The Story Isn’t Over: History from the Margins

In this episode I have the chance to talk to Jvala Singh, a historian, academic and Suraj podcast curator. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ As always here's a time stamped breakdown of the whole conversation: 00:00 - Introduction 01:12 - What is Suraj Prakash? 02:45 - How long does it take to write Suraj Prakash? How does it become so widely accepted? 06:25 - How is Kavi Santokh Singh’s work able to become on par with that of Bhai Nand Lal, Bhai Mani Singh or Bhai Gurdas Ji? 10:13 - Would it be fair to say that Suraj Prakash is similar to Mahabharta or Ramayana, due to its length as well as the philosophical and historical layers meshed within it? 12:23 - Who is Kavi Santokh Singh Ji? 18:55 - Did Kavi Santokh Singh have any children and what happened to his lineage? 20:35 - Is Kavi Santokh Singh comparable to Herodutus, as the first major historian in the Sikh tradition, or is he following a tradition already set by those before him? 23:15 - Do the different styles of literature reflect the different stages of the Sikh community? 24:20 - In relation then to Santokh Singh’s curation of his works, do we know anything about the sources that he used and how he went about deciding what to include? 26:24 - Where are any of the original manuscripts, if they still exist? 30:25 - How does Kavi Santokh Singh write Suraj Prakash & does he memorise everything he recites? 32:33 - What language is Suraj Prakash written in and is it similar to Sri Dasam Granth in utilising more than one language? 34:02 - Could you expand a little on the history and how Suraj Prakash is received from the point of Santokh Singhs passing? 42:02 - Is Kavi Santokh Singhs work one of the last to demonstrate a pre-colonial logic of identity? 44:33 - In terms of translations and commentaries that have been published since, how do they deviate from the original or reflect the understandings of the writers and their respective samparadays? 50:16 - Are there similarities in how debate around Sri Dasam Granth raged say 10 or 20 years ago and slowly the community became more informed, are we seeing the same now with Suraj Prakash? 54:15 - What does Suraj Prakash tell us about Bhai Bidhi Chand and Guru Tegh Bahadur Jis wedding? 58:50 - What does Suraj Prakash say about Guru Tegh Bahadur jis wedding? 01:02:22 - What does Suraj Prakash say about the relationship between the Gurus and the Mughals? 01:13:55 - Suraj Prakash & Vaisakhi? Does it follow with the story described by Koer Singh and Kaushish about the goats? 01:18:25 - Does Chatka have any connection to the pre-colonial story of Vaisakhi? 01:22:20 - What does Suraj Prakash say about Chandi Ma and Raag Mala? 01:30:54 - Do you have plans to continue the podcast after the stories of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji? 01:32:20 - Will your translation work of the Suraj Prakash you have done so far or any that you do in the future be available in any other format, and the most requested, as you could imagine, as a book? 01:35:00 - Considering how large and the depth Suraj Prakash is, why has not received the same attention as other texts as Prem Sumarag or Gur Sobha, some of these are more widely discussed, perhaps? 01:37:00 - As you mentioned, it was only once texts such as Prem Sumarag and Gur Sobha were translated into English, that they entered the collective consciousness of the community, what are some of the perils with that and with your own podcast how do you go about ensuring you are as close to the authentic meaning as possible? 01:41:30 - Conclusion

In this episode I get the chance to talk to Dr. Priya Atwal. We speak about Priya's upbringing and background, studying Sikh history at university, her journey from dissertation to the publication of her amazing book Royals and Rebels (if you wanted to, I've written a book review on it, which you can acess here - bit.ly/BookReview06)  We go on to talk about the machinations of Raja Gulab Singh and others in the Lahore Durbar, the contrast between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maharani Jind Kaur, accessing Persian sources and what they tell us and finally, we discuss plans for a part two!  ★ Join the Ramblings of a Sikh YouTube Channel ★ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ As always here's a time stamped breakdown of the conversation: 00:00 - Teaser 00:23 - Introduction 01:13 - Meet our guest 02:38 - Who is Priya Atwal? 08:28 - What were your initial impressions when introduced to the Sikh Empire? 11:29 - What did the journey entail when turning your dissertation into a book? 15:09 - What is a PhD really like? 24:00 - What is Raja Gulab Singh Dogra really up to? Is Raja Gulab Singh Dogra really a traitor? 27:53 - The Secret Enclosures & the truth about Rani Jindan 32:19 - Is Gulab Singh Dogra the only puppet master or are there also other factions? 35:25 - Why does the popular narrative lay the blame for the Anglo-Sikh Wars on the shoulders of Rani Jindan? 37:12 - The Real Ranjit? Does the popular narrative over-estimate Ranjit’s ability due to its contrast against the false narrative of Rani Jindan being a weak Queen? 44:18 - What did you discover when researching Persian sources? 51:58 - Are Sher Singh and Tara Singh legitimate children of Ranjit Singh? 56:11 - Who is Rani Jindan? Punjabi Boudica or a Weak & Feeble Queen? 01:02:00 - What can we expect from Dr. Priya Atwal in 2022? 01:05:00 - Conclusion

Today I am joined once again by Hark1karan and today we’re talking about  another grass roots project he’s been involved in, called ‘Zimmers of  Southall’ - a short documentary film about the intergenerational  subculture of classic car enthusiasts and their love for dub/reggae in  West London.   ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ As usual here's a time stamped breakdown of the conversation:   00:00 - Introduction 01:02 - How did the idea for the documentary come about? 03:25 - Why did reggae music resonate with those you spoke to? 05:00 - Have you noticed this subculture elsewhere? 05:29 - Kenyan motorsports influence on the subculture classic car enthusiasts and their love for dub/reggae in West London. 06:23 - What is about classic cars, that those you spoke to, love so much and why that and not modern cars? 07:36 - Did going to the car meet encourage you to do the documentary? 08:22 - Would it be fair to say that the cars act as a seal of approval and the continuation of a legacy? 09:10 - How long did it take and what did it entail to go from having all the raw footage to produce the finished documentary? 11:21 - What has the response been to the documentary? 12:09 - Is there a plan to do a 'Zimmers of Southal Part 2' or to take this any further? 12:59 - What are your plans for the rest of the year, are you working on any other projects? 13:28 - Could you explain a little bit more about what this new book contains? 14:48 - As someone who experienced Tikri border first hand, could you help paint a picture of what it was like for those listening? 15:46 - What was the general sentiment of those you interacted with at  Tikri & how did they respond to you, coming from outside, to see  what was going on? 17:30 - Why do you do the work you do, whether that's Pind, Zimmers of Southall or Kissan? 18:23 - Conclusion 

Today I have the pleasure to talk to Haroon Khalid, author of Walking with Nanak, a book in two parts, first, a fictional account that  attempts to narrate the journey of Guru Nanak & the second, looks at  the institutionalization of the Sikh religion after Guru Nanak.   ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ As always here's a timestamped breakdown of the conversation:   00:00 - Teaser / Extract 00:19 - Introduction 01:19 - Who is Haroon Khalid? 01:50 - What was it like growing up in Punjab, Pakistan? 03:39 - So is there a predominant culture that subdues everything else in Pakistan? 05:50 - What topics do your previous books explore? 07:56 - What was it that drove you to write 'Walking with Nanak'? 09:35 - What impact did hearing the Babur Bani have on you? 11:36 - What is unique about the relationship of murshad & mureed? What role does your mentor play in 'Walking with Nanak'? 16:16 - How did you go about your research for 'Walking with Nanak'? 19:02 - Why were you driven to contextualise Guru Nanak Dev Ji? 20:51 - Whilst researching did you find anything interesting? 23:30 - What do you think these shrines say about pre-partition Punjab? 26:48 - When you refer to the institutionalisation of the Sikh religion, what do you mean? 30:45 - What do the other chapters of 'Walking with Nanak' explore? 33:37 - What conclusions did you draw from modern depictions of the Gurus? 35:27 - What were some of the similarities and differences you found during your research? 40:09 - Did you come across anything you didn't expect? 42:23 - How did all of these experiences influence you? 45:14 - What can we expect in the future from you? 46:15 - What is your food heaven & food hell? 47:06 - Conclusion 47:30 - Outro

In this episode I get the chance to sit down with engineer, Navjot Sawhney, the founder of the Washing Machine Project.   ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ As always here's a time stamped breakdown of the conversation:   00:00 - Intro 01:42 - Who is Navjot Sahwney? 04:53 - How did your mum react to you quitting your job? 07:33 - How did you make the stoves so efficient? 08:55 - How did you go from stoves to washing machines? 11:40 - How did the promise turn into a prototype? 15:58 - What technology is incorporated into the washing machine to make it so user friendly? 18:31: If something breaks how is it repaired? 20:00 - What’s it like working with some of your partners, such as Oxfam & Electrocomponents?   22:11 - What other problems have you identified that require a solution you could provide?   23:47 - How does it impact you? 26:39 - Anything you think we missed out? 27:10 - How can people get involved? 28:10 - What are your plans for 2022?   You can donate to their current Go Fund Me campaign here - https://www.gofundme.com/f/thewashingmachineproject   Find out more about their work here - https://thewashingmachineproject.org/?fbclid=IwAR0J93TupNxNmdAgi4Jc-nJ6qqxLMjg9qE2DZiJ7E4S0ohQ5NdfgbbAaWZI

In this episode I’ve got the pleasure to talk to actress, writer and comedian Sukh Ojla. You may have seen her on Jonathan Ross's Comedy Club, BBC2's Big Asian Stand Up Show and Mock the week, or during her recent and hilarious comedy show ‘Life Sukhs’. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ As always here's a time stamped breakdown of the conversation:    00:00 - Extract teaser 00:53 - Introduction 01:36 - Who is Sukh Ojla? 08:49 - What were your parents like with you getting into acting and comedy? 18:13 - What was your nationwide play “Pyar Actually” about besides the detached double garage? Was this the start of your comedy career? 23:07 - What were the reactions like to your play? 27:10 - Was the goal to continue with acting? 33:06 - Who are your comedy idols? 38:36 - What is your process in terms of writing your material? 41:30 - Have you ever had to deal with hecklers?   48:47 - I ask Sukh to tell us about her book, entitled ‘Sunny’ set for release in March 2022 54:49 - What can we expect this year? 55:29 - Conclusion

Today I have the pleasure to talk to Amarpal Sidhu, a software industry expert as well as a military historian. Amarpal has published two books focusing on the Anglo-Sikh Wars, the  first being published in 2013 and the second in 2016, as well as a  recent book, published in July this year, focusing on and titled, the  ‘Siege of Delhi’. Amarpal has also appeared and collaborated on history  programs for several TV channels. 00:00 - Introduction 00:28 - Upbringing, education and how you got to where you are today. 06:34 - 19th century books covering the Anglo-Sikh Wars 10:00 - Why was there a change from ‘The Sikh Wars’ to ‘The Anglo-Sikh Wars’? 12:58 - Does ‘Anglo-Sikh’ truly reflect the nature of those involved in the wars?   16:10 - Were there any European soldiers who fought on the side of the Lahore Darbar? 19:50 - Have you ever come across accounts of Sikh soldiers fighting on the side of the British? 21:25 - There is a generalised view that the Lahore Dabar had more  soldiers, more guns, better suppliers and materials, and still lost,  mainly due to internal treachery. To what extent is this true? 30:26 - If there had been generals such as Akali Phula Singh or Hari  Singh Nalwa, would the Anglo-Sikh wars have panned out differently? 37:32 - Ultimately, is it due to the poor management of the Sikh  Generals, such as Lal Singh and Tej Singh, that led to the Sikh demise?  Even though, on paper, the Sikhs seemed to be the far superior side. 43:55 - Why were the Sikh armies setup with their backs against the river in some of the battles? 50:11 - What role do the European Generals play in the Anglo-Sikh Wars? 52:29 - What were the type of weapons used by the Sikh army & what  level of industrialisation was present in Punjab to create these  weapons? 58:26 - What was the role of the Phulkian Misl & the Royal House of Patiala? 01:00:33 - Would it be fair to say the Cis-Sutlej states were always at odds with the Lahore Darbar? 01:04:12 - Would it be fair to say that those who stayed neutral did so out of survival? 01:07:11 - What were the main reasons for the outbreak of the first Anglo-Sikh War? 01:14:00 - Now I know the main 5 battles that are focused on when  discussing the first Anglo-Sikh War are Mudki, Ferozeshah, Baddowal,  Aliwal and Sobraon. However, there are three minor battles, 2 before  Mudki, which are Wadni Fort & Phillaur Fort, and one after Sobraon,  which is the battle of Kangrah. How do these fit into the context of  things and why are they not paid as much attention as the others?   01:19:51 - What occurs during the inter-war period & what is the role of Rani Jind? 01:30:00 - Just to clarify, is the 2nd Anglo-Sikh war an accident? 01:33:14 - The second Anglo-Sikh War is marked by four main engagements,  Ramnuggar & Sadulpore, which are close and inconclusive contests,  Chillianwala and Gujrat. Could you please explain what occurs at each  battle & what occurs from one to the other?    01:43:31 - What is the fate of the Dogra brothers, Lal Singh, Tej Singh and Diwan Mulraj? 01:49:13 - Considering how close the Anglo-Sikh Wars are to the Mutiny,  why is there a relaxed response from the Sikhs during the Mutiny?   01:55:22 - Conclusion

In this episode I have the pleasure to talk to Aanchal Malhotra, author  of ‘Remnants of Partition’, a book that brings sounds, sights and smells  to life, exploring memories of partition through conversations about  objects which were carried across the new frontiers. In re-telling these stories numerous complex tales are entwined amongst  one another creating a beautifully intricate tapestry of a time before,  during and after Partition. The way in which Aanchal retells the memories of those she talks to will strike almost every emotional chord you have. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ As always here is a time stamped breakdown of the conversation: 00:00 - Introduction 05:54 - Aanchal's family history 14:12 - Partition & migration 16:00 - Partition & freedom 17:09 - How the book brings nuance to a generalised narrative of Partition 19:30 - Do you think the predisposition to look at Partition through the lens of violence is a colonial hangover? 25:55 - Aanchal's family & books 29:30 - What spurned you to write the book? 32:38 - Why are there two different titles of the book? Whilst you were  going through your research was there any surprises or hurdles?   39:13 - Discussing objects and rationalising what you would take with you in an emergency like Partition. 40:42 - People's assumptions behind picking the items they did when they crossed borders 41:32 - What for you was the one item(s) that stood out the most and why? (The Crocodile Head) 47:38 - Importance of the soil of your respective homeland 51:09 - Was there anything else you picked up in terms of similarities and differences between the people you spoke to? 57:31 - Did you have to learn as you went along or was there a technique or practice you used when engaging with your interviewees? 01:04:30 - How did the whole process from research to publishing impact yourself and what has the feedback been like? 01:07:40 - Why do you think pre-partition harmony mutated into the communal violence that is synonymous with Partition? 01:13:10 - Is there anything else you wanted to include or go over? 01:14:40 - Where you can get your copy of Remnants of Partition / Remnants of a Separation

Today I have the pleasure to talk to Dr. Jasjit Singh, an associate professor at the University of Leeds with his research focusing on the religious and cultural lives of South Asians in Britain, with a particular focus on ‘Religious and Cultural transmission’ and on the representation of religious minorities.      ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ We’ll be focusing on Jasjit Singh’s CREST report examining the context and reality of Sikh activism in the UK, racism in football, in particular his son Balraj’s experience of racism, and finally, Jasjit Singh’s recent election as co-chair of the Sikh Studies Unit at the American Academy of Religion. The full time stamped breakdown of this conversation was too long to include in this description, however, you can view the time stamped breakdown by clicking here.

Today I have the pleasure to talk to Amandeep Singh Madra, the co-author of ‘Eyewitness at Amritsar’. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ If you want to know more about our guest then I recommend you visit  episode 15. Coming back to today’s episode, we will be focusing on  Jallianwala Bagh. Now those of you listening have probably seen the recent ‘renovations’,  in my opinion, it’s an absolute indecorous f*ckery of stupidity and  disrespect of history. However, the ‘renovations’ and disrespect itself  won’t be the topic today - instead we’ll be focusing on the Jallianwala  Bagh massacre and the events both preceding and proceeding it. As always here’s a time stamped breakdown of the conversation: 00:00 - Introduction 01:13 - Where does Jallianwala Bagh get its name from? 03:03 - What was the purpose of Jallianwala Bagh? 06:01 - Visiting Jallianwala Bagh 06:25 - End of WWI, socio-economic influences on Panjab 13:32 - Rowlatt Acts 15:01 - Who are Colonel Reginald Edward Harry Dyer and Sir Michael O’Dwyer? 25:22 - Kitchelew, Sataypal & April 10th, 1919 35:23 - Marcella Sherwood 40:54 - The plan to bomb Amritsar 46:09 - Which regiments were involved in the massacre & did any of the soldiers refuse to shoot? 51:35 - Finding out who belonged to these regiments   54:05 - Who do we know about the crowd that was there that day? 01:01:45 - The myth of the well 01:04:48 - How far are the soldiers from the crowd when they shoot? 01:15:31 - Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh and General Dyer’s siropa 01:25:29 - How is the British Raj about to mobilise a vast volunteer force for WW2 considering the events of Jallianwala Bagh? 01:32:09 - What happens to Dyer?