Table of Contents

Introduction. 4

Women Writing. 6

Cosmopolitan status of the second-generation characters. 10

Rebellion and Resistance among Women and Modern Subject Identities. 14

Religion And Presentation of Sikhism in A Global Context 16

Conclusion. 18

Works Cited. 19

Abstract

The Erotic Stories (2017) to the Shergill Sisters (2019) are fictional texts by Singaporean novelist with her familial roots in Indian Punjab, Balli Kaur Jaswal, published by Harper Collins absent Dad figure, Mother’s role as the provider. The texts are set in the Global and cosmopolitan geographical context of Britain but rooted in Indian context and culture. Importantly, the interaction between second-generation women is used to show the changing landscapes in women’s identities, positions, and expectations in society. They rebelled against and resisted societal restrictions and control over women. Some of the traditions challenged by second-generation women include domestication, arranged marriage, and lack of voice in society, among others. Instead, they are committed to pursuing access to education, freedom, formal employment, and the ability to choose what they want. Regardless, the pressure to conform to societal expectations and traditions could not be underestimated since the main protagonists ended up in tragedy.

‘‘East-West Mix”: Mapping the Multicultural Lives of Punjabi Diaspora in Balli Kaur Jaswal’s Fiction

Introduction

Jaswal’s novels, the Erotic Stories for Punjab Widows and The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters are fictional texts that targeted a disparate global audience. The Erotic Stories presents the translational elements that are likely to be relevant to the Sikh diaspora readers. In addition, Jawal’s work through the fictional texts reveals the asymmetries in the global literary markets and the distinction between post-colonialism and postcoloniality as a distinguished regime of values (Poon). In this case, the focus is on the two later texts, Erotic Stories for Punjab Widows and the Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters, with the focus being on exploring how the second-generation South Asian female characters carve out a distinct diasporic identity regime as a modern urban subject and reinvent their relationship with the disciplinary regime of religion and presenting Sikhism in the global context. Furthermore, the text seeks to identify how the characters recalibrate while negotiating shame, desire, and agency in her novels. This essay will build on the circulation of diasporic South Asian writing in the global publishing context, as well as discourse on gender, religion, and spatial politics in the novel. This text examines BK Jaswal’s two novels and analyzes the constitution of the multicultural lives of the female characters and their negotiations with the traditions and mores of the Sikh community. Focus is laid on the cosmopolitan status of the second-generation characters, which allows them to challenge the premise of their religious and cultural beliefs to expose the hypocrisy given their cosmopolitan status.

One of the key and remarkable components of the texts include living without the dad figure where the mothers are presented as the providers. Cultural values and traditions for different regions are unique; though, in contemporary, men are considered to be the sole family providers. However, the text presents a dynamic aspect where roles change; though, this could be caused by circumstances occasionally. Jawal’s Erotic Stories for Punjab Widows constitutes her initial foray into mainstream popular fiction in the global anglophone metropolitan context. The sensational elements in the text and the pop feminist twist in the text present various elements from the popular genres including romance and palatable tales. Also, one gets to deeply explore the changes and the differences between tradition and modernity, the post-colonial exotic era, and the differences between the East and West.

In the Unlikely Adventure of the Shergill Sisters, Sita Kaur overheard an old woman in the bed dictating a letter thatsuggested she was leaving something to her children. Sita was in a hospital bed where pain had encompassed her body despite morphine being administered. She reflects on her best days and compares them with her current wringing and frail body; though, today, she felt like she was strong enough to wake up and sit. Besides, she gets motivated by the letter from the woman who was in the next bed.

In the letter, she began

To Rajini, Jezmeen and Shirina:

‘‘By now, I am dead. It is just a well because I have enough of this ghastly life- all this working and suffering and trying to take care of myself for no bloody reason. Please enjoy your health while you have it because once your body betrays you, no comforts in the world will make up for your loss’’ (Jaswal 1).

The woman begins her address with, my dearest daughters, a phrase that she had never used in hon her children. She crosses the line and began addressing Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina. The command in her voice draws attention. The woman tells Rajni that it would be just if she was dead because she had gone through a ghastly life and suffered a lot. She also encourages Rajni to enjoy health when they have it because once the body is betrayed, no one can comfort the loss. Her experiences are enormous; however, in all these, what would be the most important thing to remember about her, is it as a wife, daughter, widow, or grandmother? The intrigues unveil the different stages that women go through with the widow aspect standing out because unlike other experiences being a mother, daughter, or grandmother, the widow comes with pain, hardship, and changes in the responsibilities.

