The program comprised six hours of class work on weekdays, and field trips on weekends. This intensive schedule provided the participants with an opportunity to hear a wide range of scholars in the field of Punjab Studies and to augment this information with visits to important historical sites in the region. For many of us, a typical day began with Gurudharm Singh Khalsa's lesson on Yoga and ended with evening walks in the Rose Garden discussing the issues raised during the day's lectures, or attending a session of Punjabi folk singing at the nearby Punjab Sangit Natak Academy.

As reflected in their final report (attached), the participants were glad to have joined the program and their response to its academic content was very positive. All of them felt that they "gathered a fantastic amount of information on the Punjab while having a lot of fun." They viewed the program as a unique forum for students of Punjab Studies to come together and learn about the region from the leading scholars in the field. Lectures on the history of the Punjab by Professor J. S. Grewal, formerly Director, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, and Professor Indu Banga, Department of History, Punjab University, session with four contemporary women poets, meeting with a group of women social activists, and the various field trips were regarded as the highlights of the program. I am also gratified that the participants found the program overall to be well-organized and well led. The group was unanimous in its judgment that the program must continue in the coming years.

A key strength of the program can be attributed to the rich diversity of the participants' backgrounds and interests. Each of them made a distinct contribution to the lively discussions that followed the lectures. The process of weaving in their interests, for instance, Virginia Van Dyke's research on religious leaders interested in politics; Ami Shah's curiosity regarding Devi worship in the Punjab Hills; Gurdit Singh's search for the state of Sufi Dargahs in the East Punjab; and Heather Michaud's work on Sikh pilgrimage practices, created a complex framework for looking at the Punjabi landscape.

The participants were welcomed warmly at various places during our visits. Receptions were held in our honor at Baring Union Christian College, Batala; Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, Chandigarh; Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana; Punjabi University, Patiala; and the residences of Professor Indu Banga; Bhupinder Singh Mann, President, Bhartya Kisan Union, Chandigarh; and Kulbir Singh Siddhu, Deputy Commissioner, Ropar. Even the Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, in his conversation with Professor J. S. Grewal, showed interest in the activities of our group, but because of time constraints a meeting with him could not be arranged.

The importance of the program was apparent to academicians in the Punjab. A number of senior professors at Punjab University, Chandigarh, and Punjabi University, Patiala; the officials of the Institute of Punjab Studies, Chandigarh; the Center of Rural and Industrial Development, Chandigarh; and Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan, New Delhi, indicated willingness to collaborate with us in future planning, and each of them offered us the use of their facilities in the years ahead. Although still in its very early stage, the program seems to have created a niche for itself in Punjab Studies, and the local scholars recognized it as a major landmark in the field and offered their full cooperation in the future.
I am grateful to several individuals for their help in the success of this summer's program. Professor J. S. Hawley has been closely associated with every stage of the program's planning and was instrumental in providing the crucial impetus to make this dream a reality. I am deeply indebted to him for his support and encouragement. This year's participants formed a wonderful group to work with, and I hope to stay in touch with each one of them as their research on the Punjab develops in the coming years. I am grateful to scholars who took time from their busy schedules to address the group; Manmohan Singh, I. A. S. for his help and advice during our stay in the Punjab; and Himmat Singh, our attending physician, who was always available when we needed him--fortunately, not too often.

This summer's program offers firm foundation for planning in the years ahead. The highlights of this year mentioned in paragraph two above can be further strengthened. The future schedule of classes can be tightened so as to include lectures on themes such as early Punjabi romances and twentieth-century drama, which could not be covered this year. Field trips to the ancient temple at Jawalamukhi, the Tibetan Buddhist Community in Dharamsala, and if possible Lahore, historically the cultural center of the Punjab, can also be worked into the weekend schedule.

The teaching of Punjabi posed challenges this summer that will need to be addressed in the future. The local teachers do not have experience in the teaching of Punjabi as a foreign language, and could not, therefore, communicate effectively with our students. Despite my frequent intercessions, all three teachers had the tendency to focus on linguistic concepts and with little attention to their application in group learning. After four difficult weeks, I had to take over the teaching myself and the participants quickly cheered up.
This segment of the program could be greatly improved by the creation of a workbook tailored to meet the needs of foreign students. During my meeting with Professor J. S. Puar, Vice Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala, himself a Punjabi linguist, the absence of teaching materials in Punjabi for foreign learners surfaced prominently. He acknowledged that the department of linguistics at his university does not have the wherewithal to produce this type of work, but offered to assist with the publication of a book authored by a foreign-based scholar.

I would like to consider creating a Punjabi workbook myself, and will explore the possibility of raising financial support under the auspices of foreign language or area studies for this project. If my plan works out, I hope to be able to prepare a working draft to be used during the summer of 1998, which can later be turned into a basic text. This projected text will also become a useful tool in places like the University of British Columbia, the University of California, at Berkeley and Santa Barbara, and the University of Michigan, where Punjabi is currently taught.

Given the importance of Punjab in South Asia and the presence of a large number of Punjabis among the South Asian diaspora in the U. S., the summer program will significantly help strengthen Punjab Studies in North America. This year's group included six Americans and three Canadians, and I am certain that in the years ahead the program will also attract participants from Australia and England. In my view, the program has the potential to grow into a forum that will help prepare a truly international group of young scholars to contribute to a better understanding of the Punjab.

August 25, 1997 Gurinder Singh Mann

List of Participants
Columbia Summer Program in Punjab Studies
Chandigarh (July 6-August 17, 1997)

1. Arora, Seema. Working for B. A. in Psychology
Wellesley College
2. Hari, Lisa. B. A. Education
University of Calgary, 1994
3. Johal, Ranbir. Working for Masters in Asian Studies,
University of British Columbia
4. Khalsa, Gurudharm S. Ph. D. Religion,
Graduate Theological Union, 1991
5. Michaud, Heather. Working for Masters in Anthropology,
University of Calgary
6. Saluja, Deepak S. B. A. Molecular Biology,
Wesleyan University, 1996
7. Shah, Ami. Masters in International Affairs,
George Washington University, 1997
8. Singh, Gurdit. Masters in Theological Studies,
Harvard University, 1996
9. Van Dyke, Virginia. Working for Ph. D. in Political Science,
University of Washington