat Ullah Chaudhary, Abdul Munir and Aslam Khan.

Mr Aziz Ahmad Naaz, secretary of the foundation, speaking on the occasion, lauded the efforts of foundation in bringing the people of the two countries together.

Renowned magician ready with a bagful of tricks
Rashmi Talwar

“In a flash, an elephant on stage will vanish!” That’s the promise being made by magician O.P. Sharma.

Setting the stage with his dancing eyes, the magician would be performing in Sangam Cinema with his bagful of nearly 30 startling tricks from December 9.

“I can turn a beautiful girl into a monster and a snake into a girl,” claimed the magician.

While talking to The Tribune, Mr Sharma said he was a mechanical engineer in an ordinance factory in Kanpur before he took to performing magic in the year 1971.

At 61 of age and with 34 years of hard work at improving performances, he was inducted intp the International Brotherhood of Magicians (a world body of magicians in the US) this year. “The Great Indian Rope Trick that has been a something of a enigma to the Western audience, did the trick,” he beamed.

His partner in magic is his son Surya Parkash Sharma, also called O.P. Junior, and together they have performed in England, Mauritius, Japan and Nepal. “Our proudest moment was entertaining the army jawans after the Kargil War in Kanpur for three days.”

The magician who claims to be bring into play scientific knowledge, hypnotism and mesmerisation techniques said he had a 45-member team on stage to assist him.

School salutes spirit of nationalism
Our Correspondent

As many as 1031 students of the Springdale Senior School displayed different dance forms and a rich repertoire of music of the country in a two-hour performance as a salute to the spirit of nationalism.

Students used different modes of presentation using all the three prevalent languages of the state revolving around the theme “Sarey Jahan Sey Achha.”

Coming alive on the open grounds of the school, scenes were depicted from Goa to West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh to the Andaman Islands. It encompassed Rajasthan, Kerala, Manipur, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

Students presented and danced to music and songs from different regions in a unifying force threading and binding them all.

While the tri-colour fluttered in its full glory in the school, tributes were paid to those who laid their lives for the freedom of the country. The event was held as a part of the series of shows to mark the silver jubilee year the school’s formation.

Mr Dhani Ram, Principal, DAV College, was the chief guest, while Ms Sukhbir Kaur Mahal.

IT raids at major Saree house
Ashok Sethi

The officials of the income tax have conducted a raid at the premises of a major Saree house here. The raid is likely to unearth major unaccounted cash and stocks.

According to the details available from reliable source, the director of investigations based on major tip off searched the premises of Kishore Saree house of a leading Saree wholesale dealer. The raiding party also searched the complex of their brokers through which major transactions were being made.

According to unconfirmed reports, cash and stocks amounting to several lakh have been seized and the income tax officials were busy verifying the unaccounted assets.

Weekly Round-up
Contaminated water

The residents of Joshi Colony and Posh Lawrence Road area have complained of getting contaminated water from Municipal Corporation supply. The Joshi Colony and Lawrence Road Welfare Association in a complaint to Mr K S Kang, Commissioner, MC, alleged that they were getting contaminated water with unbearable stench. “If the corporation fails to take any action in this regard soon, it would result in an epidemic,” they said.

Launch

VLCC has launched its ‘Sign Away Obesity Signature Campaign’ to mark the Anti-Obesity Day. Mr Sunil Datti, mayor, launched the campaign. The spokesman of the VLCC said the company had organised workshops and free health camps at all its centers across the country for this cause. Special packages were also announced on this occasion.

BBK DAV wins tennis title

The BBK DAV College for Women has won the Guru Nanak Dev University inter college championship held at Ram Bagh Lawn Tennis Court here. There were seven teams in the tournament. BBK DAV college defeated H M V college, Jalandhar, BD Arya College, Jalandhar Cant and Hindu College in league matches. Ms Roman and Ms Pooja selected to represent GNDU Lawn Tennis Team for All India Inter Varsity Championship in Kolkata. The other members of the team include Minakshi, Kawaljit Kaur and Parminder Kaur.

Office bearers

The following persons have been elected as the office bearers of All India Dalit Christian Morcha. Mr Robert Masih has been elected as president, Mr Diya Masih, general secretary, Mr Surinder Masih and Mr Kewal Masih, senior vice-presidents, Mr Amandeep Bhatti, secretary and Mr George Masih as joint secretary.

One held with fake passport

The alert ground staff of Air India has nabbed one Sanjay Kumar, of village Jalalabad district, Hoshiarpur, when he was trying to board the Delhi-Birmingham-Toronto flight with fake passport.

The spokesman of the Air India here told The Tribune that Mr Ashwani Arora, station manager who was manning the departure counter, got suspicious about the movements of Sanjay and immediately cautioned the immigration department who detained the accused. According to preliminary investigations, Sanjay allegedly revealed that he was supplied a passport of one Sukhdev Singh by a travel agent, who affixed his snap on the passport which carried valid visa to Toronto. He also revealed that his uncle who resides in New York had promised to give Rs 22 lakhs to travel agent for arranging his trip to Canada.

The spokesman said this was the second case of a passenger trying to sneak out of the country with fake documents in the past 15 days. The accused was handed over to Rajasansi Police and a case has been registered against him.