Sita rings the bell again and a nurse appears. The nurse is described as a rail-thin girl with tattoos whose age is twenty-seven years old. It appears that the nurses were not taking good care of Sita, and this is evident when Rajni storms the nursing station and confronts them for leaving Sita during the agonizing episode (Kaur). Rajni nearly shouts at the nurses, an incident that makes Sita almost cry with gratitude and chastise the daughter for making a scene. The experiences of pain that Sita, alongside other women patients in the ward, undergoes set the tone of understanding what it is to live as a woman.

Women Writing

According to Lau, ‘‘today women’s writing is a woman fighting’’ (15). The phrase suggests that women are always fighting for freedom, honesty, and equality. Writing has been used as a tool to create awareness if not to push for the agenda of women’s empowerment in the current rea. The South Asian women in English is a phenomenon because of their knowledge of in the language and gender-specific skills. Jaswal, in the Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women, uses the characterization of Nikki to show the quench for freedom by second-generation women. Nikki questions Mindi,

‘‘why did Mindi need permission from anyone to take liberties with dating? Don’t just settle, Do some travelling. See the world’’ (Jaswal 5).

The cultural intertwining in the writing has been promoted by the globalization phenomenon where people from different parts of the world interact. Particularly, the issues faced by women in different regions are no longer aloof but shared issues that can be addressed unanimously (Assella 6). This implies that the women writers in the South Asian region could be addressing the issues facing women in other parts of the world including the West.

On the other hand, like many modern diasporas, the Punjabi Sikh diaspora was directly influenced by the British colonial government. The fundamental feature of colonialization was the displacement and deployment of the local colonies to meet the political and economic needs of the colonizers. Therefore, the colonizers seemed to create conditions that would disperse populations, with some of them coalescing in the diaspora. The Sikhs are an ethno-religious group that originated from Punjab and was annexed to the British East Indian Company. Many Sikhs moved to Britain between 1947 and 1960s and settled in Southall where they worked as cheap labor (Poon 12). The movement of the Sikh in this era was critical to the discursive formation of the global Sikh community. The role of religion and the visual context representations signified their commitment to being assimilated into the path. Therefore, the Erotic Stories for the Punjab Widows presents protagonist women who integrated their current societies as the assumed norms and contribute to the diasporic imagination.

Erotic Stories for the Punjab Widows also explores the theme of education and socialization of the female protagonists through the relationship between the mother and daughter. The text explores spatial tropes as the ethnically unique world of the Punjab Sikhs in the multicultural setting of London (Poon 12). Nikki is presented as the main protagonist who emerges as the corroborator of the British the Punjabi and the Sikh (Jaswal 70). Parenting expectations vary from one cultural setting to another.  Initially, Nikki was seen as a black sheep of the Punjabi Sikh family considering that she did not conform to her parental expectations. For example, she dropped out of law school and moved from her family home in London following the death of her father. She also worked in a pub, which would be considered outrageous for a typical Punjabi family (Poon 12). In contrast, her sister, Mindi, was determined and focused. She studied nursing and was keen to settle down through an organized marriage, a typical expectation of an ideal woman in society.

The text also brings a different perspective on women, the dynamic, and the ability to overcome daily challenges. For instance, Nikki is forced to take on additional teaching jobs to help meet the family expenses. She is fortunate to have been hired by the Punjab Sikh women at the community center. While working as the writing instructor and an administrator, Nikki finds out that there are many widowed Punjab Sikhs who cannot speak or read English. The narrative of education through Nikki unveils a community’s secrets, which are evident in the plethora of stories from the Punjabi Sikh women. Nikki received education in her ethnic setting and later got to understand feminist politics as she thought that she could be a fountain in teaching and educating women in her community (Poon 13). The lack of understanding of the English language by the Punjabi Sikh women could be attributed to the fact that they did not access education because of the traditions. Alternatively, colonialism and diasporic elements could equally influence. Nikki arrived in Southall and was treated by other women as an outsider. She has developed friendships with women from different communities and ethnicities, including Sheena, and uses the background to address issues facing women, including the murder case of the Punjabi girl. She uncovered that Maya, Kulwinder’s daughter, had been murdered by her husband after realizing that she was in another affair with Tarampal. The experiences and interactions of Nikki with other community members show that the second-generation immigrant daughters were willing to integrate with British society and embrace modernity (Poon 15).

Sikhism is a widely recognized egalitarian religion with significant gender implications. According to Mooney, the Sikh women in Northwest India believed that men are not required to behave virtuously as women do. In addition, women believed that they had the right place to take care of the household, which would be one way of keeping peace and avoiding troubles. In addition, women were expected to be married and have children. Unfortunately, for Rajni, she had not been blessed with a child and this put a lot of pressure on her,

‘‘Rajni rushed back into the living room. Tock-tock, she cried, startling her family. That is what everyone says to a women in her mid-thirties whether she want children or not (Jaswal 10).’’

