Amritsar Sahit Utsav inaugurated

Amritsar, March 4

Naad Pragas, an organisation run by researchers and students studying in various universities to promote Punjabi literature, opened the 9th edition of Amritsar Sahit Utsav at Khalsa College for Women here today. Noted social scientist professor JPS Oberoi and Padma Shree poet Dr Surjit Patar presided over the opening day seminar on a discussion that drew attention to serious questions related to university research.

The opening ceremony was conducted by KCW principal Surinder Kaur with keynote speaker prof Akshay Kumar from Panjab University, Chandigarh, stating that nowadays there is a tendency to establish literature and narrative, over theoretical research.

Dr Manindra Nath Thakur from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, said it has become imperative for our universities to engage in dialogue with other knowledge traditions. Prof Madhulika Banerjee, another speaker emphasised on highlighting the uniqueness of Indian intellectual tradition, while highlighting the onus to engage global systems to increase scope for our own education, intellectual system.

Dr Surjit Patar shared his thoughts about their creative process in which famous poet said, “My poem/poetry is an autobiography of my struggle with myself.” Poet Bhupinderpreet suggested Punjabi poets to concentrate on the sound of the word while freeing the poem from rhetoric. Punjabi thinkers Manmohan and Taskeen mentioned the role of socio-political reasons in the creation of literature.