By Haroon Khalid
“Let’s stop here for a little while,” suggested Iqbal Qaiser looking at a board that read Tiba Shah Behlol. “Just a little distance from here is the shrine of Behlol under grove of Banyan trees, who was the spiritual master of Shah Hussain.” It was a fantastic sight; about five to six ancient Banyan trees, with their drooping boughs in quick succession. I could imagine Hindu jogis wearing a saffron color cloth, intermingling with the ash covered sadhus, sitting next to Sufi malamatis under them. Here they must have exchanged ideas about religion, philosophy, rites and god that now transcend the nationalistic boundaries that have been created after the creation of India-Pakistan. Somewhere in these trees, in this land and in the air, those conversations are still preserved and can be heard in the silence of civilization, in the rattling of the leaves, in the howling of the breeze. They would remain here for eternity.
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An intimidating convoy of jeeps rushed past us almost throwing us off the single lane road. Their windows were blackened, legally not allowed, and black uniformed guards sat at the rear touting their machine guns. We assumed them to be either members of the Sipah-e-Sahaba, now known as Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat or Laskhar-e-Jhangvi, both Sunni hard-line organizations that fuel the sectarian conflicts in the country. After Sipah-e-Sahaba was banned by the former military dictator, it re-emerged with a new name and continued playing an active role in the politics of the country. Since elections were only a few months away, billboards with the pictures of their leaders decorated the length and breadth of the city. Their leader, Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, was ubiquitous, endorsing party members, behind autos, on billboards and on posters. Ever since the rise in target killings of prominent Shiias in the major cities of the country, human rights activists, opposition party leaders and sections of the media have alleged that the Punjab Government, dominated by the right-wing Pakistan Muslim League Noon, have been supporting these extremists based in Jhang.
Amanullah, the caretaker of the shrine greeted the devotees telling them about the miracles of this place. “Girls looking to get married tie bangles here. Young couples who want to get married but cannot for some problems tie threads here and their pain is alleviated. Barren women present that cradle here and with the blessings of Mai Heer she is gifted a child.” The cradle offerings had uncanny similarities to the cult of Krishna.
Little did I know my Ranjhan was always with me”
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Tales of overwhelming love thwarted by the forces of societal constraint and circumstance are a staple across Southasia, all the way from the mountains of Afghanistan to the coast of Sri Lanka. Even as the thwarted love of two individuals is the focal point of these stories, they can be read at a number of levels. To begin with, they contain a wealth of information on the cultural norms and compulsions of the times; ranging from the laws of inheritance, the societal view of outsiders, the nature of the people’s relation with their rulers, to the societal, community and familial hierarchy of the times, among other issues.
On another level, the reason for which the union between the two main protagonists is forbidden is also worth studying. Whether the objection is based on the ethnicity, faith, geographical origin, class or caste of the two characters is telling of societal priorities and prejudices. A systemic study of the forbidden in love is crucial to understanding the region outside the purely political framework.
Researching and documenting the four famous love legends of Punjab viz. Heer-Ranjha; Sohni-Mahiwal; Sassi-Punnu; and Mirza-Sahiban, is an attempt to simultaneously address the geopolitical as well as social contradictions that afflict Southasia in a mass scale today.
Beyond that, it is also relevant to contemporary society, at a time when a number of Southasian societies are becoming increasingly rigid and intolerant in their definition of what constitutes an 'acceptable' love or marriage. We are also actively using the research material as tools to facilitate workshops with youth across colleges and universities in both, India and Pakistan; opening avenues to bring into the public sphere – free and open discussions on ‘forbidden love’.
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Love and Longing in Amritsar
Art, poetry and legend offer opportunities to express the forbidden. Even today.
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Ruminations on Love and Hate
A journey to the land of Heer and Ranjha throws up a volatile juxtaposition of religious intolerance and messages of eternal love.
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Dance Now, Sohni, Cross Now
Dancing the Giddha, women in Punjab question social norms and metaphorically complete Sohni’s ill-fated journey across the stormy river.
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The Truth of a Legend
The emergence of the practice of female infanticide among certain clans in Punjab could well be linked to attempts to prevent the birth of rebellious daughters like Sahiban who ‘dishonoured’ their
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Speaking of Love in Mumbai
Centuries old love legends of Punjab help trigger vibrant discussions where teenagers talk about love, desire and breaking barriers.
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This section is our attempt at creating and sharing a comprehensive database of resources related to the love legends of Southasia. The aim is to build a solid reference for the general public as well as for future research work to be carried out on the subject. We encourage you to submit relevant resources and help us build the database.
Browse Resources
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8 December 2015 |
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Fernando Botero’s contribution to the city of Medellin is not just the very
13 October 2015 |
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The Judicial Historical Archives allows a peek into centuries-old notions of
10 September 2015 |
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9 September 2015 |
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Nepal is still reeling with shocks and aftershocks after the earthquake on 25th
26 April 2015 |
"Hri" - a sound or a vibration, the utterance of which awakens the empathy that is an inherent part of every sentient being. Regionalism must no longer remain a prisoner of platitude, since there is a consensus that geopolitical friction, poverty and pressing environmental issues as well as cultural and social dislocation must be addressed through the regional framework. There is a need to revive and energise discussions of regionalism on the platform of mainstream politics, public information and research, with a dynamic Southasian sensibility.
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