The Banjar or Banjarese (Urang Banjar in Banjarese language; اورڠ بنجر in Jawi script) are a coastal, native ethnic group that settled in Tanah Laut and Banjarmasin in the south and in Hulu Sungai in the north of South Kalimantan, Indonesia, the second largest city on the island of Borneo. Several centuries ago, some of them had travelled to many places in the Malay archipelago. They set up pockets of settlement there, in Perak (mostly in Parit Buntar and Teluk Intan region), Selangor around (Sabak Bernam and Sungai Besar), in Johor (Batu Pahat), in Medan as well as other places. The Banjarese people are made up of the native Dayaks, other Malays from Sumatra, and Javanese from Java.

History[link]

The Proto-Malay people migrated to Borneo in 2500 BC. They were the ancestors of the Dayak people (Ot Danum). In 2500 BC, the Deutero Malay migrated to Borneo. The Malay people from Sumatra brought their culture to Borneo in 400 AD. The fusion of the cultures saw the birth of the Benjar Hulu language. Later, in 520 AD, the Malays formed the Buddhist Kingdom of Tanjungpuri in the present-day region of Tanjung, Tabalong.

In 1200 AD, Empu Jatmika built the Hindu Kingdom of Negara Dipa by the river of Tapin. This was the start of the Javanese-style courts in South Kalimantan. The Hindu era in South Kalimantan remained the most remembered period in South Kalimantan's history. The glory of Negara Dipa was succeeded by the Hindu Kingdom of Negara Daha in 1400 AD.

According to history, Prince Samudera, the rightful heir to the kingdom of Negara Daha, was forced to flee the court of because of his uncle's revolt against him. He was accepted by the people of Bandar Masih (Bandar=port, Masih=Malay people). Supported by the Sultanate of Demak, he formed a new Islamic Banjar Kingdom in 1526 with Bandar Masih as its capital. The name of Bandar Masih was later changed to Banjarmasin.

Sub-ethnicities[link]

Sasanggan, a bronze bowl used by the Banjarese during a traditional ceremony.

The division of Banjar people into 3 ethnicities is based on the locations of the assimilation between the Malays, the local Dayaks (Dayak Bukit, Dayak Ma’anyan, Dayak Lawangan, Dayak Ngaju, Dayak Barangas, and Bakumpai), and the Javanese.

1. The Banjar Pahuluan, who live in the valleys by the upriver of Meratus mountain ranges. They make their living from agriculture.
2. The Banjar Batang Banyu, who live in the valleys by the river of Negara. They are proud of their position as the people of the ancient capital. They are also prominent merchants.
3. The Banjar Kuala, who live in Banjarmasin and Martapura. They are the people of the new capital.

Language[link]

Banjar language in Jawi script sign of Lok Tamu village office in Mataraman subdistrict, Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Banjar language Arabic script Logo of Banjar wikipedia

The Banjar language (bjn) reflects the history of people. It is basically the Malay language brought from Sumatra, with some words that are taken from Javanese and the native Dayaks.

Relations with Dayaks[link]

The relationship between Banjar people and the neighboring Dayaks have always been good. Some of the Dayaks who had converted to Islam have also assimilated into the Banjar culture and call themselves Banjar. The Dayaks also think of the Banjars as their brothers and sisters. This is further strengthened by the fact there are many inter-marriages between the Banjars and the Dayaks, even among the members of the royalty. For example, Biang Lawai, a wife of a Banjar king was of Dayak Ngaju ethnicity. This means that the Banjarese Kings and Queens have Dayaks lineage in their blood.

This relationship grew strong when both ethnicities faced colonization by the Dutch in the 18th century. They became comrades in an age of war. Some of the warriors involved in Banjar War are of Dayak ethnicities or have Dayaks lineage in their blood. For example:

1. Panglima Batur, who was of Dayak Siang Murung ethnicity,
2. Panglima Wangkang, whose his father was a Dayak Bakumpai and whose mother was a Banjar,
3. Panglima Batu Balot (Tumenggung Marha Lahew), a female warrior who attacked Fort Muara Teweh in 1864-1865.

Notes[link]

References[link]

1. de Bruyn, W.K.H.F.; Bijdrage tot de kennis van de Afdeeling Hoeloe Soengai, (Zuider a Ooster Afdeeling van Borneo), 19--.
2. Broersma, R.;Handel en Bedrijf in Zuiz Oost Borneo, S'Gravenhage, G. Naeff, 1927.
3. Eisenberger, J.; Kroniek de Zuider en Ooster Afdeeling van Borneo, Bandjermasin, Drukkerij Lim Hwat Sing, 1936.
4. Bondan, A.H.K.; Suluh Sedjarah Kalimantan, Padjar, Banjarmasin, 1953.
5. Ras, J.J.; Hikajat Bandjar, A study in Malay Histiography, N.V. de Ned. Boeken, Steen Drukkerij van het H.L. Smits S'Graven hage, 1968.
6. Heekeren, C. van.; Helen, Hazen en Honden Zuid Borneo 1942, Den Haag, 1969.
7. Riwut, Tjilik; Kalimantan Memanggil, Penerbit Endang, Djakarta.
8. Saleh, Idwar; SEJARAH DAERAH TEMATIS Zaman Kebangkitan Nasional (1900-1942) di Kalimantan Selatan, Depdikbud, Jakarta, 1986.

