Punjabi authors from India, Pakistan exchange ideas at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, November 21

Punjabi authors opined that the present generation of writers from India and Pakistan were producing literature free of hate and bigotry.

Authors from the holy city exchanged ideas with their counterparts from Pakistan at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, in Narowal district of Pakistan, yesterday.

Deep Davinder, a short story writer, upon his return to the city here on Monday, stated that the writers were of the view that present authors did not subscribe to the thought of one-upmanship of a religion and respect all. He said Pakistani Punjab authors Baba Nazmi and Afzal Sahir accepted that authors over a century back produced literature which advocated hate against other communities.

In fact, he said, they felt that the present generation of Punjabi writers were following the philosophy of Guru Nanak and Bulle Shah who stressed on maintaining harmony among communities through their creations. “They stated that contemporary writers and poets are generating their creations based upon their philosophy.”

Punjabi authors from two nations stressed that boundaries demarcating India and Pakistan may remain and they honour these but the exchange of people and literature should continue without hiatus.

Prominent novelist Baldev Singh Sadaknama and Kendri Sabha president Darshan Buttar were also part of the delegation. Members of both groups bowed down at the gurdwara and at a Majar, situated nearby. Baba Nazmi presented his beautiful ghazal “Tun kyon meri masjid Dhave, Mein kyon torhan mandir Nu”.