‘Pash’s poetry continues to inspire today’s revolutionary movements’

Tribune News Service

Jalanhdar, September 19

The Pash Yadgaari Sahitak Samagam was held to remember revolutionary poet Avtar Singh Pash. It was held at the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall in Jalandhar today. The event was marked by talk on the farmers’ struggle and the role played by revolutionary poetry.

The key speaker, Sukhdev Singh Sirsa, Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Comittee General Secretary Gurmeet Singh, Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch (PLSE Manch) President Amolak Singh, Senior Trustee Surinder Kuamri Kochar were among others were present on the occasion.

The event began with paying tributes to over 620 farmers who lost their lives during the ongoing farmers’ struggle. Dharminder Masani and Nargis, an artist of the Manavta Kala Manch, Nagar, presented nazms, bolis and ghazals on the occasion. Sukhdev Singh Sirsa said the poetic revolutionary traditions of the state found frontal space yet again during the kisan andolan.

“Poetry is not a fiefdom of just a few well-read persons. Poetry of Bars (a reference to pre-partition peasant revolutions such as Nilibar); poetry against colonisation (or Bastiwaad), poetry of the Pagri Sambhal Jatta Movement and the poetry written and penned by struggling writers was written in the midst of struggle and ideological battles,” he said.

Sirsa said the poetry was a witness to Punjab’s repeated cultural strife and is contextual even in the present times.

He also said the present farm strife was more of a continuation of the previous peasant strifes witnessed in the state. He said authors such as Prof Mohan Singh, Bawa Balwant, Pash, Udasi, Gurdas Ram Alam, Lal Singh Dil, has set the narrative for revolutionary poetry. The book ‘Pash Diary and Letters’ edited by Amolak Singh was released by Dr Sirsa on the occasion. Sirsa was honoured with Gursharan Singh Smriti Granth.

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