UKPHA: Virtual Bookclub meetings
A message from UKPHA about their superb webinar series:
As a result of the pandemic restrictions we began to offer the Sikh and Punjabi community a virtual social and cultural opportunity to engage with authors, podcasters, academics and museum curators. We call this a ‘Virtual Bookclub’ and it meets every Monday at 5pm. It provides an opportunity for the community to engage with a heritage expert and discuss their work. It provides an important cultural outlet which is lacking due to social restrictions. Asians are especially affected to COVID19 both medically and as many are living in extended families with older members identified as vulnerable and choose not to leave their homes at all.
Every Monday at 5pm (UK). You can see our forthcoming schedule here : http://www.ukpha.org/bookclub
Punjab Research Group ‘Punjab: Past, Present, Future’ Punjab Research Group Conference, October 26, 2019 (Wolfson College, Oxford)
DETAILED PROGRAMME
09.00- 09.15: Registration
09.15- 09.20: Welcome address: Professor Pritam Singh, Visiting Scholar, Wolfson College, Oxford
09.20-10.50: Session I. Religion, ecology and culture
Chair: Prof. Pritam Singh
09.20-09.40: Reconstructing power? Male middle-class anxieties in a changing Pakistan
Cecilie Mueenuddin, University of Oxford, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology
09.40-10.00: Ecological Concerns in Select Punjabi Fiction
Sumandeep Kaur, Research Scholar, Department of English, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab – India
10.00-10.20: The Political Philosophy of Guru Nanak and Its Contemporary Relevance
Sujinder Singh Sangha Dr., Former Principal & CEO Stockton Riverside College, UK
10.20-10.50: Discussion
10.50-11.10: Tea/Coffee Break
11.10-12.40: Session II. Gender studies
Chair: Dr. Karima Brooke, Artist, Poet and Associate Lecturer, Oxford Brookes University
11.10-11.30: Feminist reflections in contemporary Punjabi cinema
Avneet Kaur Bhatia, Phd Scholar Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad Haryana India
11.30-11.50: Helena Blavatsky, Dorothy Field and Annie Besant: Theosophy’s role in introducing Sikhism to the West
Eleanor Nesbitt, Professor Emeritus, Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, Centre for Educational Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry
11.50-12.10: Identity and Empowerment Patterns among Sikh women in the UK
Monika Gupta, Research Scholar, PHD, Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi and Commonwealth Fellow, Visiting Research Student, SOAS, University of London
12.10-12.40: Discussion
12.40-13.10: Introduction with the attendees and group photo
13.15-14.00: Lunch Break
14.15-14.30: Conference Announcements regarding Publications, Scholarships and Research Projects
14.30-16:00: Session III. Development and health studies
Chair: Prof. Eleanor Nesbitt
14:30-14:50: Changing Pattern of Diseases and Public Health Care in Indian Punjab
Gurjeet Kaur, Ph.D Scholar, Department of Economics, Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab, India
14:50-15:10: Bleeding in the Time of Empire: Punjabi Women and the Medicalisation of Menstruation
Nikita Arora, MSc History of Science Medicine and Technology, University of Oxford
15:10-15:30: Combatting Extremism through Punjabi Folklore
Dr. Munir Gujjar, Department of Urdu & Oriental Languages, University of Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan
15.30- 16.00: Discussion
16.00-16.30: Tea/Coffee Break
16.30-18.00: Session IV. Exploring fault lines: new and old
Chair: Gurnam Singh, Associate Professor of Equity of Attainment, Coventry University and Visiting Fellow in Race and Education, University of the Arts, London.
