Punjabi cover story: Then and now

Sarika Sharma 

People are asking me for copies of Filhaal,” a flustered Roshan from Punjab Book Centre had told Gurbachan, the magazine’s editor, a few months ago. Gurbachan told him he had closed down Filhaal. “But people want it,” Roshan insisted. Recently, we got our own copy of a fatter Filhaal to make up for the two editions lost. The magazine is among the few Punjabi literary magazines struggling to reach out to people.

But it wasn’t the same always. There was a time when Punjabi literary magazine scenario was rich. It could boast big names. The pieces that came out turned out to be literary masterpieces — Sadaknama, experiences of a truck driver published in Nagmani, being the most famous example. There was Nagmani edited by Amrita Pritam, Arsee by Bhapa Pritam Singh. For years that followed, there was not much to talk about. A surge was witnessed in the literary scenario when Hun was published in 2005. That was followed by Filhaal in 2008, and the recent addition to that has been Wagah.

Second coming

When Hun was launched in 2005, its London-based editor, the late Avtar Jandialvi had told us he wanted to “create something new and respectful in Punjabi literature, away from all miserable and pessimistic stuff around.” Sushil Dosanjh, the present editor, says when Hun was launched, the many magazines around were specifically serving genres such as poetry, short story. “There was no space for new writing, and that’s where we scored,” says Sushil. Add to that a striking design and a bigger size. The magazine was an instant hit.

That was followed by Filhaal, which was launched by writer-critic Gurbachan. Known for the editor’s scathing observation and critique, it caught eyeballs and gathered its own stable of writers. He takes pride in the fact that Filhaal is not just about Punjab, it is about the world. One of his favourite editions carried a piece on the French cafes.

The newest addition to this genre has been Wagah, which was launched by a group of writers, including Charanjit Sohal, Sukhchain Dhillon, Swarajbir Singh, Amarjit Chandan and Tejwant Gill to promote writings and writers from either side of the border. “The idea was to give space to constructive criticism for the good of both Punjabi language and literature,” Gill says.

Throwback magazines

The rise of Punjabi literary magazines began with Preet Lari. Gurbaksh Singh, its US-returned engineer-turned-editor, was modern in every sense of the term. His magazine was no different. The magazine’s present editor Poonam Singh says Preet Lari was a window to the new world. “It was full of radical ideas. The emerging middle class hung on to it. They knew it was their way forward,” she says, and adds that it wasn’t just about literature. The themes were as diverse as god, travel and sex.

Delhi-based veteran editor Darshan Singh sees Preet Lari as a sort of a movement and feels most, if not all, Punjabi periodicals were launched and sustained by committed individuals or political, cultural or religious organisations. “These were never an economic venture,” he points.

Agrees Chandigarh-based Raghbir Singh, editor of Srijana magazine that has completed 50 years now. He says Punjabi magazines in the 1950s had established writers behind them. “If there was Gurbaksh’s Preet Lari, there was Panj Dariya edited by Mohan Singh. Then, there was Hira Singh Dard’s Phulwari and Nanak Singh’s Roop Sahit.

This ensured logical limits of their growth, which meant these magazines were not burdened by the economics of the market. But Darshan Singh says this is also why the ventures waned and collapsed when these individuals called it a day. After Gurbaksh Singh’s death, Preet Lari — which is in its 83rd year of publication — did not remain what it was. Nagmani was closed down by Amrita Pritam when she felt she could no longer carry it further. Arsee stopped publishing after Pritam Singh closed down the Navyug press. Lakeer was closed down twice by its editor Prem Prakash.

Bitter pill

For those bringing out the magazines, the challenges are many, and these don’t just lie in content and makeup, but also in circulation and marketing.

Old timers say one issue of Preet Lari touched 50,000 copies; Poonam says it was a consistent 26,000 for many years. There were quite a few that crossed the 2,000 mark easily. Today, it is different. A visit to Punjab Book Centre in Chandigarh, one of the most popular book shops in the region, revealed that though there are around 20 magazines, not many sell beyond 30-40 copies here. Crossing 1,000 is considered good enough. Dosanjh claims Hun sells around 8,000. Poonam doesn’t share the numbers.

England-based writer Amarjit Chandan says most magazines today are financed by the NRI lot with only self-promotion in sight. “Strange it is that the golden period literary journals were produced on shoestring budgets. Now they are rolling in money, but there is hardly any editorial talent and skills,” contends Chandan, who was an assistant editor with Preet Lari for a brief time and has helped a few new magazines launch.

Gurbachan decided to call it a day as it was too much for the one-man army to carry it on. “I was not just editing the magazine and doing the layout, I was also queuing up to buy postage stamps, preparing parcels and mailing these,” he says. In this second inning, he has decided to just supply to bookshops.

Ask him if a limited circulation implies a lack of readers too, and not just for Filhaal, and Gurbachan begs to differ. “People are clamouring for good reading. Ask my readers about it,” he says. Chandan feels the readers are missing as the content and vision is amiss. “English papers like the Times Literary Supplement, London Review of Books, New York Review of Books, The Paris Review and Granta sell in thousands,” he points. The challenge for such magazines is similar to what their more general and popular counterparts face — taking the new generation along. Who will survive? Only time will tell. However, we must laud those who are keeping the literary tradition of Punjabi alive.

The trendsetters

Phulwari: Founder editor Hira Singh Dard, 1924

Preet Lari: Founder editor Gurbakhsh Singh, 1933

Punj Darya: Founder editor Mohan Singh, 1939

Jiwan Sandesh: Editor Giani Gurdit Singh, 1953

Arsee: Founder editor Amrita Pritam, 1958; later edited by Pritam Singh

Nagmani: Founder editor Amrita Pritam, 1966

Dastavez: Founder editor Amarjit Chandan, 1969

Lakeer: Founder editor Prem Parkash, 1969

Rut Lekha: Collective editorial board with Najm Hosain Syed as mentor, 1970

Courtesy: Kitab Trinjan

Did you know?

Preet Lari was initially a bilingual: English, Punjabi

Big launch

Erstwhile magazines launched many a big names. Preet Lari’s editor Poonam Singh says the magazine helped Shiv Kumar Batalvi, Surjit Patar and Amrita Pritam publish themselves. “They were not known names, but were published for the freshness of their ideas. Later, a lot of Naxalite writers came up. There was Avtar Pash, Amarjit Chandan, Waryam Sandhu among others,” she says. Srijana too was launchpad for Kulwant Singh Virk, Sant Singh Sekhon and KS Duggal