Punjabi Saptah: Trauma, suffering during Partition evoke emotions

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 2

Former Dean Academic Affairs, GNDU, and director, Department of Architecture, Prof Sarabjot Singh Behl presented his poems at the session held at GNDU’s week-long Punjabi Saptah celebrations at the School of Punjabi Studies. Behal, who is a Punjabi poet as well, said Guru Nanak Dev University was committed to the development of Punjabi language.

Rig Veda was the mirror of old Punjabi language and culture and the spread of any language cannot be confined to any geographical area. The ancient name of Punjab was Saptasindhu and its biggest base was Rig Veda and great scholars of Asia have proved that Rig Veda was written in old Punjabi language. As many as 24 languages have been recognised in the Indian Constitution of which, 18 languages are derived from Sanskrit. A new sensibility of scholars of the world towards Punjab has been created which Punjab should be proud of. Dr Harmohinder Singh Bedi, Chancellor of the Central University, Dharamsala

The second day was dedicated to poets of Punjabi language. Eminent poets and students shared their poetry. Noted poet and IAS officer Bakhtawar Singh was among the first ones to recite his poems, presenting different themes of social realism and Sufism followed by eminent writer Nirmal Arpan. Kavi Darbar began with ghazals by Manish Kumar, a research student of the Department of Punjabi Studies. After this, eminent poet Malwinder Singh presented poems dedicated to the farmers’ struggle. Sarabjit Singh Sandhu, another poet, amazed the audience with his emotional and realistic poetry. Eminent Punjabi poet Artinder Sandhu presented a poem on the existence of women and drew the attention of research students to the new forms of Punjabi poetry being written. Punjabi poet Dev Darad recited lyrical poems in which he presented a picture of Punjabi culture.

Poems full of mythological excerpts from Nirmal Arpan proved to be a poetic achievement. Sarabjot Singh Behl presented his poems based on the trauma and human suffering in context to Punjab’s history of Partition and other events.

Meanwhile, on the first day, Chancellor of the Central University, Dharamsala, Dr Harmohinder Singh Bedi said Punjab, Punjabi and Panjabiyat was among the most significant study systems in Asia for the half a century. He was speaking as the keynote speaker at the inaugural function of the Punjabi Week (Punjabi Saptah) at Guru Nanak Dev University’s School of Punjabi Studies here on Monday. He said celebrating Punjabi Week meant that the rich traditions inherited by the Punjabis had not only uplifted the life of the Punjabi people but the entire world.

GNDU is hosting a series of events dedicated to ‘Punjab Day’ that is celebrated on November 1 and the inaugural session of ‘Punjabi Saptah’ had academic talks and sessions by several eminent academicians. Registrar, GNDU, DR Karanjit Singh Kahlon, discussing the Punjabi language, said Punjabi language was a living language. Elaborating on the special role of Guru Nanak Dev University in the development of Punjabi language, literature and culture, he said the online courses launched by Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) for the development of Punjabi language have attracted more and more people besides Punjabis living abroad.

Bedi acknowledged the Sanskrit tradition as the original source of three concepts of ‘Punjab, Punjabi and ‘Punjabiat’. Presenting Gremas’s Aktanshial model as the basis for the study of folk tales, former Professor of Punjabi Studies, Dr Joginder Singh Kairon said the major methods and windows of the Punjabi language needed to be looked at from new perspectives.