aris Shah’s death anniversary falls on ninth of Sawan. However, his urs but is rarely observed or celebrated on that day. Too often, one or the other exigency forces a change of the date.

Jandiala Sher Khan, near Sheikhupura, where the poet is buried, still attracts a reasonably large crowd to acknowledge the contribution of one of the leading poets of the Punjabi language.

Writers and poets in regional languages have been discriminated against in Pakistan as some people among the country’s cultural policy makers apparently believed that regional languages and cultural identities could thrive only at the cost of a national language and a national identity. Those running the country also saw the cultural identity as a cut and dried thing. This approach to a unified cultural-linguistic policy resulted, among other things, in the gradual alienation and secession of East Pakistan and the establishment of Bangladesh as a separate country.

Following the 1971 tragedy and some chastening of the attitudes towards local languages and cultures, the hostility towards language spoken by local communities declined somewhat. In the early to mid 19 local languages and cultures were allowed more space and some official organizations were set up to foster their expression. It was finally realised that Punjabi language and culture were not hostile to or seeking in any way to override the national identity.

The tombs of some of the leading poets and intellectuals were located and measures were taken to restore or those. It was then that the tomb of Waris Shah was rebuilt and came under the spotlight. It also became a familiar landmark to a slightly larger section of the population. In particular, people living in nearby urban areas started visiting it. The popular interest made the urs and the mela associated with it more respectable. It was no longer the preserve of those glorifying rural living or those rejecting progress or development. In Jandiala Sher Khan, too, visitors representing urban living and a reworked image of modern, quasi-Western culture came to be tolerated, even welcome.

However, after the fall of the ZA Bhutto government in 1977, it was back to square one. Other priorities took over at the state institutions and the shrines of Punjabi poets again became the backwaters they had been previously. The state institutions in charge of cultural preservation barely survived. In many cases, the funds were frozen so that the activities they could undertake were restricted. Under the circumstances, the primary objective of their managers was to ensure that there was enough money always for the salaries and utilities. This typically left very little for the function the institutions were originally founded to perform.

After Bhutto, it was back to square one. Other priorities took over at the state institutions and the shrines of Punjabi poets again became the backwaters they had been previously. The state institutions in charge of cultural preservation barely survived. 

Punjabis have paid a very heavy price for this in terms of preservation of their culture. For many decades the Punjabi language and its cultural expression were seen as a monopoly of the Sikhs and their struggle leading to the partition that was focused on how to crystallise a separate political identity. The culture/ language became a casualty of this focus. Many in urban Punjab, already dissociated from their cultural heritage, adopted Urdu as their language and a Western perspective on what advancement meant and exemplified. This strain continues to dominate the cultural scene despite many efforts by some culturally conscientious individuals.

Punjabi has been limited to an oral tradition. The lack of education has pushed it further to the margins so that it is now seen as a language of the lowly and the rustic. Some Punjabis appear to take pride in denigrating the language and vernacular expression.

Languages associated with oral cultures are increasingly endangered. Some with small populations to support them have either become extinct or are now spoken by ever smaller communities. The Punjab has a large and burgeoning urban population that can’t read their own language. Many are totally unaware of the script. It may be said in the same breath that the development of a script distinct from gurmukhi has been sloppy.

Waris Shah’s urs is an occasion for Punjabis not only to mourn the loss of their culture but also deliberate on the situation. It seems sadly that the number of those concerned is shrinking and that the ranks of those indifferent to it swelling. Many do not even know the leading poets of the language. Many are more familiar with Western literature and cultural traditions than their own.

Waris Shah wrote his classic in Malka Hans which is close to Depalpur. Only scant details are now available about his life. He is known to have moved from Uch to this area to write his magnus opus before he moved again and settled in Jandiala Sher Khan where he breathed his last and is buried. For the Punjabis who value their culture and are not embarrassed to own it, the site is a monument to love and the courage to stay true to one’s true aspirations. Waris Shah championed the cause of personal freedom to be enjoyed equally by men and women. These days, of course, the circumstances are much different. However, it should not be forgotten that he not only documented the travails and laments of the women but also transformed those into great poetry.

The author is a culture critic based in Lahore