16.30-16.50: Exploring Oral Histories of Female Diasporic Voices on 1984
Poonam Sandhu, MSc student in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, Oxford Department of International Development, University of Oxford
16.50-17.10: Punjab falling apart: crossing the river of fire
Dr. Saima Iram, Professor of Urdu literature, Government College University, Lahore and currently associated with The School of Cultural Anthropology, Oxford University, Oxford
17.10-17.30: Punjab’s Scavenger tribe and the third coming of Christianity, 1860-1930
Abraham Akhter Murad, Masters by Research Student
Royal Holloway, University of London
17.30-18.00: Discussion
18:00-18.15: Deliberation on/Announcement of Best Presenter Award
18.15-18:20: Vote of Thanks
Professor Pritam Singh, Conference Director
cfp: ‘Punjab: Past, Present, Future’ Punjab Research Group Conference, October 26, 2019 (Wolfson College, Oxford)
ANNOUNCEMENT
‘Punjab: Past, Present, Future’
Punjab Research Group Conference
October 26 (Saturday), 2019
The Punjab Research Group has been hosting conferences at least twice a year since 1984 and was established as an inclusive and all-embracing forum to provide a platform for discussion and debate on issues pertaining to East and West Punjab as well as the Punjabi diaspora. During the past 35 years, the PRG has provided space for academics to interact with each other regardless of territorial or disciplinary boundaries. This is especially important given the often-strained relationship between India and Pakistan, which has prevented discussion and dialogue between scholars of East and West Punjab.
Our second conference for 2019 will be held as a one-day event on 26th October (Saturday) at Wolfson College, University of Oxford. We welcome submissions from scholars, academics, young researchers, journalists, artists, and activists for an inter-disciplinary discussion focusing on the theme of ‘Punjab: Past, Present and Future’.
Speakers are invited to give paper-presentations/performances that can cover a broad range of content, including, but not limited to: history, philosophy, politics, gender, religion, environmental studies, economics, diaspora issues, linguistics, literature, poetry, arts, and culture.
We particularly welcome proposals exploring the genesis of Punjab, intersections between the ‘3 Punjabs’, going beyond the 1947 borders: to deepen our perspective on the ‘connected histories’, and to envision interrelated futures, of the region.
Please submit an abstract (200 words) and a brief CV to Raj (RS Mann) at punjabresearchgroup@gmail.com by 30th August 2019. Submissions from grad/postgraduate students are encouraged. Best Presenter Award will be presented to a doctoral student whose presentation is judged to be the best from amongst all the full time doctoral student presentations. The Award includes cash and a certificate.
If you would like to register as a guest for this event, please book a ticket using our online form at (https://tinyurl.com/y3wejlgg). The registration fee is £30 per person which includes refreshments (tea/coffee/snacks) and a sandwich lunch. The registration fee is to be paid at the door only on the day of the event. Booking through eventbrite page is necessary as there are limited seats available.
We look forward to seeing you in Oxford soon!
Punjab Research Group ‘Punjab: Past, Present, Future’ Punjab Research Group Conference, March 30, 2019 (St Antony’s College, Oxford)
DETAILED PROGRAMME
09.00- 09.15: Registration
09.15- 09.30: Welcome address: Professor Pritam Singh, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies,
University of Oxford
09.30-11.00: Session I Partition
Chair: Mahboob Hussain, Visiting Scholar, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies and Associate Professor, Department of History & Pakistan Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore
09.30-09.50: The ‘Real’ Partition: The Proceedings of the Punjab Partition Committee
Yaqoob Bangash, Chevening Fellow, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
09.50-10.10: Zar, Zan and Zameen: Local Constituencies of Partition Violence in West Punjab
Dr Ilyas Chattha, University of Southampton
10.10-10.30: The analysis of reflections of gloomy incidents of Punjab between 1984-1995 in contemporary Punjabi literatures.
Rajwinder Kaur, Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of History, Panjab University Chandigarh, India
10.30-11.00: Discussion
11.15-11.45: Tea/Coffee Break
11.45-12.45: Session II Political economy
Chair: Harminder Kaur Bhogal, Project Director of Community Education Academy of Leadership (CEAL), West Midlands, England
11.45-12.05: A political economy of nation-building and industrial policy in India and Pakistan
Saadia Gardezi, MPhil student at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford and a former Journalist and cartoonist from Pakistan
12.05-12.25: Institutional underpinnings of farm loan waiver and debt relief mechanisms in East Punjab
Anmol Waraich, PhD Scholar at Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, JNU, Delhi.
