In Conversation with Haroon Khalid on Syncretism in Punjabi Folk Religiosity

In this episode, Priyam Moonka is in a cross-border conversation with Haroon Khalid. Haroon speaks about the genesis of his work on religious syncretism in Pre-Partition and Pre-Colonial Punjab and non-Muslim history and heritage in Pakistan. He unpacks the homogenization and crystallization of religious identities under colonial rule, exemplifying the historicity of shared folk traditions and practices across ‘religions’. The discussion traces larger patterns between folktales and cultural practices that blur the boundaries between religions as we see them today. We look at the Sikh Rababi tradition of Kirtan, Waris Shah’s Heer Ranjha, Sufi traditions like Dhamaal, the Tandava of Shiva, worship of certain trees and animals with roots in the Indus Valley Civilization, the shrines of Data Darbar and Shah Hussain, and laying of the first brick of the symbol of Sikh Faith – the Harmandir Sahib – by a Muslim Saint. About the Guest: Haroon is a writer, journalist, and educator with an academic background in anthropology. He has traveled extensively around Pakistan and has written about minority rights, folk traditions, politicization of history and heritage, nationalism and identity, etc. Haroon is the author of four books – A White Trail (2013), In Search of Shiva (2015) Walking with Nanak (2016) and Imagining Lahore (2018). He has also written two nonfiction short books called The Enigma of Pakistani Identity (2017) and Beyond the Other (2016) as well as 350+ articles for numerous highly regarded publications. In his work, Haroon explores fluid identities, traditions, and religious practices that challenge the notion of exclusivist identities that define communities in South Asia today.