Jalandharies have always supported and loved the game of Hockey. Most of you know that Hockey world cup starts on 28th Feb 2010. This is a right time to let know people who are not aware of Jalandharies's contributution to the game of Hockey.

In the world of field hockey, it's almost impossible that any player or fan is ignorant about Sansarpur. This is not the name of any player or any big city. It's a small village in Punjab. The quote "actions speak louder than the words" pertinently sums up this village.

Here are Top 5 happenings in Jalandhar for week ended Sept. 21,2008.

5. Mr. Tiger is not going away yet. Well MC is fogging different areas in City but still Tiger seems strong enough to weather all attempts to contain it.

4. Last week was the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. There were some function held around the city and there are some who still take time to remember this great son of India. We salute Shaheed Bhagat Singh and all the martyrs who sacrificied their life so we could live in a free India.

Shahedo Ki chitayo pe lagege har saal mele, waqt me mitne walo ka yaheen bake nishan hoga.

3 Jalandhar Improvement Trust got its chairman this week. Finally it is Mr. Baljeet Singh Neelmahal who won the crown. Wonder what it took so long for Akali-BJP govt. to appoint a head to this lucrative job?

2. Jalandhar MC had their meeting and a number of decisions were made but what stole the show was usual shoutings and walkout of different memembers and sadly all of 20 female members of the house remain silent and did not raised any issue. Maybe it will take time for women to become accustomed to the house proceedings. We concourage these memembers to be vocal for the issues of their respective wards.   

1.Well Mr. Charming Rahul Baba was in the city and Congressis were tripping over one another to get a picture with him. Most were not successful but some were atleast successful in getting the posters made with their picture alongside picture of Rahul. The leaders who were fighting with each other as of last month were seen standing side by side. Not bad.

We have started Jalandhar Top 5 of previous week. This is based on buzz in the Jalandhar city as well as what Jalandharies are talking about over the web besides the other obvious "; stuff. Feel free to email us at admin@jalandhari.com or by hitting comments below.

Here are Top 5 for last week ended Sept. 07,2008.

5. Last week as we gave a hint, Sugandha Mishar is out of TGILF4. All of Jalandharies wanted her to succeed but it did not happen. Well Jalandhari.com wish her success in her life and career. She is our No. 5 for the last week. We hope to see her back in Top 5 soon.

 4. There were some Ganesh Cahturthi celebration around. But the Top 4 spot was taken by this image of Ganesh Ji which appeared in a household near BastI sHEIKH.

3. Tiger. What? Tiger in Jalandhar ? Yes, Tiger is the name of a dangerous species of mosquitoes and is causing panic among city dwellers. Its bite can cause serious life threating conditions such as low platelets count. 

2. Mera Pind made it to Top 2 list. It is a nice family movie. Though all of Harbhajan Mann's movies are stuck on one idea. But in this one Sidhu is the scene stealer. Navjot Sidhu) - a well to do, happy go lucky NRI who has chosen to settle in his native village, spreads the message of self-empowerment and entrepreneurship amongst the village youth. Led by Himmat (Harbhajan Mann), the youth set off a revolution of development in the village. Their lives are changed by Sidhu’s simple but extremely enterprising initiatives. Soon, the village transforms into a modern prosperous hamlet and becomes a model in its own right.

The film drives an important message targeted at Punjabi audiences; to realize the importance of being an entrepreneur in one’s own land rather than extraordinary entrepreneurship in the West. Punjabi's are touted to be fairly successful and hardworking that side of the globe, an impression which belies the visible reality back home

and at position 1 was  

1. Mangal Tara. Well many of readers are not aware. But yes, he is a popular magician and doing many magic shows around Jalandhar City.

Rumors: we will update soon:

We have received beautiful memories letter from "Sheikh Muhammad Sarwar" who is a Jalandhari but had to leave his ancestral place during horrible time of partition. He has compiled his memories in a very touching letter to us. These letters not only contain his memories, These also contain a very important piece of Jalandhar history. The good times. bad times, changed times. Please help by posting comments below or emailing admin@jalandhari.com  if you can add or help him in any other ways. We will be posting these memories in few parts. Here is 5th and concluding part:

People used to put a black goat head or spread different dals; split beans; in the chowks; street crossings; thinking that would avoid bad luck and keep away troubles.