12.25-12.45: Discussion
12.50-13.15: Introduction with the attendees
13.30-14.15: Lunch Break
14.15-14.30: Conference Announcements regarding Publications, Scholarships and Research Projects
14.30-16:00: Session III Gender and literature studies
Chair: Jaskiran Bhogal, PhD Candidate, London School of Economics, United Kingdom
14:30-14:50: The Representation of Sikh Females in Panjabi Literature
Anisha Kaur Johal, Integrated Masters Degree (III year student) at the University of Derby
14:50-15:10: Panjabi Reimaginings of Shakespeare
Kiran Singh, PhD research student, University of Derby
15:10-15:30: Gunahgaar Aurtan (Guilty Women): Women in Punjab’s Left
Nikita Arora, Researcher in Women’s Studies, Hertford College, University of Oxford
15.30- 16.00: Discussion
16.15-16.45: Tea/Coffee Break
16.45-17.45: Session IV Politics and political history of West Punjab
Chair: Yaqoob Bangash, Chevening Fellow, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
16.45-17.05: Debating National Issues of Pakistan: The institutional Efficiency of the Punjab Assembly during Z.A. Bhutto Era
Dr. Mahboob Hussain, Visiting Scholar, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies and Associate Professor, Department of History & Pakistan Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore
17.05-17.25: British Administrative Magnates in Sahiwal (Montgomery) District during (1857-1947)
Saeed Ahmed Butt, Assistant Professor, Department of History, GCU Lahore
17.25-17.45: Discussion
17.45-18.00: Deliberation on/Announcement of Best Presenter Award
18.00-18.15: Vote of Thanks
Professor Pritam Singh, Conference Director
‘Punjab: Past, Present, Future’ Punjab Research Group Conference, March 30, 2019 (St Antony’s College, Oxford)
DETAILED PROGRAMME
09.00- 09.15: Registration
09.15- 09.30: Welcome address: Professor Pritam Singh, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies,
University of Oxford
09.30-11.00: Session I Partition and political economy
Chair: Mahboob Hussain, Visiting Scholar, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies and Associate Professor, Department of History & Pakistan Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore
09.30-09.50: A political economy of nation-building and industrial policy in India and Pakistan
Saadia Gardezi, MPhil student at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford and a former Journalist and cartoonist from Pakistan
09.5-10.10: Zar, Zan and Zameen: Local Constituencies of Partition Violence in West Punjab
Dr Ilyas Chattha, University of Southampton
10.10-10.30: The analysis of reflections of gloomy incidents of Punjab between 1984-1995 in contemporary Punjabi literatures.
Rajwinder Kaur, Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of History, Panjab University Chandigarh, India
10.30-11.00: Discussion
11.15-11.45: Tea/Coffee Break
11.45-01.15: Session II Gender and literature studies
Chair: Jaskiran Bhogal, PhD Candidate, London School of Economics, United Kingdom
11.45-12.05: The Representation of Sikh Females in Panjabi Literature
Anisha Kaur Johal, Integrated Masters Degree (III year student) at the University of Derby
12.05-12.25: Panjabi Reimaginings of Shakespeare
Kiran Singh, PhD research student, University of Derby
12.25-12.45: The Discourse of the Feminist Movement and the Women Empowerment in Pakistan: The Case Study of Punjab
Muhammad Qasim Sodhar, PhD Candidate in World History (Global Studies), College of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
12.45-13.15: Discussion
13.30-14.15: Lunch Break
14.15-14.30: Conference Announcements regarding Publications, Scholarships and Research Projects
14.30-16:00: Session III Agrarian-socio-economic-ecological crisis in East Punjab
Chair: Harminder Kaur Bhogal, Project Director of Community Education Academy of Leadership (CEAL), West Midlands, England
14:30-14:50: Ground water crisis in Punjab: A case of village Kheri Jattan
Dr. Ripudaman Singh, Associate Professor in Geography, School of Social Sciences and Languages, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India
14:50-15:10: Institutional underpinnings of farm loan waiver and debt relief mechanisms in East Punjab
Anmol Waraich, PhD Scholar at Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, JNU, Delhi.
