Pagri, Jatt and Punjab

The railway station, a short distance from my village, is abuzz with activity these days. What is otherwise a nondescript halt, mainly for passenger trains, has now become a platform for an agitation by farmers against the laws recently passed by the government. ‘Why can’t you Punjabis walk together with the rest of the country? Why are you guys always waiting to take up cudgels for the heck of it?’ Even though I was not against the new laws, my friend’s caustic remark hurt my Punjabi pride. ‘Subjugation is not in our blood, and if not convinced, compliance is a far cry;’ a rebuttal was necessary.

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Alexander conquered the then known world but struggled when he entered the land of the five rivers. His empire could not expand any further. The Mughals and the Persian rulers used all their might to subdue this lot, but failed to tame them. Abdali, who massacred them in thousands, was frustrated when the survivors looted his convoys with booty on his way back to Afghanistan. It was a matter of time when the Khyber pass, the gateway to Hindostan, exchanged hands from Kabul to Lahore. A revision of history was necessary for the benefit of my friend and the audience gathered around us.

Long before Gandhi’s call for Satyagraha, it was Baba Ram Singh who started the boycott movement, resulting in his followers being blown by cannons. The Ghadar movement, an international political movement to overthrow the British, comprised mostly of expatriate Punjabis. Events like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre gave birth to the likes of Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Udham Singh etc, who not only galvanised the Indian youth, but also expedited the achievements of Swaraj.

Come Independence and half the state found itself partitioned right down the middle. While the rest of India rejoiced at the stroke of midnight, Punjab was up in flames. But it took less than a decade for them to get back to their feet. They carved a niche for themselves through sweat and toil when the Green Revolution provided the much-needed food security for the country. Being the sword arm of the nation, it defended its borders with blood and valour in all wars post Independence. When the Emergency was imposed, Punjab was the first state to pioneer the movement for the restoration of democracy. It was Punjabiyat that got the better of evil forces during the dark days of militancy. My adrenaline levels had lowered as I finished.

Love them, hate them, or ridicule them, Punjabis have brought far too many laurels for Bharat desh to be ignored. ‘Pagri sambhal Jatta’ is not just a revolutionary song but a way of life for these people. My friend’s silence after the discourse suggests that he now has a better insight into the Punjabi psyche.