The analysis and findings from the text show some of the struggles that feminists might have encountered in the course of creating awareness and empowering women’s position in society (Mooney 95). Commonly, one would expect that men would be the key barriers to the development of women in society. However, the case of Nikki and the women of the Punjab Sikh community shows that other factors, including marriage relationships and access to education, played a role in influencing the position of women and the struggles they encountered. Similarly, in The Unlikely Adventures of Shergill Sisters,

‘‘Rajni knew that all sorts of women chose the arranged marriage route these days, not just the traditional ones who wanted to keep house and have babies right away, yet Sehaj’s wealth seemed to have bought a certain acquiescence from Shirina (Jaswal 26).’’  

Rajni’s remarks show the perceived changing roles of women and expectations in the society as modernity emerged. Rajni was confident in her remarks because she was learned and already acquired a job. Lack of job would incapacitate women economically and make them subject to their husband because they did not have any otherwise.

Cosmopolitan Status Of The Second-Generation Characters

The theme in the Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows revolves around the protagonist, Nikki. Jaswal uses Nikki to explore the hybridity-within-hybridity. Nikki hybridized the identity in the way she related with other women at the center where she taught English. On the other hand, while she took the leading role in the community, some regarded her as inappropriate and unsuitable due to her age and her disregard for traditional customs. Conformation to traditional customs was critical in determining the suitability of women to lead positions in society. In addition, she presented the inappropriateness that does not entail dying of the physical body for the sake of cultural change. In addition, while still looking at the Erotic Stories of the Punjabi Widows, it is important to explore how the older generations relate with the emerging ones. Some of the conversations on ‘‘aunty sexualities’’ and this creates a conversation about queer sexuality. The conversation on aunty sexuality emerges and with the definition of aunty porn referred to as pornography involving older South Asian women. The sexual nature of Jawal’s novel is apparent and critical in understanding the changing definitions of sexuality and gender representation.

The Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows dramatizes the education of the young female protagonists in relation to their mothers and other women of the older generations. A combination of the scholarly analysis and the representation of Nikki as unsuited is apparent with a clear indication of how modernity conflicts with the traditions. However, why would Nikki’s character be presented as unique? For instance, Mindi accuses Nikki of being selfish and not considering the consequences to other people (Jaswal29). In addition, Nikki is more comfortable with the criminalization as opposed to being an Indian daughter who wronged her family. In her reasoning, the crime would be punished by a jail sentence for a given duration as opposed to having a lengthy uncertain family relationship. The wrongness in Nikki’s life including dropping out of the university is an act that would subject the family to a duty that she is obliged to fulfill by the cultural and familial call. Mindi emphasizes the duties that Nikki ought to have accomplished beginning with the duty to dada and mum. Mindi seems to emphasize the importance of sticking to the status quo and conforming to the traditional expectations for a woman.

Authenticity is another theme that emerges from the texts, especially in the relationship between modernity and tradition. Alternatively, the traditional Asian women being assimilated into the new cultural system in Britain comes with a lot of struggles that are evident through Nikki. In her initial position, she is exemplified as a symbol of a dutiful Indian daughter, which she embodies, especially when she realizes the uncertainty of the righteousness of the course life she takes (DeLoach 44). For instance, she recognizes the death of her dad in India, and based on the traditional tales, children were responsible for some of the morbidities, including heart diseases and cancer, that would affect the parents. Nikki laments that she could have been the cause of the dad’s death, considering that she failed to conform to the family’s expectations (Jaswal 7). However, she later develops into the authentic other and has to live her own lifestyle. Despite finding relief in quitting the university education, Nikki still struggles with anxieties about what she could have done (DeLoach 46). Later, she starts fulfilling her afternoon by attending the protests with her best friend.

Jawal seems to contextualize their experiences of Nikki to the burdens that white women experience beginning with the civilization and the Third World developments. In addition, there seems to be a strained relationship between white women and women of color; though, they could be exposed to common feminism issues (DeLoach 47). The British women seem to have constructed the Indian women as powerless.