15:10-15:30: Changing Pattern of Diseases and Public Health Care in Punjab
Gurjeet Kaur (Ph.D Scholar), Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala
15.30- 16.00: Discussion
16.15-16.45: Tea/Coffee Break
16.45-17.45: Session IV Politics and political history of West Punjab
Chair: Yaqoob Bangash, Chevening Fellow, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
16.45-17.05: Debating National Issues of Pakistan: The institutional Efficiency of the Punjab Assembly during Z.A. Bhutto Era
Dr. Mahboob Hussain, Visiting Scholar, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies and Associate Professor, Department of History & Pakistan Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore
17.05-17.25: British Administrative Magnates in Sahiwal (Montgomery) District during (1857-1947)
Saeed Ahmed Butt, Assistant Professor, Department of History, GCU Lahore
17.25-17.45: Discussion
17.45-18.00: Deliberation on/Announcement of Best Presenter Award
18.00-18.15: Vote of Thanks
Professor Pritam Singh, Conference Director
cfp: ‘Punjab: Past, Present, Future’ Punjab Research Group Conference, March 30, 2019 (St Antony’s College, Oxford)
The Punjab Research Group has been hosting conferences at least twice a year since 1984 and was established as an inclusive and all-embracing forum to provide a platform for discussion and debate on issues pertaining to East and West Punjab as well as the Punjabi diaspora. During the past 35 years, the PRG has provided space for academics to interact with each other regardless of territorial or disciplinary boundaries. This is especially important given the often-strained relationship between India and Pakistan, which has prevented discussion and dialogue between scholars of East and West Punjab.
Our first conference for 2019 will be held as a one-day event on 30th March at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. We welcome submissions from scholars, academics, young researchers, journalists, artists, and activists for an inter-disciplinary discussion focusing on the theme of ‘Punjab: Past, Present and Future’.
Speakers are invited to give paper-presentations/performances that can cover a broad range of content, including, but not limited to: history, philosophy, politics, gender, religion, environmental studies, economics, diaspora issues, linguistics, literature, poetry, arts, and culture.
We particularly welcome proposals exploring the genesis of Punjab, intersections between the ‘3 Punjabs’, going beyond the 1947 borders: to deepen our perspective on the ‘connected histories’, and to envision interrelated futures, of the region.
Please submit an abstract (200 words) and a brief CV to Raj (RS Mann) at punjabresearchgroup@gmail.com by 10th February 2019. Submissions from grad/postgraduate students are encouraged. Best Presenter Award will be presented to a doctoral student whose presentation is judged to be the best from amongst all the full time doctoral student presentations. The Award includes cash and a certificate.
If you would like to register as a guest for this event, please book a ticket using our online form at (https://tinyurl.com/yagyubuv). The registration fee is £10 per person.
We look forward to seeing you in Oxford soon!
“Punjab: Past, Present and Future,” Punjab Research Group Conference, 27 October, 2018 (St Antony’s College, Oxford)
DETAILED PROGRAMME
09.00- 09.15: Registration
09.15- 09.30: Welcome address: Prof. Pritam Singh, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford
09.30-11.15: Session I Religion and Punjab studies
Chair: Jaskiran Bhogal, PhD Candidate, London School of Economics, United Kingdom
09.30-09.55: Punjab and Sind Bank and the Creation of Sikh Heritage
Kanika Singh, Director, Centre for Writing & Communication, Ashoka University
09.55-10.20: Referendum 2020: A view from Punjab
Kiranpreet Kaur, PhD Student, Department of African Studies and Anthropology, University of Birmingham
10.20-10.45: The jama’at of Allah’s Friends: Maulana Allahyar’s reformist Movement and sacralising the space of the Armed Forces of Pakistan
Saadia Sumbal, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Forman Christian College University Lahore
10.45-11.15: Discussion
11.15-11.45: Tea/Coffee Break
11.45-01.30: Session II Land reforms, rural economy, politics and governance
Chair: Prof. Pritam Singh, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford
11.45-12.10: Killing the two birds with one stone? Land Reforms as Power Sustenance and Peasants’ Suppression Tool in the West Punjab
Mazhar Abbas, PhD Candidate1 and Lecturer2
1. World History, Shanghai University, China and
2. History and Pakistan Studies, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
12.10-12.35: The Quality of Employment in Rural Non-Farm Sector of Punjab
Anupama Uppal, Professor, Economics Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala,
Punjab – India
12.35-13.00: Governing (In-) Security Practices in the Punjab Borderland
Raphaela Kormoll, PhD Candidate, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University
13.00-13.30: Discussion
13.30-14.15: Lunch Break
14.15-14.30: Conference Announcements regarding Publications, Scholarships and Research Projects
14.30-16:15: Session III Gender studies
