Hold conclave in M’rashtra: Fadnavis to Punjabi writers

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Ghuman (Gurdaspur), April 5

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today invited Punjabi writers to his state and hold a conclave akin to the Marathi literature festival that concluded in Ghuman today.

Addressing a gathering at the All India Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (ABMSS), Fadnavis said by holding a function on the Marathi soil, there would be a near-perfect confluence of the Punjabi and Marathi literature, both of which were immensely rich in texture and intensity.

He said the bond between both states was strong and the festival had given an impetus to their relations. Fadnavis announced to establish a Chair in the name of Guru Gobind Singh at the Swami Ramanand Tirath Marathwada University of Nanded.

The announcement comes two days after Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said a Chair in the name of Marathi saint Bhagat Namdev would be set up in Guru Nanak Dev University of Amritsar. The Maharashtra CM also praised his Punjab counterpart for holding the function on a massive scale and that too in a short span. “I congratulate Badal for having organised the function in a very short period. We, too, will organise a similar function on a grand scale for Punjabi writers,” he said.

Earlier, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal urged Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who was also seated on the dais, to ensure the railways run a “special express train” between Beas and some religious places in Maharashtra. Beas is the nearest railway station linking Ghuman.

He said the train should be a “dedicated one”, though he did not elaborate on what “dedicated” actually meant. Prabhu said he would look into the proposal and ask the Railway Ministry to work out the modalities of running such a train.

Sukhbir claimed that the Marathi festival was a step in the right direction towards the theme of national integration. “Such functions should be held more regularly as they contribute towards communal harmony,” he added.