In The Unlikely Adventures of Shergill Sisters, the visit to the temple remains a remarkable event that illuminates the conflict between modernity and tradition and how those who try to embrace hybridity always find themselves in a tough corner (Lau 241). Unlike Nikki’s journey and the sisters’, the experiences of Shirina and the sisters seemed warm. The rattling aluminum door was being raised for the day as Rajni, Shirina, and Jezmeen made their way onto the temple. Sikh paraphernalia was entirely a new and strange thing to Shirina. One roadside was mainly meant for selling karras, the silver bangle worn by the Sikh. A mother of two boys had her boys held on their wrists to allow the vendors to know the appropriate size for them. One of the boys shrugs when the vendor asks him what he likes. The struggle between the vendor and the boy is used to show the struggles between modernity and tradition. Comparatively, Shirina feels the coolness of the thin bangle on her wrist. She had worn the karras since childhood, so her mum helped her get off her previous karra, which had grown so tight and becoming difficult to remove.

The sisters walked through the town square that was nearly paved with reddish brick. They had never been here before but felt it was appealing. There were two sculptures that caught Shirina’s attention, they featured the wedding dance scene. At this point, Jezmeen recalled that Shirian had wedded, and at this point, the tradition, characterized by the old women singing dreary songs about the brides leaving their homes, emerges. It appeared that none of them were pleased with the cultural aspect. Rajni’s remarks expressed their dissatisfaction with the wedding tradition, she stated that ‘they tried the songs at my wedding and mum did not let me stop them’ and this was because they had been invited from their mum’s temple. Some of the words in the songs included, ‘Make sure you do all the cooking and cleaning to the utmost standards, you don’t want to anger your mother-in-law.’ The narrative shows that the sisters do not fully respect tradition; instead, there are values that they cherish.

Feminism and the key message conveyed in the campaigns changed over time. Similarly, the women writers change their themes to corroborate the changing societal patterns. Jaswal covers various aspects in the two fictional texts, including wedding and marriage, the position of women in society, education and independence, and the quest for empowerment and seeking formal employment.  But in all these, tracking the changes in the traditions and values in the modern era is critical to understanding the lanes and perspectives taken by Jaswal. Family relationships are critical; like any other setting, values must guide the interactions between the members of the families. The values are dynamic and constantly changing, especially in a modern world where everything has been globalized.

Hmm, Kulwinder acknowledged coolly. On the resume, the longest list was under a header called Activism. Greenpeace Petitioner, Women’s Aid Volunteer, UK Fem Fighters Volunteer. Kulwinder did not know what all of it meant, but the last title- UK Fem Fighters – was familiar. A magnet bearing the same title had found its way into her home, courtesy of Maya. Kulwinder was vaguely aware that it had to do with the rights of women. Just my luck, she thought. It was one thing to battle for funding against likes of Gurtaj Singh behind closed doors, but these British-born Indian girls who hollered publicly about women’s right they were only looking for trouble self-indulgent lot. Didn’t they realize that they were only looking for trouble with that crass and demanding attitude? She felt a flash anger of Maya, followed by bewildering grief that momentarily shut out her senses. When she snapped back to reality, Nikki was still talking. She spoke Punjabi with less confidence, peppering her sentences with English words (Jaswal 36-37).

Also, Nikki believes that it was prudent to help the Punjabi women craft their stories and compile them into a book, believing that all people have stories to tell. However, some of the questions raised by Jaswal in her text is,

‘…was there a chance that a more traditional woman- not thing haughty girl who might as well be a gori with her jeans and her halting Punjabi – would walk and ask for a job?’’ (Jaswal 38).

Rebellion and Resistance among Women and Modern Subject Identities

The women in the South Asian diaspora develop identity through either conforming to their cultural values and expectations or rebelling. Following the journey of Rajni to India with symptoms of body ailment, it is presumed that her body rebelled against the country, and the chaotic environment made her experience a bumpy stomach. The discomfort and the physical conditions signify that the body was not conforming to the Indian environment (Jaswal 54). Therefore, in exploring the theme of rebellion and resistance from South Asian women, it is necessary to analyze whether they are rebelling against the existing harmful traditions. Alternatively, the scope may be on analyzing whether modernity brings more benefits than tradition. Rajni resisted the Indians, separating her from her sisters during the trip. On the other hand, Jezmeen is concerned about why they could not travel to India as a family and this intrigues Rajni to remember her mother’s sentiments, ‘‘I can never go back there’’(Jasal 55).

Women have been for a long and traditionally treated as dependent on men, especially. At one point, Rajni got lost after meeting a friend and was escorted to her home by police. The incidences resulted in family banishment due to the shame they were exposed to (Jaswal 249-250). In addition, her mother was barred from inheriting her late husband’s wealth which contributed to the financial incapacitation of the family, and some of the factors that made Rajni’s mother swear not to return to India hence she raises her children under difficult financial conditions.