Some small denomination coins were thrown out, every few minutes, in the air, over the bride and bridegroom, as a Sadqa – an offering to avoid difficulties for the couple.  It was difficult for local and outsiders to pick up these coins from under the foots and from dust, so they made coins traps with two large sticks 4-5 feet apart connected with a sheet of hard cloth.  As soon as coins were thrown, they would open and spread these traps under the coins falling down and thus more coins were caught.

WARNINGS BY SENIORS

If I went for pulse or a karyana item; the shopkeeper (even the Hindu shopkeeper) would ask for a piece of cloth to put the stuff in it.  If I didn’t have, he would advise me to bring next time saying that putting food stuff in papers was calling for dearness.

That was the World War II time – and it was heard “Jaddon Roos Panjabay Aaway, Rupaeey da ik sair un Wikaway”. It means, ‘when Russia will come to Punjab, one kilo of wheat flour will cost one rupee’ Back then one rupee was considered a huge amount! That was probably four times the cost of 1 kilo wheat at the time.

We used to bring vegetables in cloth.

Ghosht/mutton was put in a cloth wrapped in a white paper.  Some time the seller would put a piece of charcoal in it; saying it will keep Bala/bad omens away.  He said if mutton was wrapped in newspaper its calico ink printing will damage the ghosht.

Some sweet rice or kheer (pudding) or even black roasted grams mixed with sweets were distributed in children each month.  Children would hear a call by the distributor “Kurio, mundeo, wundi the kheer (etc) lay jao” – (girls and boys, please come and take ------“  As soon as –even one child- would listen; he will start calling other children; and in minutes 15-20 children would show up – all of this same mohallah.  Some children would ask for a share of his sister or brother (she/he is at home, and couldn’t come).  Children were happy, and it’s good for your well-being to make children happy.

In addition to please children, as explained above, the shopkeepers used to give a candy or something sweet to the child returning after purchase. This also made children happy.

It was done at the salons but where arranged it was done – on Sundays – for some permanent customers at their houses.  Hajjam (hair cutter) brought with him a small water container with some burning charcoal under it, to use warm water for shave.  At the client’s place, he would refill water and charcoal and move to another house.

EGGS and Chicken for free:

Hens/chickens were kept in almost all houses.  They were fed some leftover breads crumbs in the morning; had some water; they let loose, go out of house all day long searching for food; in the evening they will return and by evening fall enter their cage.

Each morning collect some eggs from the cage.

On a fashion day or to serve a special guest with delicious feast, one of the chickens from cage would do the job.

Maintenance of household cows and buffaloes: There comes a period when these animals cannot provide milk, and a period they expect.  Therefore, instead of their maintenance and feeding at home, they were left with some farmers until they were due to deliver baby.  The owners would bring them back home and pay a settled amount to the farmer for maintenance.

Maintenance of household goats: Some people used to collect goats from their owners, each morning, take to the grassy places and bring back home at noon. They were also paid monthly by the owners.

Maintenance of Farms; water well wheels; ploughs, accessories, bullock-carriages (Gadd), was done by supposedly arranged contractors; carpenters, blacksmiths.  They will do the job whenever needed and farmers will supply them sufficient Produce (wheel, maize, etc.) at each cultivation period.

Entrance doors of all houses were kept open during the day.  Real, and I don’t know how, no robberies happened.  Except, that those who were cheaters, used to knock and call out the resident to tell past and future and what they could do to keep the calamity away – in exchange of some money. Ladies were convinced and they took away money from them. 

At night – evening through to morning – one (just one person) with a stick and on foot, used to walk through streets of a mohallah; a portion of a basti; uttering loud “JAGTEY RAHO”.  Thieves would not dare come to enter the area or face him. Was that person scary just with a stick walking around alone?

A government employee with a ladder on shoulder and carrying two canisters; one with kerosene, one empty; would come each evening and take out used kerosene from lamps fixed to walls on each turn and middle of streets and refilling and lighting them. He would come again in the morning to put off the lights.

With Snakes, Bear and Monkey, goat tricks used to come and stop at few places in street to show children how bear, money and goat would perform on the signal of a stick. When they entered they would play the “dug-dugi” – a handmade paper craft instrument with threads with one rice or tiny stone on both sides of the small drum made of paper.  When shaken, rice would hit the drum and make noise.  Children understood the juggler has come.  At the end children would give their some money or a handful of wheat flour.

-       Ladies with needles (assorted sizes) and threads.

-       Sabzi wala – with a bucket of vegetables.

-       Ghost wala – carrying different parts of mutton. Used to mince manually.

