PAU Literary Club pays tributes to Aulakh, Ramuwalia

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 20

The Punjab Agricultural University’s (PAU) Literary Club paid tributes to two renowned writers — Ajmer Singh Aulakh and Iqbal Singh Ramuwalia — during a function held in collaboration with Dr Keshav Ram Society for Theatre and Arts.

Former president of Punjabi Sahit Akademi and former senior editor (Punjabi) at PAU Prof Gurbhajan Singh Gill said, “Aulakh was a noted play writer, who carved a niche for himself in the field of Punjabi.

He was a lighthouse of the Punjabi theatre.” Ramuwalia was known for his poetry and prose, he said, adding that both the writers had a long association with the PAU and its students.

Club’s organiser Anil Sharma said the plays of Aulakh were nationalistic and a source of inspiration for the artists of the Malwa region. His popular plays, “Beganey Bohar di Chaan,” “Ik Ramayan Hor,” “Nihunjar,” “Toori Wala Kotha” and “Chanan de Paani,” would always be a guiding spirit, he added. The drama fest, which would be organised by Dr Keshav Ram Society for Theatre and Arts in November, would also include Aulakh’s play, Sharma said.

Prof Ravinder Bhattal, former general secretary, Punjabi Sahit Akademi, traced his journey with Aulakh since 1964.

Dr MS Toor, an eminent farm economist and Dean, Bhutta College, said he had worked as an artist as well as a director of Aulakh’s plays. He described Ramuwalia as a highly supportive person.

On the occasion, Amar Sufi, a ghazal writer from Moga, shared his experiences with both the writers while Harbaksh Singh Grewal called Aulakh a man with spirit of nationalism.

The student artists of Aulakh’s plays, namely Hardeep Singh, Sarabjit Singh and Jyoti Sharma, also paid tributes to him.