Rajni works to explore factors that could have contributed to her mother’s resistance to the Indian land and culture and, perhaps, from a historical account, tries to find a way to marry her past and the present. In her sentiments, Rajni indicates that she wants to explore hybridity and entanglement, an aspect that is apparent in the South Asian diaspora women (Lau 241). Rajni tries as much as possible to forget the past; which happens when the past memories are not appealing. On the other hand, Jezmeen is more concerned about the future. In all these imaginations and anxieties for the future, Jezmen questions her identity and the desire to be visible in her role as an actress. The diasporic Asian women were limited in many ways, and it’s evident in the case of Jezmeen, who is only allowed to feature as the wife of a terrorist and as a bride-to-be in the British film (Jaswal 140-143). She hoped to excel in the film industry, though there were few opportunities available, considering that she was a woman with a South Asian identity.

Rajni and her sister Jezmeen perpetuate the theme of separation through their parallel paths. The struggles of Rajni influenced the pressure that Jezmeen experienced, she was determined to be a successful South Asian daughter in the diaspora (Jaswal 149). However, she becomes more vulnerable as she seeks acceptance from the same community that rejected her (Kaur 227). The sense of belonging and identity acquisition becomes a major concern to her, she has to do all she can to find recognition and be part of the new community in Britain. Rajni desired to live a modern life characterized by a lot of freedom. However, her past experiences with rebellion prevent her from straying from her mother’s parenting approach.

Religion And Presentation of Sikhism in A Global Context

Religion defines what people value and practice. The migration of Sikh from India began in the 19^th century following their enlistment in the British army. After the Second World War, the Sikh began moving to other parts of the world including United States and Canada. The Sikh culture and religion are commonly associated with Punjabi, where the Golden Temple is located and serves as a destination point for the Pilgrim (Tiramani 270). Over time, and as evident in the fictitious works, the Sikh religion and identity became more complex as people from different parts of the world interacted courtesy of globalization (Tiramani 270). The interaction resulted in the introduction of a hybrid system adopted by some of the members of the Sikh community while others remained faithful to their identities.

Jaswal’s fictional novels interweave between the Western and the South Asian traditions. The pilgrimage story speaks uniquely about the 21st-century Sikh diaspora in the post-colonial context. In addition, Western writers typically consider the pilgrimage as the reclamation of self. In addition, Jezmeen explains to a friend that they were doing a pilgrimage with the sister in her memory and scattering ashes there (Jaswal 13), and the friend finds this to be a beautiful thing to do. Also, pilgrimage appears to be a recurring trope among the Indians. The Western preoccupation with the pilgrimage site in itself is interesting. Equally, other Western writers, including Victor and Ruthy Tuner, have referred to it as communitas. The improved network enhanced the frequency of the visitation to the pilgrimage. When talking about globalization, it is always apparent that road and communication technologies and infrastructures facilitate the movement of people from one region to another with ease. In addition, the development of the Indian region by the British colonies also helped in putting the Punjabi and the Sikh cultures in the global map.

The non-Indians considered the visit to the Pilgrimage as work-related, though the site was sacred for the Indians. Also, the inspiration to visit the pilgrimage arose from different factors, including personal crises related to marriage, death, and sickness. Sita told her daughters that,

‘‘if you remember correctly, when I was first diagnosed with cancer, I wanted to go to India to do pilgrimage to honor the principle of our great Gurus. You and doctors convinced me that this was a bad idea’’ (Jaswal 4).

According to the Western pilgrimage narratives, the emphasis is based on personal information and transformation with the desire to become self-aware and knowledgeable. The death of Sita in Jaswal’s fiction becomes the centrality of the reason for visiting the pilgrimage, though her other sisters were equally in crisis. Though Jaswal does not directly address the role of religion in this context, it is apparent that the populations found solace in the sacredness linked with the pilgrimage. The pilgrim was a holy place where people would be rejuvenated as they got to know that their relationship with the gods was restored.

Conclusion

Jaswal, in her fictional texts, demonstrates how second-generation South Asian female characters carve out a distinct diasporic identity as ‘modern urban subjects’ and reinvent their relationship with the disciplinary regime of religion and presenting Sikhism in a global context. The texts show the changing narratives on women’s role and positions in the society with modernity. Second-generation women rebel against traditional practices such as weddings and domestication and instead focus on empowering themselves by acquiring education, seeking employment, self-awareness, and self-freedom. However, the pursuit of freedom and empowerment comes with challenges and difficulties, as demonstrated by the main protagonists in the texts, Nikki and Rajni. Also, the theme of religion and Sikhism is well demonstrated through the pilgrimage visits and secrecy accorded.

Works Cited

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