See also[link]

• Banjarese architecture
• South Kalimantan
• Banjarmasin
• Banjar language
• Banjar in Singapore

Kabul Express (Hindi: काबुल एक्स्प्रेस, Urdu: کابل ایکسپریس) is a Bollywood film that was released on 15 December 2006. The film stars John Abraham, Arshad Warsi, Pakistani actor Salman Shahid, Afghan actor Hanif Hum Ghum and American actress Linda Arsenio. The film is produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films and is directed by documentary film maker Kabir Khan.

Kabul Express is the first fictional film for director Kabir Khan who has made several documentaries over the years in Afghanistan. According to him Kabul Express is loosely based on his and his friend Rajan Kapoor's experiences in post-taliban Afghanistan.

Plot[link]

Suhel Khan (John Abraham) and Jai Kapoor (Arshad Warsi) are Indian journalists working for Star News who are sent into Afghanistan to create a report on what life is like in the country following the US Invasion of the country in September 2001. The two are shocked at the state of the country and the ruins that remain due to years of rule by the Taliban Regime. They take a tour of the country in a Taxi starting in Kabul. This follows an escape from capture by the Taliban.

On the way, they stop in the village of Ishtar along with the Taxi Driver Khyber(Hanif Humghum) who has watched his country fall apart over the decades. They stop in a small cafe selling Kebabs where they meet American Muslim Journalist Jessica Beckham(Linda Arsenio) who is working for ABC News in reporting on the US side of the War in Afghanistan. Suhel and Jai then invite Jessica to join them on their tour of the country which she does. However, shortly after leaving Ishtar, they are caught by Taliban official Imran Khan(Salman Shahid) who has hitched a ride at the back of the Taxi in disguise as an Afghan woman. Imran demands they listen to him and travel straight to the Afghan border with Pakistan or he promises they will be killed. Imran is attempting to cross the border, get past Pakistani troops and negotiate with his Taliban associates in Pakistan.

The four of them(Suhel, Jai, Jesica, Imran and Khyber) travel through various villages where they see horrific sights of poverty before reaching the southern city of Kandahar where Jessica gets the chance to interview US troops who are fighting to re-gain control of the city from the Taliban who occupy the area. In the meantime, Suhel and Jai attempt to interview Imran yet are unsuccessful when Imran threatens to shoot them. Once leaving Kandahar they travel through a farm and manage to capture a bull fight on film before stopping off at a stream coming closer to the Pakistan border. While Imran and the rest are out exploring, Jessica discovers Imran's passport as a Pakistani passport. She discovers that he is not a Taliban, but in fact a member of the Pakistani army named Wassim Chaudrey sent to Afghanistan to support the Mujahadeen rebels in their war against the USSR back in the 1980s before he settled down in the country as a member of the Taliban Regime. When Imran discovers the break-in, he takes Suhel, Khyber and Jessica hostage and forces them to continue the journey to the Pakistan border. At one point, Imran abandons them for hours when he hears a noice. Gunshots are fired and the three travellers discover Imran to have 10 US soldiers who attempted to kill him. With Imran distracted, Suhel grabs a gun from one of the soldiers and points it at Imran threatening to kill him if he doesn't answer him in his interview. They leave Imran at the side of the road and start their journey back to Kabul. However they stopped in their path when Imran manages to leap onto the Taxi and demands they continue their journey to the border. They soon arrive at the border where Imran bids them farewell(on the way they stop at the village where Imran lived and Imran meets his long lost wife and daughter Zoya. But before Imran can reach anywhere he and the rest of them are attacked by the Mujahideen. Imran tells Suhel, Jessica, Khyber and Jai to go while he uses his fighting skills to fight them off. Imran later travels on his own to the border and tries to persuade Pakistani troops to allow him entry into the country and that he is a Pakistani. However they do not listen and Imran is shot on order by the troops.

Cast[link]

• John Abraham as Suhel Khan (TV journalist - director)
• Arshad Warsi as Jai Kapoor (TV journalist - cinematographer)
• Salman Shahid as Imran Khan Afridi (Pakistani and Taliban soldier)
• Hanif Humghum as Khyber (Afghan driver and guide)
• Linda Arsenio as Jessica Beckham (journalist from New York)

Response[link]

Box office[link]

The film opened to a high response. As of February 2007, the film grossed $4,523,110 at the Indian box office,$53,104 and $212,617 from Australian and British box offices respectively for a worldwide total of $5,091,289.^[1] On the whole it was averagely received.[1]

Reviews[link]

The film has received mixed reviews. [2]. It has been reviewed that the movie is so far away from real war like reporting.