Chair: Dr. Pippa Virdee, Senior Lecturer, De Montfort University, Leicester
14:30-14:55: The role of East Punjabi women in textiles manufacturing – Sewing for success
Harminder Kaur Bhogal, Project Director of Community Education Academy of Leadership (CEAL), West Midlands, England
14:55-15:20: Christian lenses, Christian goals? Two centuries of western women’s reporting of Sikhs
Eleanor Nesbitt, Professor Emeritus, Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick
15:20-15:45: Women freedom in Bahawalpur State and the Colonial Punjab
Samia Khalid, Assistant Professor at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan
15.45- 16.15: Discussion
16.15-16.45: Tea/Coffee Break
16.45-17.20: Session IV History and art studies
Chair: Professor Iftikhar H. Malik, Bath Spa University
16.45-17.10: Heer Waris Shah: A Meme of Punjabiyat
Simple Kochar, PhD Candidate, Dept. of English, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
17.10-17.20: Discussion
17.20-17.40: Deliberation on/Announcement of Best Presenter Award
17.40-18.00: Vote of Thanks
Prof. Pritam Singh, Conference Director
Registration: Please register for the event at http://www.punjabresearchgroup.eventbrite.com (or https://tinyurl.com/yb23pw2o)
“Punjab: Past, Present and Future,” Punjab Research Group Conference, 27 October, 2018
DETAILED PROGRAMME
09.00- 09.15: Registration
09.15- 09.30: Welcome address: Pritam Singh, Visiting Professor, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford
09.30-11.15: Session I Religion and Punjab studies Chair: Jaskiran Bhogal, PhD Candidate, London School of Economics, United Kingdom
09.30-09.55: Punjab and Sind Bank and the Creation of Sikh Heritage Kanika Singh, Director, Centre for Writing & Communication, Ashoka University
09.55-10.20: Referendum 2020: A view from Punjab Kiranpreet Kaur, PhD Student, Department of African Studies and Anthropology, University of Birmingham
10.20-10.45: The jama’at of Allah’s Friends: Maulana Allahyar’s reformist Movement and sacralising the space of the Armed Forces of Pakistan Saadia Sumbal, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Forman Christian College University Lahore
10.45-11.15: Discussion
11.15-11.45: Tea/Coffee Break
11.45-01.30: Session II Land reforms, rural economy, politics and governance Chair: Pritam Singh, Visiting Professor, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford
11.45-12.10: Killing the two birds with one stone? Land Reforms as Power Sustenance and Peasants’ Suppression Tool in the West Punjab Mazhar Abbas, PhD Candidate (World History, Shanghai University, China) and and Lecturer (History and Pakistan Studies, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan)
12.10-12.35: The Quality of Employment in Rural Non-Farm Sector of Punjab Anupama Uppal, Professor, Economics Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab – India
12.35-13.00: Governing (In-) Security Practices in the Punjab Borderland
Raphaela Kormoll, PhD Candidate, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University
13.00-13.30: Discussion
13.30-14.15: Lunch Break
14.15-14.30: Conference Announcements regarding Publications, Scholarships and Research Projects
14.30-16:15: Session III Gender studies Chair: Dr. Pippa Virdee, Senior Lecturer, De Montfort University, Leicester
14:30-14:55: The role of East Punjabi women in textiles manufacturing – Sewing for success Harminder Kaur Bhogal, Project Director of Community Education Academy of Leadership (CEAL), West Midlands, England
14:55-15:20: Christian lenses, Christian goals: two centuries of western women’s reporting of Sikhs Eleanor Nesbitt, Professor Emeritus, Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick
15:20-15:45: Women Freedom in Bahawalpur State and the Colonial Punjab, Samia Khalid, Assistant Professor at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan
15.45- 16.15: Discussion
16.15-16.45: Tea/Coffee Break
16.45-17.20: Session IV History and art studies Chair: Professor Iftikhar H. Malik, Bath Spa University
16.45-17.10: Heer Waris Shah: A Meme of Punjabiyat Simple Kochar, PhD Candidate, Dept. of English, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
17.10-17.20: Discussion
17.20-17.40: Deliberation on/Announcement of Best Presenter Award
17.40-18.00: Vote of Thanks Prof. Pritam Singh, Conference Director
Please register via: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/punjab-past-present-and-future-punjab-research-group-conference-2018-tickets-46647517982
cfp: ‘Punjab: Past, Present, Future’ Punjab Research Group Conference, October 27, 2018 (St Antony’s College, Oxford)
The Punjab Research Group has been hosting conferences at least twice a year since 1984 and was established as an inclusive and all-embracing forum to provide a platform for discussion and debate on issues pertaining to East and West Punjab as well as the Punjabi diaspora. During the past 34 years, the PRG has provided space for academics to interact with each other regardless of territorial or disciplinary boundaries. This is especially important given the often-strained relationship between India and Pakistan, which has prevented discussion and dialogue between scholars of East and West Punjab.
