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Militant and Migrant Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 Militant and Migrant Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 Militant and Migrant Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 Militant and Migrant The Politics and Social History of Punjab RADHIKA CHOPRA Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 LONDON NEW YORK NEW DELHI First published 2011 in India by Routledge 912–915 Tolstoy House, 15–17 Tolstoy Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110 001 Simultaneously published in the UK by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2011 Radhika Chopra Typeset by Star Compugraphics Private Limited D–156, Second Floor Sector 7, Noida 201 301 Printed and bound in India by Sanat Printers 312, EPIP, Kundli Sonepat 131 028, Haryana All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage and retrieval Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 system without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-0-415-59800-2 To Hari Sen and my parents, Pran and Sarojine Chopra Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 Contents List of Plates ix Glossary xi Acknowledgements xvii 1. Bringing a Field to Focus 1 2. Commemorating Hurt 12 3. Risky Strategies and Family Plans 49 4. Sent Away Boys 66 5. Transacting Asylum 87 6. Descent to Illegality 111 Bibliography 135 About the Author 145 Index 146 Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 List of Plates Between pages 86 and 87 2.1 Shakti Sthal, Indira Gandhi’s cremation site. 2.2 Jathas arrive formally on Ghallughara Diwas, 6 June 2007. 2.3 A plaque, one of three, set at the base of the steps leading to the Akal Takht. 2.4 A rendering of the destruction of the Akal Takht, surrounded by ‘Bluestar martyrs’ painted in 1987. 2.5 The 1984 memorial wall at the exit of the Akal Takht Museum. 6.1 Backpacks and T-shirts sold in Southall, October 2006. 6.2 Funeral home, Southall, October 2006. 6.3 ‘Foods of home’. A supermarket shelf in Southall, October 2006. Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 Glossary aankh milana look a person directly in the eye aap ji a respectful form of address, to an elder or superior ab water abroadee colloquially, a migrant; common to Diaspora Punjabi adkar/adrak ginger apsos sadness; ritual of grieving Amriki colloquially, America; American amrit chakkna literally, tasting the nectar; commonly, the ritual of initiation amritdhari literally, a person who has drunk the nectar; Sikh initiate antim ardas the final prayer for the dead recited at the conclusion of bhog Apna Punjab our land; my Punjab ardas prayer of the Khalsa atma essential spirit; colloquially, soul ayahs nannies baba honorific form of address; commonly, grandfather bahu daughter-in-law bhaapa colloquially, a trader; Sikhs of the trader castes Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 bhangra Punjabi folk dance and music; usually performed by groups of men bhog the conclusion of a complete reading of the scriptural text bichola marriage advisor bigar jana literally, go bad; spoil biraderi coparcener group; sub-caste bungas quarter; rest house; in the Darbar Sahib complex bungas were built around the xii Ô Militant and Migrant perimeter wall, the most well known of which is the Bunga Ramgariha burj fortified tower; obelisk chardi kala ascending optimism; indomitable courage chattri elevated, dome-shaped pavilions on the roof of a temple, tomb or mosque; architectural feature, resembling an umbrella chaubarsa literally, fourth year; fourth death anniversary chikar/kichar mud chogas tailored garment, resembling a coat, worn by men darbari courtly (from the root darbar or court) darshan literally, auspicious view of a divine being; commonly, audience with an exalted being; worship and blessing dastar turban dhadi jathas bands of musicians and orators of a Punjabi musical folk genre; Dhadi music was extremely significant during the militant decades in the contemporary politics of Punjab dhakka shove/shoved dharm yudh morcha battle for justice, launched in 1982 by the Akali Party dhobi washerman Dhol vajje drumbeats donki bandeh literally, donkeys; commonly, reference to illegal migrants or drug carriers durries rugs Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 fauji literally, ‘of’ the army; soldier fauji hamla commonly, the term for Operation Bluestar, the Indian army operation in the Darbar Sahib garh fort gatka wooden stick; used in weapons-based martial art performances ghallughara carnage ghar home Glossary Ô xiii ghar jawai/ uxorilocal husband; commonly, live-in son- khana damad in-law gyan knowledge; intellect jaddi hereditary jaddi jamin patrimonial property jatha band jimidar landholder; peasant proprietor jokham risk kalgi egret feather; adorning a turban, the egret feather signified nobility Kalgidhar/ commonly, a reference to Guru Gobind kalghi vala Singh who wore an egret feather in his turban, denoting his aristocratic lineage (from kalgi or crest of the egret) Kanada colloquially, Canada kanak roko the 1984 agitation to prevent the export of wheat from Punjab kar sewa (kar seva) voluntary assistance kavis poets kesri pugs saffron turbans khargku militant (from the linguistic root kharag or scimitar); the use of the term indicated supporters or admirers of militants. khes thick cotton covering/bedspreads kheti bari agricultural labour kirpan one of the five kakars or symbols of the Khalsa; etymologically, defined as a defensive weapon — kripa meaning mercy and aan meaning to bless kurahit transgression of the Rahit, the code of conduct Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 langar literally, community eating; commonly, the food served at gurdwaras langar sewadars free kitchen in a gurdwara (langar); kitchen volunteers (sewadars) lehar wave luk luk ke colloquially, hidden Ma Boli mother tongue maharaj da literally, opening to the sunlight; ritual of prakash karna ‘awakening’ the scriptural text xiv Ô Militant and Migrant mard man maryada custom; prescribed code of conduct miri-piri temporal (miri) spiritual (piri) authority mona Sardar a Sikh man who has shaved his beard and cut his hair morcha a gathering of protestors nagara kettle drum nikal gaya literally, left; commonly, illegal migration nishan mark; sign paheliyan riddles pairan te chakkri literally, wheels on the feet; constant traveller Panj Piyareh five ritual elect panth literally, path; system of belief and practice; the Sikh community parikrama circumambulation around a sacred space; in the Darbar Sahib, the walkway around the sacred pool parohna literally, guest; also, son-in-law pata known location; address patit literally, fallen; commonly used among Sikhs to mean apostate. The Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, defines patit as a person who shaves or trims his hair or kesh or a Sikh guilty of one of the four cardinal prohibitions or kurahits pind bandh, cordoning the village; in 1984, the karza bandh movement to prevent loan recovery agents entering the village pitrs spirit of ancestors prasad ghar usually offerings to a deity or divine being; Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 in the Darbar Sahib, the place where the prasad is made (from prasad, literally a gift) pravachans religious discourse; a lecture on the scriptures ragi singer of devotional music rasta roko barricades Glossary Ô xv Rehat maryada code of conduct of the Khalsa Panth and pattern of prescribed behaviour Saccha Padsha true emperor; commonly, the title for Guru Har Gobind Singh, the sixth Guru, who wore the two swords of miri and piri, denoting temporal and spiritual authority samadhi cenotaph; site of an ascetic’s interment, now used to refer to cremation sites of prominent people sangat congregation; ritual assembly in the presence of the sacred scripture sarkar sewa government service sarovar sacred pool; commonly, a reference to the pool at the centre of the Golden Temple complex sarpanch the head, usually elected, of a village council sewa assistance; ritual labour shaheed martyr shaheedi martyrdom shaheedi parivar family of a martyr shakti sacred energy; a personification of the divine feminine shamiyanas canvas canopies siropas a length of cloth, usually for a turban, bestowed as mark of recognition of piety or devotion siyapa lament/mourning ritual sufi a practioner of sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam tankhahia apostate Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 tashaddar barbarity tehkhana underground chamber tehsil administrative unit within a district tejas divine energy thes injury/hurt tithi anniversary totkeh pithy sayings; wise sayings xvi Ô Militant and Migrant uggarwadi linguistic root uggar — literally, ferocious; bureaucratic term for terrorist vand chakkna to share with the community; one of the three main prescriptive practices of Sikhism, the other two being Nam Japna (recite the name) and Kirat Karo (to labour, work) vars ballads of battle; recitations of mythical narrative; a heroic ode Vilayti ‘from England’; English (from vilayat, referring to England) vir ras literally, the sweetness of brotherhood; bravery wanggar announce; challenge Yadgar-e-Shaheedaan martyr memorial zinda alive zindabad literally, live and flourish; ‘long live’ zulm oppression; brutality Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:05 09 May 2016 Acknowledgements This book owes a debt to many different people on its long journey to fruition. I want to thank the members of the Department of Sociology, University of Delhi, who contributed with comments on dif- ferent avatars of my argument, well before it was even conceived as a book.
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