SikhSpectrum.com Quarterly Issue No.31, February 2008
Book Review - East of Indus: My Memories of Old Punjab
Jagpal S. Tiwana
Brard, Gurnam S.S. : East of Indus: My Memories of Old Punjab. New Delhi, Hemkunt, 2007, p.440
You can take a Jat out of his village, but you cannot take his village out of him.
Dr. Gurnam Singh Brard, now settled in Nevada, USA, left Punjab about half a century ago. However, the early years of his life spent in his village in Punjab kept haunting him all these years. Despite a successful career in America, Dr. Brard’s passion for his village is still intact. “In old age, riches in America cannot make up the loss of separation from extended family and break from the ancestral village land”, he expresses his feelings thus. The resulting book East of Indus, My memories of Old Punjab, covering all that has been on his mind for years.
Gurnam was born and raised in the historic village, Mehraj, Distt, Bhatinda, hub of the famous Bahia (22) villages which, with blessings of Guru Hargobind and Guru Gobind Singh, gave rise to Phulkian states of Patiala, Nabha and Jind. Gurnam makes no claim to his royal origin, as his grandfather was an ordinary farmer, though as a member of the royal clan the family was invited to special occasions of the Patiala state.
Gurnam loved farming and the carefree life of the cattle grazers, but his father and his eder brother kept pressing him to get an education. In 1946 he was admitted to Khalsa College Amritsar, but when he came back to his village in the summer break, he changed his mind and decided to stay back. His father took him back to Amritsar. As soon as his father left Amritsar, he took a train to his married sister’s place. His heart was in the village. Later when he returned to his folks, he was again pressed to go back to college. This time his elder brother, Kartar, took him to Amritsar, but again it was the same story. As his brother left, Gurnam went to his Massi's (mother's sister) village.
Gurnam enjoyed the next three years back in his village and records vivid memories of his life in Mehraj. "For many years, every day in the village was a pleasurable adventure for me. I did not mind the heat, the dirt and the harsh life of the farmer; I never wanted to leave that life" writes Gurnam. Now young Gurnam had his first taste of liquor, witnessed fights among Jats, himself challenged an unfriendly neighbor with naked sword in hand, and learned all about farming and rural life.
Finally in 1949 he took a ‘reluctant break from the village’. His brother Kartar who was an army officer, took him to Ahmednagar and put him in a local college. This was the turning point in his career. He started liking college life. From Ahmednagar, he was moved to Punjab University College, Hoshiarpur. He was smart in studies and became a favorite of his teachers. Here he met Manmohan Singh the present Prime Minister of India, who was a student there. After completing an M.Sc. in Physics and working as college lecturer, Gurnam went to the University of Washington on a fellowship and did his Ph.D there. Although he got married and settled in the United States, yet he could not forget his village and the simple life of rural Punjab.
In East of Indus, he covers a broad range of topics closely associated with village life - joint family, caste system, sexual mores, superstitions, marriage customs, death and mourning rituals, festivals, fairs, food, entertainment , leisure and pastime activities, etc. Nothing escapes his notice from women fights, Deor- Bhabi relation, farmer- sharecropper deal and dependence of menial castes on land owning Jats. Many forgotten house hold items like chati, taura, kujja, magha, Chhanna, Hara, Chakki, Ukhali etc come to mind. A Jalsa (function) of Nachar (dancer) or Naqalis (comedians) were sources of great amusements.
Autobiographical accounts normally portray the bright side of the author and his family. Dr. Brard, however, is pretty open and forthright and does not hide his or his family’s seamy side. His father was disappointed in him when he showed no interest in education. “ I have been blessed with very good children, except this one, Gurnam, who ruined my life.” And Gurnam could not accept the physical abuse his father afflicted on his mother. He was closer to his kind Taya (uncle)Tiloka than his disciplinary father. Gurnam comes out as a typical Jat boy, loyal to the family, though defiant, and independent, who started drinking liquor in his teens, provoked physical fights, hated going to school, but loved hard work on the farm.
The book is not just a narration of incidents, he discusses religion and philosophy too. His interpretation of Sikh religion and Sikh history is pretty liberal. “Nanak did not repudiate all Hindu traditions, but did speak against superstitious practices, corrupted ways, and the caste system…” observes Dr. Brard. In early 20th century Jat families in his area still followed Hindu ceremonies and rituals. His parents were married by a Brahmin priest around fire. Her mother’s name was Bhag Bhari and her maternal uncle was Ganga Ram, though they were Sikhs. Sikh scholar Harjot Singh Oberoi, author of “Construction of Religious Boundaries”, gets a lot of support for his thesis that Khalsa identity before Singh Sabha movement was one of the many Sikh identities.
According to Dr. Brard, though many Jat houses continued Hindu practices, but once Jats joined Sikh religion, there was no going back to Hinduism. On the other hand, many Sehajdhari Khatri Sikh families were drawn back into the Hindu fold.
His family’s attitude towards the Sikh religion was typical of a Jat family. The family patriarch uncle Tiloka and others went to Gurdwara only on Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh’s birthdays and were pretty superstitious. As a child though Gurnam equated Sikh Gurus with Gods and prayed to Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh, yet in real difficulty, he would even remember Ram, Krishna or Buddha. “it did not hurt to ask for additional help” as young Gurnam rationalized. Even now Gurnam would not wash his hair on a Tuesday. His father, however, was influenced by Singh Sabha reforms. He was an Amritdhari Sikh, regular in his nitnem and Gurdwara visits. He wanted to give his children the best education available. No wonder his sons rose to high positions. The eldest Kartar was Colonel in Indian army, Gurnam earned a Ph. D from an American university, Gurdial rose to be a Major-General and youngest Kirpal became a medical doctor. Uncle Tiloka, however, was content if Gurnam passed grade 8 and became a patwari.
The book, however, is not free from some flaws. Chapter 9, “A Dialogue About Spiritual Matters,” does not go well with “ My Memories of Old Punjab”. It could have been avoided to reduce the bulk of the book. His graphic description and details of sexual practices and the adventures of his friends do not fit well either. You would be reluctant to recommend it to a female relative or put it in a Gurdwara Library, which was perhaps not the intention of the author. A little more attention to proof reading could have been helpful.
These are, however, only minor irritants compared to a mine of information in the book on rural Punjab. One does feel nostalgic about his village after reading it. Here it comes close to Giani Gurdit Singh’s classic ‘Mera Pind’. Highly recommended to public, private and academic libraries. It would be a welcome addition to the list of required reading on courses on Punjab studies. List Price at Amazon is $37.50. The book is available from South Asia Books for $30 including shipping.