-       Fruit wala – with assorted fruit.

-       Kerosene wala – with a barrel of kerosene on a hand-pushed trolley.

-       Kaprey wala – Carrying dress fabrics on a bicycle.

-       Oil wala – Another person carrying mustered oil, and other perfumed oils.

How about the kitchen stuff; ata, dal, ghee, mirch, masala (flour, pulses, cooking oil, spices).  I am talking here about Basti Danishmandan.  A shopkeeper (named: Khushia; Khushia Mal) used to come (I should say all houses) couple of days before end of month, and checked for quantities and stuff needed. He would carry all orders on a bull- o-cart (could not find this word in dictionary) – it was wooden flat-bed trailer pulled by bullocks; and deliver door to door without money.  On payday he would come back to be paid.  What a facility!  

Ladies were not seen doing general shopping.  They would go to a fabric store to buy and stich all dresses (I am sure) at home or to have it done for money from another lady with sewing machine.  Same was true for sweater and muffler (to cover head, ears and wrap around neck) buy wool, do it or get it done.

There were gutters; sumps; dumps; Latrines were in the houses and cleared by some person every morning and dumped outside locality on heap (called rudi – garbage pile).

The street drains were cleared or sand and stones.

WORLD WAR II

Those days terrorism-cum-war was between countries; not communities. There was no electricity, at least in our basti. There were kerosene lit lanterns dimmed at bedtime or clay-made little blows filled with mastered oil feeding a burning wick. People were warned to blackout ventilators; by carbon papers or other stuff; and not any light seen from outside to help enemy. If a light was seen; a color would be spilt on that roof by the airplane to identify and punish next day.  Young boys – within the weight and height required, were recruited from poor and influenced countries to help bygone fight a war. There were warnings announced not to pick stray pens, pencils or other gadgets on the street or roof; those could be booby traps dropped by the enemy and would blow out.

These fears traveled thousands of miles to become now unidentifiable from from an arm’s distance.

Times is a cure: In couple of years war effects were fading and people enjoyed leftovers of wars, Potatoes chips; parachutes; servicemen’s tiny stoves with wax burning under, servicemen’s stomping lasting-long shoes; khaki uniforms, cots and other accessories were on sale and adopted by the people. It was a good and cheaper source of pacifying injured poor people. It’s my wish that these same injured suffered people should never try a war; if we had one arm decapitated; not let the other arm also fall down. Let’s spend on welfare of people’s water, power, education, environment, food and industry. 

Farm land is being rapidly sold for increasing population’s housing needs, thereby reducing Produce Supply against the Demand.  We should review the taxation system. The farming land to be taxed lower than the Banjar or barren land; if this formula could work, more and more barren or uncultivated land would become under farming.  Give more incentives to people who would cooperate. Or make such banjar-cum-farm lands tax free for five years.

BE MY GUEST!

It’s a hand shake, sharing a dining table, some gupshup, then depart to meet. We meet to depart, isn’t it?

Ashwani Kumar Agarwal, a nice person I met over the internet, from Jalandhar has invited me to be his guest.  He will show me around my native home place and its new look.  Reciprocating this I invite Ashwani ji and others with same spirit to be my guest and let me serve them when I am in Pakistan.

Let’s torn away sheet of scary fears spread on us to find that was just a fake illusion.

Editor's Note: Sarwar Ji has since decided to visit Jalandhar in later part of thi year. We wish him the best and willing to help anyway we can. Please reply by hitting comments below if you are from Danishmanda area.

Regards

We have received beautiful memories letter from "Sheikh Muhammad Sarwar" who is a Jalandhari but had to leave his ancestral place during horrible time of partition. He has compiled his memories in a very touching letter to us. These letters not only contain his memories, These also contain a very important piece of Jalandhar history. The good times. bad times, changed times. Please help by posting comments below or emailing admin@jalandhari.com  if you can add or help him in any other ways. We will be posting these memories in few parts. Here is 4th part:

Maternal grandfather/mother:

Grandfather: Badruddin (living in basti danishmandan, in a mohallah opposite of so called dewan khana. He loved art and published a book called “Guldasta-i-Badr” giving flower art for pillow covers, shalwar, kameez, table cover etc. etc.  He was a construction contractor and supervised also the art work of a small tomb in basti danishmandan – Mian Sahib ka mazaar which had two graves; one of the muslim saint and the other of a thief who climbed up to steal a golden moon from top of the tomb and became blind; released it; got eyesight back; gripped it again to take off; gone blind; finally left it there and got his eye sight; and became a deciple of the saint.

