Contested terrain of Punjabi language’s relation to Punjabi identity

• In Event: The Nation and Beyond: Re-thinking Punjabi Identity across Space and Time

Abstract

On first thought, it might seem obvious that the relationship of Punjabi language- the mother tongue of Punjabi people- to Punjabi identity is a straight and unproblematic one. This paper would argue that this relationship, in fact, is a highly contested one. Behind this contestation lies the complex relationship of economy, politics and religion to Punjabi people’s identification with Punjabi language. Punjabi language in its different forms- spoken and written- does tend to overcome the cleavages of class, religion and spatial location (rural-urban) but this ‘victory’ remains hampered and incomplete. The identification with Punjabi language as a marker of Punjabi identity acquires various hues. It can vary between passionate advocacy of Punjabi language as central to Punjabi identity and different degrees of denial of this claimed centrality. This paper will attempt to explore the political economy of this multi-layered contestation over the link between Punjabi language and Punjabi identity.

Author

• Pritam Singh, Oxford Brookes University