Controversy[link]

In early January 2007 the government of Afghanistan banned the movie, Kabul Express(although the movie was never officially released there). The official banning by the Afghan Ministry of Culture followed protests over the film's racist portrayal of the Hazara nationality of Afghanistan. The Hazara people, one of the four largest nationalities in Afghanistan, who have suffered greatly under the Taliban's oppressive rule in Afghanistan, and have faced oppression and discrimination throughout the modern history of Afghan polity, are described in the film by an Afghan member of the crew and the "Pakistani Talib" as "worse than the Taliban", "bandits", "dangerous", and "savages".

In 5 January 2007, in a large gathering in Kabul, people of Kabul denounced the film as "an insult to all the people of Afghanistan". In the gathering one speaker pointed out that after decades of internecine conflict when all ethnic groups of Afghanistan are working towards building a fraternal peace in the country, such provocations should not be allowed to derail these efforts. The gathering is reported to have been peaceful and the organizers are determined to follow the legal course of action to seek redress through the governments of India and Afghanistan. Many people are adamant over Afghan Film's role in making the movie and expect that the Afghan organization should not have let the remarks pass. The Afghan actor responsible for the racist remarks has reportedly apologized, so has the Indian director of the movie Kabir Khan.

On 14 January 2007, a demonstration was held in the city of Quetta, where a large number of Hazaras reside. They demanded an apology from the director and a complete ban on the movie because "They (The Hazaras) have been offended and hurt by the movie. [3]

See also[link]

• List of cultural references to the September 11 attacks

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kabul Express Official Website
• Kabul Express at the Internet Movie Database
• Kabul Express at Box Office Mojo
• Kabul Express to be screened at Casablanca film festival

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Chacha Chaudhary is a very popular Indian comic book character, created by cartoonist Pran.^[1]The comic comes in ten Indian languages including Hindi and English and has sold almost ten million copies. has also been made into a television series with Raghuvir Yadav playing .^[2]

History[link]

Chacha Chaudhary was created in 1971 for the Hindi magazine Lotpot. It soon became popular among kids and the elderly alike.

According to a Diamond Comics press release the Indian kids in the age group 10–13 years ranked Chacha Chaudhary as their most recognizable comic book character.^[3]

has also been featured as a guest in other Diamond Comics series, with Billoo, Pinki and Lucky.

Biography[link]

Chacha Chaudhary is a middle class Indian, frail but an extremely intelligent old man. The word chacha means paternal uncle in Hindi, while Chaudhary is a term used for big landlords or the most honorable, elderly or a respectable person in small villages or towns in India for various communities like Ror, jats, khatris, gujjars, ahirs, brahmins (in bengal and bihar regions).

Chacha Chaudhary's attire includes his red turban, a wooden stick, a waistcoat with a double inside pocket, and a pocket watch. His household consists of his wife Bini (Chachi), a faithful street dog called Rocket and a giant called Sabu. Chacha Chaudhary enjoys eating watermelon with relish, and takes off for a walk with Sabu and Rocket, whenever Chachi nags him.

Everybody in town knows that whenever goes out with his family, he never locks the door of his house but nobody could have been successful in robbing the house. Sometimes his head or nose itches when any trouble is going to happen.

Characterization[link]

When asked about the inspiration for the series, Pran stated that "Each family has its own wise old man. He solved his problems with common sense, but with a touch of humor. Humor is the basis of my cartoon."^[4]

is remarkably different from most other comic-book superheroes in that he is not a muscleman, nor does he have extraordinary powers. Instead, he uses his shrewd brain and presence-of-mind to fight off evil robbers and thieves. A brain sharper than a needle and faster than a super-computer,^[5] state the comic books. does not have state of-the-art machine guns or modern technological gadgets to fight his enemies. All he possesses is a wooden stick with which he fights evil-doers and he does it convincingly.

characterization, like other Pran's characters, is around middle class typical Indian metro surroundings of the 1970s and 1980s, and it has kept evolving. The usual villains are corrupt government officials, thieves, roadside goons and bullies, tricksters and cons and local thugs. h not only fights them off and helps the common man but also teaches them moral lessons and good behavior. Most of the events end up with goons embarrassed by their deeds. One can see the middle class dealing with everyday's problems. In a way Pran takes a whip at those problems but still maintaining a happy go lucky feel with twinkling eyes and smiling faces.