Our second conference for 2018 will be held as a one-day event on 27th October at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. We welcome submissions from scholars, academics, young researchers, journalists, artists, and activists for an inter-disciplinary discussion focusing on the theme of ‘Punjab: Past, Present and Future’.
Speakers are invited to give paper-presentations/performances that can cover a broad range of content, including, but not limited to: history, philosophy, politics, gender, religion, environmental studies, economics, diaspora issues, linguistics, literature, poetry, arts, and culture.
We particularly welcome proposals exploring the genesis of Punjab, intersections between the ‘3 Punjabs’, going beyond the 1947 borders: to deepen our perspective on the ‘connected histories’, and to envision interrelated futures, of the region.
Please submit abstracts (200 words) and CV to Raj (RS Mann) at punjabresearchgroup@gmail.com by 30th June 2018. Submissions from grad/postgraduate students are encouraged. Best Presenter Award will be presented to a doctoral student whose presentation is judged to be the best from amongst all the full time doctoral student presentations. The Award includes cash and a certificate.
If you would like to register as a guest for this event, please book a ticket using our online form at (https://tinyurl.com/yb23pw2o). The registration fee is £10 per person.
We look forward to seeing you in Oxford soon!
Detailed programme: Punjab Research Group Conference 31 March 2018
Saturday, March 31, 2018
DETAILED PROGRAMME
09.30- 09.45: Registration
09.45- 10.00: Welcome Address: Prof. Pritam Singh, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford.
10.00-11.30: Session I Language and music
Chair: Jaskiran Bhogal, London School of Economics, United Kingdom
10.00 – 10.25: Breaking Barriers: Role of Punjabipedia in Reaching out to Global Readers of Punjabi Language
Dr. Rajwinder Singh1 and Dr. Jasvir Kaur2, 1. Assistant Professor, Department of English, Punjabi University Patiala and 2. Assistant Professor, Department of Literary Studies, Punjabi University Patiala
10.25-10.50:
10.50-11.30: Discussion
11.30-11.50: Coffee Break
11.50-13.20: Session II Gender studies
Chair: Dr. Meena Dhanda, University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
11.50-12.15: Punjab’s modernity still leaving behind menstruation as an un-talked taboo topic.
Aleena Qaiser, Forman Christian College, Lahore
12.15-12.40: Nevertheless She Persists
Simi Singh, Universty of British Columbia, Vancouver
12.40-13.20: Discussion
13.20-14.00: Lunch Break
14.00-14.15: Conference Announcements regarding Publications, Scholarships and Research Projects
14.15-15:45: Session III Social and art studies
Chair: Prof. Eleanor Nesbitt, University of Warwick, United Kingdom
14:15-14:40: British Punjab 1849-58: A Study in Imperialism
Fozia Umar, PhD Candidate, Department of History, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad and Visiting Fellow, Royal Holloway University of London
14:40-15:05: Scheduled Castes Welfare in Punjab: Exploring the Extent of Awareness about Government Schemes
Dr. Lakhvir Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Punjabi University Patiala
15.05- 15.45: Discussion
15.45-16.05: Coffee Break
16.05-16.50: Session IV History and study of religions
Chair: Prabhsharandeep Singh, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
16.05-16.30: Journey of Jamia Khair Ul Madaris from Jalandhar, India, to Multan, Pakistan (1931-1951)
Fakhar Bilal, PhD Candidate, Department of History, Royal Holloway University of London
16.30-16.50: Discussion
16.50-17.05: Deliberation on/Announcement of Best Presenter Award
17.05-17.30: Coffee Break
17.30-18.30: 1984-When the sun didn’t rise (film screening)
Teenaa Kaur Pasricha, Independent Film Maker
We would expect everyone in the audience to make a voluntary contribution of atleast £3 to this which goes to the film maker Teenaa Kaur Pasricha.
