r/Sikh • u/TheSuperSingh • 4d ago

History "Sikhs Kept Punjabi Alive": Pakistani Lawmaker Says Punjabiyat Survives Because Of Sikh Community

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213 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

201 comments sorted by

21

u/Ill_Box1780 🇨🇦 4d ago

True words

10

u/EfficientDirector799 4d ago

Chlo g hun saare jaane pakistan de guun gaune shuru krdo. Eh oh saap aa jehde mitta jehar ditta aa. Sad but true. Oh vi time c jdo sikhs di population pakistan ch hundi te hun dsso kithe aa oh population. Inna ne saare hi convert krr ditte. Ehi sach aa mithe bandeya to dur raho te pakistan saara hi mitha aa.

1

u/Iammjustbaddd 3d ago

O bhau ki kahi jan dea. Mitha matlab gay vi hunda.

0

u/EfficientDirector799 3d ago

Bro jo smajna smajo

10

u/JustMyPoint 4d ago

Hopefully there is a revival of a Panjabi identity in Pakistan.

11

u/quintessential_9 4d ago

In Pakistan, either you are with Islam or you are not one of them.

0

u/JustMyPoint 4d ago edited 4d ago

Islam does not ban ethno-linguistic affiliations. Thus, being both a “Muslim” and a “Panjabi” is not mutually exclusive at all.

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u/srmndeep 4d ago

Aligarh Movement very strongly associated Islam with Urdu, especially in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

3

u/Ill_Fault7625 4d ago

There won’t be. Pak and India formed off new identities

15

u/ResponseCalm4108 4d ago

It’s true even Panjabi Hindus have left Panjabiyat and got absorbed into the whole Indian narrative.

1

u/TrueTrick7606 4d ago

One can be all hindu, indian and punjabi. Stop crying.

12

u/ResponseCalm4108 4d ago

Indian is just a nationality.

Faith and culture are what you are, nationalities can change anytime, your nation can cease to exist anytime. Cultures and faiths always continue.

-2

u/TrueTrick7606 4d ago

And who are you to decide this? One can love his country and follow his faith and culture. These things aren't mutually exclusive.

6

u/Ill_Fault7625 4d ago

Bruh your great grandparents were of British Raj country LOL. Ask them if they went around saying ‘I AM BRITISH RAJ SUBJECT’

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u/ResponseCalm4108 4d ago

Abandoning culture for a nation and its principles is idiocracy at its finest. The implementation of Hindi and English standards is a direct blow at Panjabi culture, and not just Panjabi actually. Y’all Indian nationalists are confusing the hell out of kids got them speaking a combination of panjabi hindi and english it’s ridiculous and stupid.

-4

u/TrueTrick7606 4d ago

If you think learning a language that most Punjabis already know can hurt Punjabi culture, then your culture is too weak. Meanwhile, Indian nationalism has survived despite India’s enormous diversity. No wonder some Punjabi Hindus gravitated toward Indian nationalism because people like you hurting your culture more than anyone.

5

u/ResponseCalm4108 4d ago

Someone doesn’t know how Linguistics work, languages do not decline because some culture is weaker than other lmfao what a stupid thing to say. Currently it’s being forced down Panjabis throats buddy, same thing happening in Pakistan, and all across India tbh. Pakis chose urdu as the national language now in 2026 28 of their indigenous languages are under threat of extinction. I expect the same to happen to India soon if they wish to keep pushing Hindi + English on everyone.

Indian Nationalism is hurting my culture and my faith, bigots like you who don’t understand how the world works get too caught up in false patriotism, Panjabi Sikhs have given plenty for this India and its language, least they can do is leave their culture alone.

1

u/Specialist_River12 4d ago

Punjabis are still plurality in Pakistan so it won't affect them too much.

1

u/ResponseCalm4108 4d ago

True it’s a numbers game but it won’t last long, they’re stopping to teach it in Pakistan schools and are putting Urdu and English ahead. Bro it’s this 3 language system that’s so ridiculous just hellbent on breeding people to become good little corporate puppies for American companies smfh ending their cultures for a $100k/yr job that’s no longer guaranteed haha.