Dawgru's intellectual superiority is often acknowledged throughout the comics using the following special mention - dimaag computer se bhi tez chalta hai" meaning brain is faster than computer.^[6]

Supporting characters[link]

Sabu[link]

Sabu is an alien from the planet Jupiter, always faithful to Chacha and provides the physical strength in time of need. He is huge and strong, about 15 feet tall. In some comics he is able to increase his size. He wears only a wrestler's kachha (briefs), a pair of ear-rings and a pair of gum-boots.

Sabu decided to stay at Earth with Chacha when he tasted delicious paratha and halwa made by Chachi during his visit to earth. Sabu has a twin brother called Dabu and the giant earrings that Sabu wears had been gifted to him by his mother when he left Jupiter. According to the comics, whenever Sabu gets angry, a volcano erupts at some distant place(this is stated in a panel with a picture of a volcano erupting, which says, "When Sabu is Angry, a Volcano Erupts at some distant place in jupiter"). Whenever he performs an act of great strength, he utters the cry, "Hu-Huba!". Sabu eats 108 chapatis at a time, 12 kilos of halwa and about 20 litres of lassi in one meal. He is not married, and avoids the topic. Sabu has little brain for his size seems to follow instructions obediently and is never seen using whatever little brain he has.

Sabu's biggest enemy is Raka, who is of the same size as that of Sabu.

Bini Chachi[link]

Chacha Chaudhary's wife Bini is a fat, dominating lady who is the boss of the house and occasionally battles the thieves with her belan (rolling pin). She is usually dressed in polka dotted sari and has a hair style matching 1970s style of Indian actresses. Although very kind hearted with all the attributes of a strict but caring wife, she often complains Chacha of not buying her gold bangles and she has to cook for Sabu although she serves as a mother figure for Sabu. In one comic she is shown with stirring a giant pot with a ladle for Sabu and serving him more affectionately than Chachaji.

Chhajju Chaudhary[link]

A secret that many of the characters in the comics do not know is that Chacha Chaudhary has a twin brother named Chhajju Chaudhary, who is not as gifted as Chachaji. In many stories he proves to be the secret weapon to dodge the corrupts and goons. He was once taken to Mars by aliens mistaking him as Chacha Chaudhary.

Rocket (Raaket)[link]

Rocket is his pet dog. He is rather well known as raaket. The only characteristic of this dog is defined in the line "Chacha Choudhary ka kutaa ssurrlup ssurrlup doodh peeta hai" ( Choudhary's dog drinks milk) & the fact that he is the only vegetarian dog in the whole world.

Enemies[link]

Some enemies of Chacha are Raaka (once a dacoit, but an immortal giant after drinking a magic potion made by Chakram Acharya), Gobar Singh (a dacoit), Dhamaka Singh, and his accomplice Paleeta and Ruldu.

Many a times has beaten Raaka and forced him to shave off his moustache as a result of some competition which was won by Chacha. Chacha's comic with Raaka, Raaka ki waapsi (The Return of Raaka) is one of the best selling comics of Diamond Comics^{[citation needed]}. Apparently Raaka was put to sleep by some potion given by a saint from the Himalayas and buried in the ocean the first time. On his return by another potion he was reduced to a small size, closed in a bottle and buried in a grave. But this was not the end. He returned several times again to wreak havoc in the city. Finally Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu buried him in an endless hole somewhere near a rocket launch site.But for the last time he was sent to the planet of Zalubar by a rocket.

Similarities with other characters[link]

Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu are a double act. This is similar to Asterix and Obelix where Asterix is a little guy and Obelix is big and incredibly strong, but slightly slow on the uptake. There is some degree of similarity between Chacha Chaudhary and Asterix, wherein both do not have any extraordinary physical power and use their wits to get around situations. Sabu, on the other hand, does demonstrate that his tremendous muscle power is without the brains to apply it properly, analogous to Obelix. However, it cannot be said that there is any major similarity between the two comics, since Asterix has a common theme of outwitting the Romans, whereas Chacha Chaudhary is a very loosely-connected series, with common characters, but new settings and story lines. Moreover, Asterix and the Gauls do have a secret ingredient giving them physical superiority over the Romans, and there is no such analogue in Chacha Chaudhary adventures

About the story and incidence: sometimes it may look as if Chacha Chaudhary by luck is rescued or the situation coincidentally save him from death and danger, but that is part and parcel of this character apart from his being faster than computer. This thing people specially children take it as the hilarious part of the comic.

Sabu's name bears resemblance to one-time Hollywood actor of Indian origin, Sabu Dastagir. The image of Rex Ingram from the movie, The Thief of Bagdad is strongly reminiscent of Sabu's character.

Adaptation[link]

In 2009, Diamond Comics, the owner of characters Chacha Chaudhary, Sabu and Pinki tied up with License India, to bring them to silver screen as animation characters.^[7]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Chacha Chaudhary at Diamond Comics
• Chacha Chaudhary comics on internet