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| The Custodians of Our Gurudwaras in Pakistan and the lovers of Punjabi Culture There, by Harpal Singh Bhuller. "...I[author] thought of having a chat with those persons who have been looking after our heritage during our absence by being the custodians of our gurudwaras and historical monuments." Afzal Hafeez Shola: Afzal Hafeez Shola is a celebrated Punjabi writer and poet who has been residing permanently in Hasan Abdal (Punja Sahib). He has authored fourteen books out of which two are about Guru Nanak: "Baba Nanak Pir Shah" and "Peeran Da Panja". He can read and write Gurmukhi script and carries the 'gutka' of Japuji Sahib in Gurumukhi. During his meeting with the author Sholaji mentioned: "...I am grateful to the Almighty that I have been living at the feet of Baba Nanak Pir in Panja Sahib." Bashir Ahmad Bhatti: Bashir Ahmad Bhatti is the 17th descendant of the ruler of Rai Bhoen di Talwandi and the first Sikh follower of Guru Nanak Dev, Rai Bular Bhatti. He is also the member of National Assembly from Nanakana Sahib. He too can read and write Gurmukhi fluently. Bhattiji told me[author]: "...Before starting any new work in our home - whether it is some wedding in the family or it is an election campaign - we first of all offer prayers to Guru Nanak, send the 'deghs' of rice and 'Karah parshad' to the gurudwara and only then we commence the work. Baba Nanak is gifted with divine powers. The wishes of all who pray at His feet are granted. Nobody ever returns empty-handed from His door. Whatever we have been hearing about Baba Nanak from our ancestors stands preserved in our memory. Their utterings are embedded firmly in our minds. Our forefather, Rai Bular, had recognized the child Nanak as the messenger of God and had prevailed on the residents of Rai Bhoen di Talwandi and Mehta Kaluji to realize that fact. He had transferred half of his ancestral land to the child Nanak and also named the town as Nanakana." Master Hukam Singh: Master Hukam Singh ji is running the Khalsa School at Gurudwara Patti Sahib in Nanakana Sahib. Masterji belongs to the city of Jalalabad near Kabul, Afghanistan and has been running the school for eight years. At present there are 135 students in this school. Along with the teaching of Gurumukhi the students are taught to recite 'nitnem' of five banis. The entire expenditure on the running of this school is met by S. Surjit Singh from Malaysia. At present there are 73 families from Peshawar settled in Nanakana Sahib. Masterji told us: "...The children studying in our school learn Gurbani by heart. We need some books on the teaching of music. We also need some copies of Guru Granth Sahib and 'gutkas' in Urdu. They are in demand by our sindhi brethren. The books on history are also needed by the children. Every morning and evening we do obeisance at Guru Nanak's abode to express our gratitude for giving us an opportunity to live at the Guru's feet. We are also in a great need of harmoniums and tablas for the children to learn kirtan." Riaz Mehmood: Riaz Mehmood is the manager of the Punjabi Darbar programme from Lahore, organised at Gurudwara Dehra Sahib. He also knew Gurumukhi. He said: "...We started the Punjabi Darbar programme on March 11th, 1995 and want to make some improvements to it. We are trying to get more and detailed information about the Sikh Gurudwaras left in Pakistan." Iqbal Kausar: He has written two books in Urdu, 'Raj Karega Khalsa' and 'Ang Tereran Paeeaan'. I[author] asked him if he knew Gurumukhi. He said: "...This is our own language. I had a great desire to learn it. Once a jatha led by Giani Zail Singh, then Chief Minister of Punjab, came to Pakistan. Three members of the jatha were taking tea in a restaurant. I greeted them and joined them. I said to one, " Sardarji, will you explain to me something about the Gurumukhi letters?" He laughed and said, "you won't be able to understand it in a short time". But I persisted in my demand, and he explained to me the sounds of words by the use of the vowel signs. "The man who explained me all this was none other than the famous Punjabi writer, Piara Singh Daatta. I had learnt Punjabi from him over a cup of tea". Khalida Arjmand: Khalida Arjmand is the announcer of the Punjabi Darbar programme. She starts and ends the programme with "Waheguruji Ka Khalsa, Waheguruji Ki Fateh". I told Khalida that this was a traditional greeting of the Sikhs and Muslims did not make use of it. She laughingly said: "...I derive a lot of pleasure when I use this mode of greeting." Ilias Ghumman: There are 132 Sikh Gurudwaras and Sikh historical places in Pakistan. Ilias Ghumman has been writing about these places. I asked Ghumman how he managed to learn Gurumukhi. He said: "....This language is our heritage. How can we forget it? I was born on August 25th, 1961. I tried to learn Gurumukhi during my school and college days. I met the head of the Punjabi Department at Government College Lahore but even he did not know Gurumukhi. I also visited Gurudwara Nanakana Sahib but could not find any book which could teach Gurumukhi. Then some elderly person told me that there was a shop in the Lande Bazaar which dealt in the second-hand books. I visited that shop and came across some old Punjabi primers. Then I also bought an English book from where I got some information about the use of vowels and words. I then visited the locked Gurudwaras with a view to getting some more information. Afterwards, I made a research about their history by reading the 'Janam Sakhis' and some other books. I then sent information about them to some Pakistani newspapers and the Indian paper 'Ajit'. Ilias Ghumman had to undergo extreme hardship for this task. He was also harassed by the police. He has written about forty Gurudwaras which are locked and are not being used. Ghumman is a very softspoken and a warm-hearted person. We pray to God to accord him more energy so that he may continue with his mission to enlighten the people about the Sikh Shrines left in Pakistan. The author presented memento's out of respect and gratitude to all these custodians of Sikh Gurudwaras in Pakistan. ******************************************************************************** |