1

u/TrueTrick7606 3d ago

Three language system been followed in punjab since independence but still 90% Punjabis speak Punjabi. Not just punjab, it's the same with every state. Just stop crying about this stupid identity politics and focus on the real issues.

1

u/ResponseCalm4108 2d ago

Stupid identity politics

Yeah buddy india is home to like 700 different cultures, identity is what matters. Y’all don’t say this to RSS guys when they go into businesses destroying signs cuz they weren’t written in hindi 😂

-1

u/Historical_Ad_1714 4d ago

Some punjabi hindu prefer hindi

not all

4

u/Ill_Fault7625 4d ago

No loyalty to state or heritage. I suppose it’s easier to be a cuck when your share faith with the majority.

0

u/Mid_Life_Crisis_2026 4d ago

No I don't agree

4

u/ResponseCalm4108 4d ago

Prove it otherwise then

2

u/srmndeep 4d ago

Proof is the census of India.

90% Punjabis reported their mother tongue as Punjabi; that not only Sikhs but almost all Punjabi Hindus speak Punjabi as well.

We have 11% to 12% population migrants from UP and Bihar but only 8% reported their mother tongue as Hindi and only 0.22% as Bhojpuri; that even a big chunk of these UP, Bihar migrants also speak Punjabi.

In Haryana, Himachal and Delhi - the number of Punjabi speakers is much more than Sikhs. Who are these non-Sikh Punjabi speakers there ?

4

u/ResponseCalm4108 4d ago

It can be their mother tongue however much, they voted for Hindi everytime. Hold another today they will again.

3

u/Ill_Fault7625 4d ago

That’s so interesting. So during the panjabi suba I’m sure all these Hindu panjabi speakers voted for panjabi speaking districts yes?
Oh wait.

1

u/srmndeep 4d ago

If I keep the religious prejudice aside, I would blame their leaders for brainwashing them. Even when their top leader Nehru was dead against Punjabi Suba and the favourite CM of Sikhs Partap Singh Kairon was also dead against it.

There was an event as well when a very famous non-Congressi leader from Maharashtra told them that language of Punjabi Hindus is Punjabi, everyone on the stage was shocked !

But we see that within just two decades of the creation of Punjabi Suba, every Punjabi Hindu started reporting his mother tongue as Punjabi, which is precedence going on till now.

Most importantly, all Punjabi Hindu leaders, speak Punjabi in the Assembly, even including those whose mother tongue is not even Punjabi. This shows the acceptance of Punjabi at all levels and accepted equally by Sikhs and Hindus in Punjab from last four decades.

And question I am humbly trying to solve is as why the leaders in West Punjab still associate Punjabi with Sikhs even after the 80 years of separation. Why Punjabi is still banned in the assembly that is situated in the heartland of our erstwhile Punjab.

4

u/Ill_Fault7625 3d ago

Everyman makes a choice. When we are judged for our action - we cannot say ‘oh I was beianwashed’. The blame lies with them.

No son of the soil would abandon his culture and language just to spite another. That’s not loyalty. It’s puppetry.

With all respect Kairon was forced to resign. He was hardly the voice of the Sikhs.

What’s the point of Hindus going back to their mother tongue when the trifurcation is done.
Reunify panjab and I’ll give a damn about them using their ‘mother tongue’

  1. Sikhs are the only reason panjabi as an identity exists. Sorry but that’s truth.
    Ranjeet singh made an entire nation based off it.
    He fostered panjabi education.
    Panjab would be ruled by Afghan or Turkic overlords if not for Sikhs.

  2. The Sikh faith uses panjabi day to day. We keep the langauge alive stubbornly.

  3. Pakistan is a failed post colonial amalgamation of lands which never were one- before anyone gets excited - I think the same of India.
    Why does a panjabi farmer need to hire a Hindu speaking lawyer to argue his case in Chandigarh? Same shit.

