The Punjab Culture: History, Disparities, and Public Health Initiatives

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The Punjab Culture
Punjab culture is among the oldest and richest in the world. In its present form, it came into existence in 1966 when it separated from the predominantly Indian speaking regions with the latter forming the Haryana State (Manmohan, 2021). Its uniqueness and diversity are portrayed in its poetry, spirituality, philosophy, artistry, cuisine, music, military warfare, traditions, values, and architecture spanning centuries. I ascribe to some of the fundamental values of this cultural group. Among them are valuing of guests and respect for humanity irrespective of their backgrounds. I also enjoy some of their most cherished religious and seasonal festivals, such as Diwali, Dusshera, and Baisakhi (Government of Punjab, 2021). Among the hardest to miss are the spiritedness and compassion exhibited in the lifestyles of this category of individuals. Whereas Punjabis are popularly known for their impeccable determination, their culture shows a multi-hued ancient civilizations heritage. Their guests are considered God-sent and well catered for during their entire period of stay. Overall, the history of the culture, the disparities they experience, and their public health initiatives are among the issue’s worth considering to understand the Punjabis.
The Historical Context of the Punjab Culture
The Punjab culture is a combination of Latin and Persian beliefs and languages. It is due to this reason that it is referred to as Indo-European (Punjab Government, 2021). It is also the birthplace of several religious movements such as Buddhism and Sikhism. Punjab's location plays a central role in defining its cultural impact on the entire sub-continent. According to information gathered from the Punjab Government website, its location influences its cuisine and culture (Government of Punjab, 2021). The former has become a global leader in this field and is among the main contributors to the fortunes built around the Indian hospitality industry. Among unique Punjab cuisines are the unleavened flatbread, meat curries, and dairy products, which are reflected in the rural temper of the region and wedded in flavors such as rice and gravies. (Government of Punjab, 2021). The culture also has a rich social and religious history. Caring for the visitors and charity are among the leading socio-religious activities that characterize the Punjab culture. The Punjabis believe in the divine nature of visitors and the blessings that follow acts of charity (Punjab Government, 2021). Due to these reasons, visitors are divinely treated while acts of charity play a central role in defining the Punjab Culture.
The caste barrier is among the primary challenges facing the Punjabi population. According to Amandeep (2020), categorizing people into castes is among the main reasons for the large socio-economic disparities. However, despite the glaring evidence of the impact of the problem, neither the government nor the dominant religious groups in the state are making an adequate effort to mitigate the problem. Among the religious groups of focus in managing the caste, the issue is the Sikh because annihilation of the practice is among the basic tenets of the faith (Amandeep, 2020). The same is also the fundamental teaching of its leaders, Ambedkar and Babasaheb. The caste contravenes the instructions by the gurus and Babasaheb, which are founded on equality of human beings irrespective of age, gender, religion, race, social and political affiliation, among others (Amandeep, 2020). The caste system among the Punjabis has also been blamed for the high education level parities in the state. Most of the lower caste populations are compelled to work harder than the rest of their academic pursuits. The same is also the cause of the low number of jobs among people within the lower caste (Amandeep, 2020). It is, therefore, justifiable to claim that education and social-economic problems are among the main areas of disparities within this population.
Punjab is made up mostly of people who entered India from other parts of the continent. According to Amandeep (2020), this category of individuals comprises the Aryan tribes who entered India from the Northwest in the 2nd Millennium BCE. The population also includes many Dravidians who were considered among the most civilized during the era. The population borders the north of Kashmir and Jammu, Haryana to the South, Pakistan to the West, and Rajasthan to the Southwest. The term "Punjab" is composed of two primary words, Persian "Panj," meaning five and ab for water, hence signifying the land between five rivers (Amandeep, 2020). It is due to this reason that most of the economic activities of the population are centered around land and water masses. Sikhism and Buddhism are the primary religious groups among the Punjabis (Government of Punjab, 2021). Overall, the Punjab culture is primarily defined by its cuisine, religion, and language.
The Disparity Experienced by the Group
There is adequate evidence proving that there is an inter-district health disparity in the state of Punjab. The problem narrows down to gender, with girls reporting worse health outcomes than boys (Kidus et al., 2014). The differential starts with the sex ratio, which is relatively lower than that of the Indian average. Compared to the rest of the state, Punjab reports about 73 fewer females for every 1000 males (Kidus et al., 2014). The above facts can explain the disease prevalence parity among girls and boys within the Punjab population. The same problem also affects children born later in the family. For example, girls and boys born later in the family report poorer health outcomes than those born earlier. The Punjab boys are also more likely to breastfeed than the boys (Kidus et al., 2014). The phenomenon explains the reason for the widespread perception that the community values its male than female populations.
There is, however, more information and research required to establish the link between the quality of health facilities and the mortality rates within this population. Further study is also necessary to ascertain whether there is a connection between the high agricultural fire prevalence in Punjab and the high childhood respiratory conditions (Kidus et al., 2014). The severity of anemia is among the Punjabis compared to other cultures and raises both health and social concerns. Therefore, the above areas require further examination by the health sector to ascertain whether the problem has a socio-cultural cause. However, the health status of the Punjabi women is among the most surprising, with this category outperforming the Indian average despite the poor outcomes among the girls (Kidus et al., 2014). It is, therefore, justifiable to claim that Punjabi girls' discrimination ends when they pass their youthful stage. The rate of vaccination is another area that has reported significant disparities.
The polio vaccination rates in Punjab are much higher than that of the Indian average. The phenomenon is not a surprise based on the immense wealth of the Punjabis. Averagely 60 percent of chil...