Man on a Mission!

Punjabi is not his mother tongue but he is its true son. He is a man on a mission. Pandit Rao Dharennavar, an assistant professor in Sociology at PG Government College in Chandigarh, Punjab, has made a name for himself. The 39-year-old took it upon himself to learn a new language just so he could translate works by eight saints and social reformers of Karnataka from Kannada to Punjabi.

Panditrao, who is from Karnataka, has written eight books in Punjabi and translated Japji Sahib and Sukhmani Sahib into Kannada. He has also translated holy book Zafarnama (the letter by the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1705. Prof. Dharennavar said his father was the reason he decided to translate these works.

“I brooded over what he said and then decided to fulfil my father’s dream. That is when I decided to master Punjabi. It took about two years. By 2008, I gained command over the language, which, I believe, is one of the sweetest languages in the world,” he said. . Prof. Pandit Rao has criticized Punjabi University for disgracing heritage of Punjab. Pandit Rao also says it’s shocking that the Capital of Punjab, Chandigarh does not have a Punjabi school but all English medium schools. He was surprised how such a rich language is being made poor by its own speakers.

He stands up firm for this cause and affirms “I will teach Pavittar Punjab, holy Gurumukhi to Doctors, Engineers, Scientists, lawyers and all sections of society, so that all will come and surrender in front of Sri Guru Granth Saheb ji one day.” Panditrao is out on a mission to create awareness about the holy origin of Punjabi. He believes in either creating a literature that instills moral values and positives messages among people or adopt the path of underdevelopment.

~ Source: Tapasleen Kaur
~ New Delhi, 31st Dec ’14