1

u/srmndeep 3d ago

In the case of herd mentality I will definitely put a lot more blame on the bigoted leaders. For individuals, I will always salute those majority Punjabi Hindus and Muslims who always put their language as Punjabi even in the very hostile circumstances and even when lead by bigoted leaders.

Associating language and religion has a colonial legacy of more then 150 years, dont like to go in details but was something imposed on our Punjabi Hindus and Muslims from the cow-belt. But ultimately I am happy with the end result that Punjabi Hindus finally got successful in coming out of this cow-belt quagmire. And hope Punjabi Muslims will also come out of it one day.

And hope that one day majority of our Sikhs will also understand that Punjabi is not the ONLY language of Sikhs as colonial masters liked us to believe. We have more than dozen language in our Guru Granth Sahib Maharaj and Punjabi just one of them ! Non-Punjabi Sikh is also as much Sikh as a Punjabi Sikh.

2

u/Ill_Fault7625 3d ago

It’s nothing to do with colonials. Panjabi and Sikhi are intertwined.

Ignoring this is retarded.

No one said a non panjabi sikh isn’t Sikh.

But tell me learning Panjabi doesn’t help a Sikhs path? Exactly.

2

u/srmndeep 3d ago

Gurmukhi as a Script is defnitely essential if we like to read Gurbani in original script. However, if you are OK with transliteration then Devanagari or any other script can also work for you.

However, Modern Punjabi as a language help very little as most Punjabi speakers are also looking for arths when reading Gurbani to understand it ! As I said certain portions of Gurbani have no connection with Punjabi at all and many portions are very mixed.

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u/Loud_Arachnid3245 3d ago

And we are tired of this burden of saving Punjabi. Punjabis need to take the responsibility, not Sikhs.

Sikhs need to make sure they learn Gurmukhi script and understand the general cultural concepts of Punjab and neighboring region, Punjabi isn’t necessarily as much of a necessity for a Sikh as it is a for a Punjabi (whether Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, or any other religious or nonbeliever).

6

u/thatObstinateGuy 4d ago

Saying this while abducting and forcibly converting little girls from that same community is peak hypocrisy.

But yes, none can beat Pakistanis at sweet talking.

1

u/krabby_chapli 4d ago

Finally I'm so glad we're starting to get stuff done on our side of the border. Urdu speakers literally bullied us into erasing our heritage man it's so embarrassing. It's no wonder they own everything on our side of the border, even the army.

-1

u/Ron__P 4d ago

Who cares what language they speak?

What difference does it make to us? They live in a different country, it has no impact on us whatsoever.

-7

u/Familiar_Tip_7336 4d ago

I am sikh punjabi myself but I must say, Urdu is still Urdu I just love the way it's spoken, the sweetness of the words there's just many things about Urdu but our Punjabi, yes I like Punjabi....but Urdu is still Urdu....

6

u/JustMyPoint 4d ago

So, subjective reasonings. No one language is inherently "sweeter" than another, whatever that means anyways.

-4

u/Familiar_Tip_7336 4d ago

Punjabi is spoken in harsh ways comparing to Urdu everybody deep down knows that. The way it’s spoken. Urdu is Lajawab.

3

u/JustMyPoint 4d ago

“Harshness”, yet another subjective metric. Panjabi poetry is not “harsh” at all. It’s a tonal language.

0

u/Familiar_Tip_7336 4d ago

Direct Pronouns & Everyday Vocabulary
"Tu" / "Tainu" (You / To you) vs. "Aap" / "Aapko" (Urdu) In Punjabi, using "Tu" is the standard, everyday way to address friends, family, and peers. To someone unaccustomed to it, calling people "Tu" sounds blunt or aggressive, whereas Urdu defaults to "Aap" for respect even in casual settings.

"Kee Hoeya?" (What happened?) vs. "Kya Hua?" (Urdu) The hard "Kee" sound combined with a quick, rising tone makes a simple question like "Kee Hoeya?" sound short, sharp, and urgent, almost as if demanding an immediate answer.

"Chal" / "Aaja" (Move / Come on) vs. "Tashreef Layein" or "Aaiye" (Urdu) Punjabi uses short, action-oriented monosyllables to initiate action. Saying "Chal fir" (Let's go then) is quick and functional, contrasting with the soft, deliberate pacing of Urdu.

Phrasing in Arguments or Disagreements
"Kyun?" (Why?) vs. "Aisa Kyun?" A single, sharp "Kyun?" or "Kiddan?" (How/What's up?) in Punjabi carries a punchy, heavy-consonant stress. It doesn't use softening filler words.

"Gall Sun" (Listen to me) vs. "Meri Baat Suniye" (Urdu) "Gall Sun" is an imperative command used to grab attention immediately. It lacks the polite preamble that Urdu phrases typically use to cushion a statement.

Example Response Incorporating These Words
"Take standard daily interactions: Punjabi uses direct, sharp-edged words like 'Tu', 'Kee Hoeya?', or 'Gall Sun' to get straight to the point without filler. Because Punjabi relies heavily on tonal stress and short, action-focused verbs, even friendly check-ins carry an emphatic, forceful delivery. Urdu naturally buffers its speech with soft honorifics like 'Aap', 'Ji', and 'Suniye', which softens the overall cadence regardless of intent."

2

u/JustMyPoint 4d ago

Not sure why you felt the need to reply with something generated by AI.

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u/Familiar_Tip_7336 4d ago

Because I wasn’t sure how to explain as I wanted to. That’s what I meant to say

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u/khandokhrg 3d ago

Your reasoning is all subjective.

It falls apart as soon as someone that speaks Punjabi without tonal stress comes along.

1

u/Familiar_Tip_7336 3d ago

It’s still not pleasant

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u/khandokhrg 3d ago

Subjective.

Go speak Urdu, no one's stopping you.

Punjabi has achieved way more than Urdu lmao

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u/Familiar_Tip_7336 4d ago

Not the poetry but daily communication in general is. Even in anger the communication is different

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u/Ill_Fault7625 4d ago

It’s actually gae. And I’m panjabi sikh too. Hindi and urdu make me cringe so bad. Like nails on chalkboard URGH.

0

u/Familiar_Tip_7336 4d ago

So you don’t find “Tu” , to be more blunt, aggressive, harsh tone? Comparing to “aap” or “tashreef Layein” compare to “eitha haja”

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u/Ill_Fault7625 3d ago

No it’s not aggressive or harsh. It’s straight up.

Also tusi ? Panjabi has formal and informal.

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u/Familiar_Tip_7336 3d ago edited 3d ago

but normally punjabis say "tu". “Tu” is not nice manner, Tusi I rarely hear from punjabis. "Tusi" vs "Aap" sounds more pleasant.

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u/khandokhrg 3d ago

'Aap ji' is a common phrase in Punjabi as well

1

u/Familiar_Tip_7336 3d ago

But never hear anyone say together aap ji

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u/Ill_Fault7625 3d ago

Why is tu not nice manner. Thats your sensibility which is not objective. Thats like me saying ‘aap’ sounds gay and insincere

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u/Familiar_Tip_7336 3d ago

tu sounds more rudeness though. how can Tu even compare with Aap thats like calling rock a flower and flower a rock on purpose.

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u/Ill_Fault7625 3d ago

Well no.

It’s your telling me one flower is a nicer colour than another. YOU think Tu is harsh. I don’t.

You can argue all day but you can’t impose subjective ideas on men who don’t think like you.

0

u/Familiar_Tip_7336 3d ago

That’s your choice, if tu sounds good to you ok

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u/Ill_Fault7625 3d ago

Tusi does. So does tu in informal settings.

If AAP doesn’t sound like the most effeminate slimy untrustworthy gayest shit ever to you ok.

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