18.30-19.00: Discussion and interaction with the film maker Teenaa Kaur Pasricha, Independent Film Maker
19.00-19.15: Vote of Thanks
A small world in a faraway land
A small world in a faraway land
(this article is also available at http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/spectrum/a-small-world-in-a-faraway-land/544596.html)
Spectrum
Posted at: Feb 18, 2018, 1:30 AM; last updated: Feb 18, 2018, 1:30 AM (IST)
A small world in a faraway land
The history of Sikh heritage in Canada boasts of values of community living. It tells about Punjabi immigrants who moved to Paldi and Abbotsford and painted strokes of inherited culture
Rishi Singh
The Sikhs who first stepped on the western-Canadian soil were on their way to attend commemoration of Queen Victoria of England Diamond Jubilee in 1897. These soldiers were followed by more Sikh soldiers who travelled through Canada for the celebrations of the Kind Edward VII in 1902. The number of Sikh settlers began to rise, especially, 1904 onwards. The ‘white community’ thought that the Sikhs were getting better jobs and this lead to racial tensions. Realising the challenges, Sikhs organised themselves socially and politically and formed Khalsa Diwan Society in 1907. It was during this time that the first gurdwara was established at West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver.
In an attempt to dishearten South Asians from settling down in Canada, the then Canadian government introduced the infamous “continuous journey” regulation in 1908. The regulation put forward a condition that only those who reached Canadian ports after travelling continuously from their country would be allowed to land on its soil. In the year 1914, a large number of passengers, majority of them Sikhs, sailed to Canada on the ship Komagata Maru were refused entry under the new law. To make matters worse, women and children under 18 were not permitted to come along with men to Canada until 1920s, when the law changed and families began moving in.
A high engagement with the democratic institution of the nation prompted the Sikhs, led by Khalsa Diwan Society, to ask for the right to vote. In 1945, war veterans from the World Wars were granted the right to cast votes in the provincial elections. In 1947-48, the Canadians from South Asian descent were allowed to vote both in provincial and federal elections. Thus, gaining full rights of a Canadian citizen.
Paldi — When a town became home
In Western Canada, the Sikh communities began prospering in cities like Duncan, Victoria, Vancouver, Abbotsford and Mission. Soon a sawmill town was established by Mayo Singh, a Sikh, who named the town Paldi after his native place Paldi in Hoshiarpur. In 1916, he went to Cowichan Valley seeking better source of timber and an appropriate site for establishing a sawmill. Slowly and steadily, the area around his sawmill began to grow like a town. Many workers, who were Japanese, South Asian, Chinese and whites began to settle there. The place had a Gurdwara, company store, post office and a Japanese community hall. As Paldi prospered, the place became a home away from home for many families. In tandem with the Sikh principles, Mayo Singh shared his earnings with the Duncan community. His donations to the Duncan hospitals are still talked about and appreciated. The sawmill stopped working in 1945 and that slowly put an end to the community living that saw amalgamation of several cultures in Canada.
Another fascinating fact that takes one to the golden days of Paldi is the making of a school.
In 1920, the first school in Paldi was built on a hill amidst huge stumps and debris of a former logging area, as mentioned by Carolyn Prellwitz in her article in Cowichan Valley Citizen. At the time when Canada celebrated its 150th year of existence, the one-room school at Paldi became symbolic of diversity and inclusion. Carolyn informs that all building material for the school was donated by the Mayo Lumber Company. Parents and others provided the labour and other equipment. The piano was personally given by Mayo Singh. The school photographs from the 1920s to 1960s featured Sikhs, Japanese, Chinese and Caucasian students, demonstrating rich diversity at Paldi.
