Book Launch Function hosted by Adampur Punjabi Sahitya Sabha

 

Book Launch Function hosted by Adampur Punjabi Sahitya Sabha

Punjabi Sahitya Sabha of Adampur, Adampur - a hub of learning and prosperity in Jalandhar – famous for Sat Baba Bhag Singh University, the only rural university in Punjab, Guru Ravidass International Airport (IAF base in the Doaba region) and home of several high ranking bureaucrats, high-ups in the defense forces,

educationists and home of well-to-do NRIs, is a premier literary outfit in the area who has provided a firm and functional platform to the young and old Punjabi literary enthusiasts in and around Jalandhar and also those who live  abroad for their bread and butter but their heart lives back home as sons of the soil. Courtesy and through the kind gesture of my friend, Roop Lal Roop, a renowned educationists, intellectual researcher, a poet and writer himself, I got involved in the literary and cultural activities of Punjabi Sahitya Sabha for the last many years not as an intellectual or a writer but as a student in my second innings of life. This time too, on April 26, the honours fell on me to be the Chief Guest at the book launch function hosted by the Sabha. I have ben joining them in a couple of such activities in the past to my advantage and benefit. I take this opportunity to thank Roop Lal ji and his worthy colleagues and associates at the Sabha for their magnanimity.

This time too, as usual, five books were released written by learned authors living abroad – Canada based Sukhdeep Sandhu Sukhi’s collection of Punjabi folklore (Mahia, Tappe, Bolian, Geet) reflecting the human emotions and ground realities of life – Man De Varke and four books of the UK based well acclaimed spiritual thinker pertaining to thought of Gautama the Buddha and Guru Ravidas,

Kalu Rai Suman – Mukand; Darshan Shastra, Mukand; Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Da – Pra Mano-Vigyan, Mukand; Rag Gaund – Sansar Sukh Shanti and Dhai Aksar Prem Ke. The literary papers on the books read by intellectuals and educationists, Dr. Balwinder Singh,  Prof. Malkit Jaura and Roop Lal Roop gave an over-view of these literary master pieces of Suman Sahib and Sukhi Sahiba really gave an eye view of the subject matter of the books for the layman like me and many more sitting in the quality audience of writers and poets. Sardar Ajit Singh Sunder of Adampur, a renowned pot himself living in the UK, adorned the high-table as the Special Guest at the book launch

function. After the release of the books, as usual, the second phase of the event was an impromptu Mushaira (Kavi Darbar) in which well recognized poets of the area recited their poems, both in Taranum and Kavita Path, helped us to unwind in a sober and pleasant way on the weekend. It would only be appropriate if I mention here some of the Ustad Shyars (Poets) and that of some budding ones – Ashi Ishpuri, Lalli Kartarpuri, Manoj Phagwadbi, Ashok Parmar among others as established Shyars and Sudesh Kumari and Mahesh Chander as the budding flowers of the Chaman of Sahitya.

I, a non-literary one, needed to be grounded among these highly articulate writers and poets. While thanking the hosts led by Roop Lal Roop for repeatedly inviting and honouring me on such occasions said that every time I came here was rewarding not only in learning but also making friends. Some time ago, we launched the books of Gurinder Gill of Malaysia without knowing her but later I

bumped into her at an event at JNU in New Delhi and became friends. Today, I found my fellow alumnus and a classmate at Jalandhar DAV College in 1970, Lashkari Ram, Retired Banker sitting incognito with me on the Head Table. It was a pleasure to revive association with Lashkari Ram. Taking cue from the speakers and poets, I also took the opportunity of reciting poetry of my favourites; Allama Iqbal and Charan Singh Safri. I appreciated, and rightly so,  the yeoman’s service and good job being done by Adampur Punjabi Sahitya Sabha in facilitating the literary activities in the area and serving the Ma Boli, Punjabi in the process. Two of the poets who recited their compositions at the function were kind enough to gift me, as bonus,  their books; Sukhdev Singh Gandwa -  Dharati Punjab Diye, a collection of his poems and Ashok Tandi – Gojlianwala Khu, a collection of stories. I would look forward to such more occasions as a rewarding pastime. I conclude this piece with a poetic assertion of Allma Iqbal which I recited in my brief remarks –

zindagī kuchh aur shai hai 'ilm hai kuchh aur shai

zindagī soz-e-jigar hai 'ilm hai soz-e-dimāġh

ilm meñ daulat bhī hai qudrat bhī hai lazzat bhī hai

ek mushkil hai ki haath aatā nahīñ apnā surāġh

(Tarbiat - a Nazm of Allama Iqbal)