Syal fest begins at Majha House

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 17

With an opening shabad this afternoon, Majha House kicked off its two-day Syal (winter) festival. The panel of speakers and performers included feminist writer and activist Urvashi Butalia, classical dance exponent Navtej Johar, dastangoi artiste Sunil Mehra, writers Paro Anand, Jerry Pinto and Mitra Phukan. Also on stage were poets Shaleem Hussain and Nirupama Dutt, art curator Alka Pande and film critic Ratnottama Sengupta.

The festival is dedicated to KS Dhillon, former DGP of Punjab and historian, who passed away in September. Dhillon was the father of Majha House founder Preeti Gill. Chaman Lal, former DGP of Nagaland and close friend of Dhillon, who served during Punjab’s troubled years, paid a tribute to him in an opening address during the session on Border Crossings.

The highlight of the programme will be the presentation of new research study on Assamese Sikhs in Transition in partnership with the Centre for North-east Studies and Policy Research (C-NES). This issue is of special interest following the standoff in Shillong earlier this summer between indigenous tribal groups and Mazbhai Sikhs, who have been settle there for over a century.

The festival aims to cross intangible borders through conversations with subjects including sexuality and desire with best settling writers Madhavi Menon and Jaya Misra.

Preeti Gill said Majha House was set up as a Trust to connect cross border experiences and reflections not just on the Punjab and its culture but other parts of the country and beyond.