He had also a cow in the house.

Grand maternal mother:    Bakhtawar. House-wife. Died in old age. Lived good life.

Their sons:   Ishaq, Shafi, Imdad .

Ishaq – (did carpentry, engraving, iching, floral artwork) Was married

to a daughter of a relative family (who were living at Noor Mahal and had a house in basti danishmandan also). Her name was Hassan Bibi; she died later and uncle was married to another women and settled at Faisalabad.

Shafi – doing construction work; later became a contractor; was married to elder daughter of a relative; she died soon, and married the younger sister.

Imdad worked in a Factory, as pattern maker and later founded his own works Imdad Tanning Machinery at Baghbanpura, Lahore.

Their daughters :  Hussain bibi (my mother); Irshad married to Yaqub in basti shaikh; Fazl bibi (Fazli) married to Iqbal in basti Shaikh.

There were basties (12) and kote’s in Jalandhar. Name of our Basti was/is Danishmandan. There were other basties; like, Shaikh/Shaikh Darwesh, Guzan, Nau, Mithu Sahib, Baba Khel, and others I was not familiar with.

My family had been living in this wonderful basti composed of various communities. They had their own worshipping places. It was populated on both sides of a main bazaar about one mile in length running wavery; with a small mosque near adda of tonga (horse-driven carriages); on this location, there was a post office and a flour mill/ ginning mill. In the middle of length of this bazaar was central mosque. Close by living were Feroze Khan, Mushtaq Khan, Ilyas Khan: and on the other end was another small mosque. 

On the corner of our street an off-shoot of main bazaar, was a fresh sweets shop, little down the street, was a blacksmith (Sardar ji’s shop) doing cattle nailing; besides other works, they were living in a sub-street along side of his shop.  Going further in that street, lived Hindu community. If I remember correctly, I heard there lived Mr. Bedi, who worked in movies? Further down the main street, there was a water well and a sub-street going into Kacchi Abaadi. If we go farther in our street, in front was an open space, on right was a water pond and up there close by was walled graveyard. Turning to left on our street at about 100 yards was our mohallah and our house was on the corner of this street taking another left turn to come to another open space.

Believe there was an open space left in all Busties/streets for any festivities, marriage parties, guests seating, cooking party meals, qawalies, etc.

On this open lot Meals for parties were cooked in Daigs (big size brass cooking pots) and served to the guests fresh. Perhaps there were no catering contractors. Old ones used to take charge of each Daig and young ones standing in line from daig to the guests delivered meals hand to hand and as such, returning empty meal dishes to the daig-caretaker. This return trip of dishes/ bowls was so swift that it looked like running a conveyor. Then this group of distributors and servers would take meal after serving all guests – I heard good meal was left and saved behind in daigs.

It was totally safe environment all around. I walked alone to my school; Sanatan Dharam in basti Nau (nayee basti) via basti Guzan. I walked alone to Basti Shaikh where headmaster (sorry, forgot his name) of our school lived and offered free help in math and English during summer vacation. Sorry, I forgot his name. Thanks to him and his family who let us share their vacation/leisure time.   

Basti Nau (nayee basti)

This was property of Maharaja of Kapurthala, and was adjacent to Basti Guzan.  It was under the administrative rules and regulations of the Maharaja.   As I heard at that time, these two areas (Basti Nau and Basti Guzan) were like two different states.  Any criminal or any other persons, who would step over into Basti Nau for protection, could not be chased and arrested by the administration of Basti Guzan.  One would go through proper permission from Maharaja’s administration.

I studied up to 8th grade in Sanatan Dharm school (Basti Nau), sponsored and funded by Tikka sahib, I think, who was a retired judge. He had a chain of these schools (that I heard).  At times, school children were lined up by the entrance of a room where mitha’es (sweets) were baked fresh and distributed to students. Students would enter one by one; take sweets and exit from the other door. It used to happen two three times a year. As I remember, it was to celebrate a birth or child in Tikka sahib’s family, etc.

Some students living in villages used to study Urdu/ Hindi in their local village school and then come to this school to do their English 7th and 8th grade.

Along with good teaching practices, there used to be one 30 minutes period called “chup dharan” – Khamosh rehna (quiet time). A teacher would come into the class room and sit Calm Quiet for 30 minutes.  We were told this was to recover energy lost. Sounded good!  Why not this is practiced now, when we definitely need it in this stressful time!

