Punjabiyat is an age-old and inclusive socio-cultural emotion that cuts across cartographical boundaries, religions, castes, ethnicities, or any other societal ‘divide’ that may exist. These days it is often derided as the misplaced romance of pacifists and peaceniks, something that does not gel with the ‘muscular’ insistences of prevailing divides. But the fact that it is predicated on the historical reality of a land that was once an independent state, with much in common within, is often missed.

From language i.e., Punjabi, to cultural mores (festivals and observances), food and dressing habits, music, dance and even typification of humour, it cuts across the fertile land of Punjab or the ‘land of five rivers’ (Persian for panj i.e., five and ab i.e., water). Post-independence, it was posited on the Indian side as a syncretic conceptualisation that was reflective of civilisational unity and harmony between Sikhs and Hindus, whereas in Pakistan ‘Punjabiyat’ is currently framed as the regional pride of a people in the face of other culturality e.g., ‘Urduisation’ of the national narrative. However, amongst the diasporic communities from both sides of the Line of Control it becomes a meeting ground of fond reminiscences and sensibilities. Yet there are fundamental differences of religion, scripts (from Gurmukhi and Devanagari to Urdu) and nationalities that bear their own divergences and consequences.

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However, the foundational anchorage of Punjabiyat may have peaked and emerged with Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Kingdom of Punjab (1799-1849), before it was annexed by British forces and later splintered in geography, outlook and sentiments owing to the patented ‘divide and rule’ policy. Yet Punjabiyat sweeps through and somehow survives through the railing vicissitudes of politics and brazen partisanship, offering a hope for communal amity and civility, despite attempts by polarising politicians to vitiate the environment and tear the ameliorative sheet of Punjabiyat.

The first Punjabi to be the Indian Prime Minister, IK Gujral, personified that larger-than-life Punjabiyat with his easy-going, amiable and consensual approach (‘Gujral Doctrine’) that symbolised his earthy conviviality and jointsmanship (even as he remained amongst the most well-read, polished and erudite politicians). But Punjabiyat also has an element of bravado and fearlessness embedded in it as a behavioural tenet, and Gujral exemplified the same by being one of the first politicians to address gatherings of Sikh students in Amritsar (at the peak of militancy) in order to thaw sentiments and plead for peace after ‘Operation Blue Star’. His haunting words then are as relevant today, when some cast aspersions owing to misconduct of a few: “The country need not preach patriotism to us the Punjabis. If anything, they need to come to Harmandar Sahib to take elementary lessons on patriotism from the Punjabis, especially the Sikh youth”.

It was indeed the factor of mellifluous Punjabiyat (amongst other factors like the Punjab Peace Accord, militaristic steel and re-ignition of the democratic process) that won the day for peace for Punjab, for Punjabiyat, and by that collective extension, for India. Even though Gujral and Prakash Singh Badal were from distinct partisan persuasions, their emotional bond and backslapping Punjabiyat overrode petty political differences, befitting Punjabiyat at its finest. The meeting of the then Punjab Chief Minister Badal seeking adjustment for a backbreaking loan of Rs 8500 crore towards Punjab was met with the patented flourish and cavalier wave of hand by Gujral saying, “Waived.

Move to the next item”! Later the politically disparate proud sons-of-the-soil were seen holding hands and Gujral said movingly and proudly, “Punjab never owed anything to anyone. Punjabis fought the nation’s war and paid for it with their blood. It is the nation that owes a debt to Punjab”. That unique and lion-hearted spirit of Punjabiyat would continue across the political divide with the subsequent emergence of leaders like Dr Manmohan Singh, Capt Amarinder Singh, Bhagwant Mann, Navjot Sidhu etc., all of whom would spar furiously amongst themselves but still never lose the opportunity for a good laugh and the restorative narrative to keep societal implosion (given the air of ‘divides’ and polarisation that are sweeping) at bay.

Even though Dr Manmohan Singh may have been sadly mocked owing to his inherent reserve, dignified rectitude and restraint which was falsely ascribed as meekness and surrender, the man-of-letters who opened up India’s economy would only say, “history will be kinder to me”. There was simply no place for sarcasm, small-spiritedness or uncouth malice in his retort. But even he was forced to talk about attempted dangers and raptures on Punjabiyat by saying, “During the peasant movement, we witnessed how attempts were made to defame Punjab and the Punjabiyat. All sort of things were spoken against Punjabis whose courage, valour, patriotism and sacrifices are saluted by the whole world. As a true Indian born on the brave soil of Punjab, I am pained by the whole series of incidents”. That Punjabiyat could and will always be contextualised to its sacred duty of standing up for the Tiranga ( Tricolour) and India, is a proven fact. But election times bring out the most desperate and wanton instincts in politicians and with the looming election season, the edifice of Punjabiyat will be put to test again.

Beyond partisan preferences, Punjab simply cannot afford to cave into ‘divides’ as it did in the 1980s with the influx of toxicity and hyper-religiousity and the subsequent pitching of one societal element against the other. The odd cases of extremism and secessionist tendencies by diasporic elements cannot (and should not) be extrapolated to suggest their resonances on Punjab and its people over here. Non-Punjabis forget that Punjabiyat is also rooted in nobility, valour, and the revolutionary spirit of the multi-cultural and multi-religious likes of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, Manto, Baba Farid, Bulleh Shah, Kabir, Ravi Dass etc., all of whom epitomized the spirit of resistance to oppressive forces.

Punjabiyat also emerges as the rare bridge between the wounded relations between India and Pakistan, which will ultimately necessitate engaging and finding a common ground ~ the current optics of estrangement notwithstanding. For now, whatever be the passions and ‘divides’ that are invoked, the wonderful spirit of Punjabiyat must never be allowed to diminish or weaken.

The competing politicians in the fray must state what they will do to invest in and strengthen Punjabiyat, as opposed to tearing of the same, and preying for votes. History is instructive, that Punjabiyat has done yeoman service for the integrity, dignity and prosperity of India and also led to debilitating consequences whenever the same was shunned.

(The writer is Lt Gen PVSM, AVSM (Retd), and former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry)