Rupinderpal Singh Dhillon

Rupinderpal Singh Dhillon (also known as Roop Dhillon) ( born 1969-) is the first British Born English-Punjabi to write in the Punjabi language. He uses Gurumukhi script to write Punjabi Poems, Short Stories and Novels. He is the first to have a Punjabi Novel written in Diaspora Punjabi published in the west, specifically capturing Diaspora Born experience. This novel is "Neela Noor", the first of its kind. It is his experiences growing up as a Punjabi and English speaking Englishman. As such neither Punjabis from India or Pakistan are likely to relate to it. Neither will those immigrants whose primary language is Punjabi and see the Western born generation in a particular light. Dhillon reverses the premises of their Diasporic Punjabi novels and solely talks in Punjabi about experiences which his generation normally express in English. As such only those familiar with the watered down form of Punjabi and familiar with experinces of growing up in the UK could ever relate to Neela Noor. It is indulgent and is only concerned with the British Asian experience and has its style and grammar taken from an English Eurocentric stance. There is more Shakespere, Kafka , Dumas then Waris Shah, Amrita Preetum or Baba Farid.

Rupinder Dhillon has also written English poems, published in local Poetry Magazines, and "Annexation", a novel about the Maharaja of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, just prior to Annexation by the British. He is a secular writer who has trancsended the Radcliffe Line, and created characters both from India and Pakistan as well as Europe.

He was interviewed by Desi Radio at the beginning of February 2006. The most interesting thing about this interview was how a primarily English-speaking and -writing individual taught himself Punjabi at home, and within a couple of years was able to write in it. Like most Punjabis, it saddens him the original Punjab was partitioned, he believes only in promoting harmony amongst the two punjabs re literature. He holds no political agenda.

Rupinderpal was born in West London, and brought up in Southall and Hounslow. Later on he moved to Buckinghamshire, where he began writing voraciously in English. He then changed direction and studied at Oxford Brookes University and DeMontfort, obtaining a Management Degree and a Masters in Design and Manufacture. He then pursued a career in Accounting. During this time he was married and began Annexation ( published on the net for free by Sikhspectrum), a path which led him to be interested in his Punjabi heritage, finally resulting in "Neela Noor".

Referred to today by Desi Radio as 'The Godfather of British Punjabi Prose', Exposure Publishing author R D Dhillon has been making headlines. His book, 'Nila Noor' has gained rave reviews in the British Asian Press.Fact|date=June 2007 Neela Noor is ground-breaking as it is the first book in Punjabi to be published in the UK. Below are some of his better known poems in their original Punjabi.

ਹੰਕਾਰੀ ਲੇਖਕਾਂ

ਮੈ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਤੋਂ ਕੀ ਲੈਣਾ ਏਂ
ਅਤੇ ਮੈਥੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਨੇ ਕੀ ਲੈਣਾ?
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਨੂੰ ਪਤਾ ਮੈਂ ਕਿ ਹਾਂ
ਹੰਕਾਰੀ ਲੇਖਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਪਤਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਿ ਹਾਂ|
ਅਸੀਂ 'ਨੇਟ ਤੇ ਮਿਲੇ 'ਤੇ ਝੂਠ ਵਾਂਗਰਾਂ
ਇੱਕ ਦੂਜੇ ਨੂੰ ਪਿੱਠਾਂ ਦੇ ਕੇ ਲੰਘ ਜਾਵਾਂਗੇ|
ਉਹ ਪੋਚ ਨੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਰਖੀ ਬਾਸੀ
ਮੈਂ ਪ੍ਥਾ ਨੂੰ ਰੱਦਤਾਂ, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਕਰਤੀ ਖਲਾਸੀ|
ਮੈਂ ਲੇਖਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਕੀ ਲੈਣਾ ਏਂ
ਅਤੇ ਮੈਥੋਂ ਮਾਹਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਕੀ ਲੈਣਾ?

ਬਾਹਰ

ਬਾਹਰ ਬਗੀਚੇ ਵਿਚ ਹੈ ਰੁੱਖ
ਇਹਦੀ ਛਾਂ ਹੇਠ ਸੁੱਖ
ਚਾਰ ਚੁਫੇਰੇ ਚੱਲਦਾ ਚਾਂਗਰ
ਪੰਛੀਆਂ ਪਸ਼ੂਆਂ ਦਾ ਬਜ਼ਾਰ
ਬਿਖਰ ਦੇ ਦੁਆਂਲੇ ਪੀਲੇ ਖੇਤ
ਅਮਨ ਅੰਬਰ ਨੀਲੇ ਹੇਠ
ਖੁਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਪੀੜਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਹੈ ਮੇਲ
ਆਣੀ ਜਾਣੀ ਸਾਡੀ ਖੇਲ

ਮੇਰੀ ਕਲਮ

ਮੇਰੀ ਕਲਮ ਮੇਰਾ ਹਥਿਆਰ ਹੈ
ਮੇਰੇ ਲਫ਼ਜ਼ ਮੇਰੀ ਤਲਵਾਰ ਹੈ।

ਕਾਗ਼ਜ਼ ਪੱਤਰ ਮੇਰੀ ਅਵਾਜ਼ ਹੈ
‘ਤੇ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਮੇਰਾ ਸਮਾਜ ਹੈ।

ਸੱਚਾ ਜੋਸ਼ ਲਿਖਾਈ ‘ਚ ਹੈ
ਸੱਚੀ ਹੋਸ਼ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਈ ‘ਚ ਹੈ॥

ਮੇਰੀ ਕਲਮ ਤੋਂ ਡਰਦੇ ਵਜ਼ੀਰ
ਮੇਰੇ ਸ਼ਬਦ ‘ਤੇ ਜਿਉਂਦੇ ਫ਼ਕੀਰ॥

ਜੋਰ ਤਲਵਾਰ ‘ਚ ਨਹੀਂ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਿੱਤਰ
ਜੋਰ ਕਲਮ ਦਾ ਹੈ ਬਚਿਤਰ

These are links to some of his works and reviews of his first book , Neela Noor.

*http://www.apnaorg.com/articles/nila/
*http://www.apnaorg.com/articles/roop/
*http://www.apnaorg.com/publish-on-apna/roop/index.html

Neela Noor has a good opening line for Punjabi fiction:

ਇੱਦਾਂ ਦੀ ਰਾਤ ਮੇਰੀ ਜਿੰਦਗੀ 'ਚ ਅੱਜ ਤਕ ਕਦੀਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਈ, ਅਤੇ ਇੱਦਾਂ ਦੀ ਰਾਤ ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਕਦੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਊਗੀ| ਜਦ ਉਪਰ ਵੇਖਾਂ ਨੀਲੌ ਨੂਰ ਚਮਕੇ ਇੱਕ ਹੀਰੇ ਜਿਹੇ ਤੋਂ ਚੰਦਕਿਰਨਾਂ ਮੇਰੇ ਮੁੱਖੜੇ ਤੇ ਨੱਚੀਆਂ

Works

* "Nila Noor, The Blue Light" (ISBN 978-1846855641) pub. by the "self-publisher" Exposure Publishing, an imprint of Diggory Press, 2007

External links

* http://www.sikhspectrum.com/072008/punjabi.htm
* http://uddari.wordpress.com/punjabi-writers/
* http://www.punjabilekhak.com/?cat=56
* http://www.punjabonline.com/servlet/image?Action=Profile&Photo=5&Param=25292
* http://www.5abi.com/kahani/kahaniU/030305_siso-U(rupinderpal-dhillo).htm
* http://www.mahapunjab.org/guest/rdhillon/index.html
* http://sikh-heritage.co.uk/writers/new%20writers/new%20writers.html
* http://www.sikhspectrum.com/052006/chenab/1.htm
* http://www.likhari.org/jhelum.htm
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/nikki_bedi/ BBC Asian network]

References