I remember students used to play drama and all students were invited to watch.  There was physical exercise every day.  Urdu was also taught and there was no compulsion to take Hindi courses.

I remember a newsbreak spread in school – an airplane crashed near school on road from Jalandhar city to Basti Sheikh Darwesh.  Students gathered there and there were some parts/ debris spread in the fields (khait or farmland) and some were seen on trees and the body was stuck up in the tree.

Don’t remember much of it, except that there was bakery in the main chowk/crossing (at the entrance of a bazaar) where my father used to buy “araroot” biscuits very nice, soft.  This word “araroot” rested in my memory until I looked at its meanings, and found it’s a type of special flour for baking biscuits. This shop was on the right while going towards Basti Nau.  Standing at same position, on my left, was another bazaar.  There was another sweets shop; fresh sweets; Jalebies (dark golden swirly sweet); and the shopkeeper’s son (Yesh Pal?) was my classmate.

Couple of our relatives lived there; I guess one was a map-tracer, the other was Mohammad Islam (later worked as office superintendent in PWD office in Lahore) to whom elder sister of my father (Zainab) was married.

There were other families doing beef business. I think that was the only place/basti from where beef was supplied.

I think Islamia High School was located in this basti, where I took admission in ninth grade but soon we had to migrate to Pakistan.   A bazaar from basti Guzan was leading to this Basti and Basti Mithu Sahib.  But we the student from basti danishmandan walked through field – a short cut – to the school – in chilling winter, in scorching heat. However, my mother used to give a-carry-out for lunch – a thick sweet crispy biscuit like Paratha which I used to eat it on my way to school, every morning; perhaps feeling hungry during walk.  Took usual school tuck-shop stuff at lunch time.

Thal Development Authority, Pakistan

Pak Industrial & Trading Corporation, Pakistan

IMPREGILO, Milan (Tarbela Dam Contractors), Pakistan

Tamimi-Fouad-Atkinson-Grove, Saudi Arabia

Wordprocessing, USA

Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, USA

BA

Diploma in Bookkeeping and Accountancy

Certificate in Commerce and Secretarial Practice

Diploma in Mercantile Law and Secretarial Practice

Business Management, University of California.

I owe many thanks to my wife Sarfraz Anjum who encouraged and supported me to take up more and more education and skills.

On 20 January 2008, the time and livelihood by God was over and she had to go back. May God keep her in peace in her permanent abode! Aameen

HOBBIES

Gain more knowledge and skills for job to support my family.

Badminton.

Playing with children for paper-craft and other experimental, educational exercises.

Planting vegetables and flowers.

Observation of pardah/haya is mandatory for men and women.

Muslim women used to wear a one-piece burqa (usually made of white cloth) from head to leg-foot joint (takhna). A space about 2” wide and 5” long was cut and woven like mesh in burqa, below the forehead to see through by women.

Hindu women had Saries wrapped around and a large part of it spread over the head to shoulder.

Sikh women had Dupata/large scarf covering back, head and front of their bodies.

MEN in these communities had their own head covers; Muslims topi/head hat while or red roomi topi, hindus white cloth caps; sicks turbans/pagries.

Marriage parties

I will talk about muslim community. Bridegroom will ride a horse with a sub-bridegroom (called shawala) while guests will walk along – if bride’s house was far away; all will travel by tonga (horse-driven carriages).

All the gifts; jewelry; dresses; given by parents of both sides and friends were shown one by one from a conspicuous place so that all guest, who wish to, could see.

The music bands would travel with the baraat/marriage party all the if this was in the close vicinity.  If it was far away; then the bridegroom’s will hire the band in the area of bride’s house; to lead them to her house.

People used to put a black goat head or spread different dals; split beans; in the chowks; street crossings; thinking that would avoid bad luck and keep away troubles.

Some small denomination coins were thrown out, every few minutes, in the air, over the bride and bridegroom, as a Sadqa – an offering to avoid difficulties for the couple.  It was difficult for local and outsiders to pick up these coins from under the foots and from dust, so they made coins traps with two large sticks 4-5 feet apart connected with a sheet of hard cloth.  As soon as coins were thrown, they would open and spread these traps under the coins falling down and thus more coins were caught.

I am attaching a letter we received "a Jalandhari's Letter to Director Pensions". Please share your views in comments section.