The once-upon-a-time town of Paldi has disappeared, but what remains there is a Gurdwara Sahib. The gurdwara building has symbolic prakash of Guru Granth Sahib on the upper floor. The ground floor has a room with some old images that are put on the wall, pointing to the glorious days of Paldi. An image shows certificate of honours given to Mayo Singh by the government of Canada. There is an image of Mayo Singh meeting Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Indian Prime Minister of India, on his visit to Canada.
Abbotsford — Footprints of history
Nearly an hour from Vancouver, on the South Fraser Way, in the city of Abbotsford is located a Canadian Heritage Site, a gurdwara, known as Gur Sikh Temple. Soon after moving to Canada, I was fortunate to engage and work with the Fraser Valley Sikh community on a Canadian Sikh Heritage project that is the Gur Sikh Temple.
The site of the gurdwara opened in the year 1912 with support from Khalsa Diwan Society. As per the newspaper reports then, during the inauguration of the Gurdwara Sahib, a large number of Sikhs and non-Sikhs joined in the congregation. There are two floors on the gurdwara — the second floor has the prakash of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the ground floor has a kitchen. Sunder Singh Thandi and Arjan Singh were instrumental in the making of the gurdwara. The one-acre land was bought by them adjacent to the mill, where 50 Sikhs worked. The owner of the Trethway Lumber Company donated the lumber for the gurdwara. It took Sikh community three years, beginning from 1908, to construct the gurdwara that formally opened in 1912.
In 2002, Khalsa Diwan Society asked the Historic Sites and Monuments Board to consider the gurdwara for National Historic Site status. In July 2002, the gurdwara received the recognition. Khalsa Diwan Society got the gurdwara building restored and reopened in 2007. The upper floor has prakash of Guru Granth Sahib. Currently, ground floor is used as exhibition space. The exterior of the Gurdwara Sahib has a gabbed roof. There are sculptures of Bhai Kanhaiya and injured soldiers being served water by him in the gardens of the Gurdwara premises. The exhibitions and sculptures make visitors curious about the Sikh history.
The teaching of tenth Guru of Sikhs, Gobind Singh, Manaski Jaat Sabhe eke Paichanbo recognises all mankind as a single race of humanity. It connects with the Canadian core values of equality and respect for cultural differences. Embracing this ethos, the Sikh community has played an important role in enriching the country’s institutions with its contributions. Canada is marching ahead, but at the same time is not forgetting its historic defining moments. It is rather preserving, conserving and sharing them with all. Those visiting Canada must make an effort to include Paldi and Abbotsford in their itinerary to experience the feel of Punjab while away from Punjab and to celebrate Canadian Sikhs’ glorious heritage in faraway lands.
cfp: ‘Punjab: Past, Present, Future’ Punjab Research Group Conference, March 31, 2018 (Oxford)
The Punjab Research Group has been hosting conferences at least twice a year since 1984, and was established as an inclusive and all-embracing forum to provide a platform for discussion and debate on issues pertaining to East and West Punjab as well as the Punjabi diaspora. During the past 34 years, the PRG has provided space for academics to interact with each other regardless of territorial or disciplinary boundaries. This is especially important given the often-strained relationship between India and Pakistan, which has prevented discussion and dialogue between scholars of East and West Punjab.
Our first conference for 2018 will be held as a one-day event on 31st March in Oxford. We welcome submissions from scholars, academics, young researchers, journalists, artists, and activists for an inter-disciplinary discussion focusing on the theme of ‘Punjab: Past, Present and Future’.
Speakers are invited to give paper-presentations/performances that can cover a broad range of content, including, but not limited to: history, philosophy, politics, gender, religion, environmental studies, economics, diaspora issues, linguistics, literature, poetry, arts, and culture.
We particularly welcome proposals exploring the genesis of Punjab, intersections between the ‘3 Punjabs’, going beyond the 1947 borders: to deepen our perspective on the ‘connected histories’, and to envision interrelated futures, of the region.
Please submit abstracts (200 words) and CV to Raj (RS Mann) at punjabresearchgroup@gmail.com by 15th February 2018. Submissions from grad/postgraduate students are encouraged.
If you would like to register as a guest for this event, please book a ticket using our online form at (https://tinyurl.com/y93n4ncd). The registration fee is £10 per person. There is no registration fee for kids under 16 when accompanied with fee paying elders.
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