Poet Gurbhajan’s book ‘Akhar Akhar’ released

Phagwara, August 22

Eminent Punjabi poet Gurbhajan Gill on Monday released his book ‘’Akhar Akhar’’, containing about 900 ghazals penned by him in the last 50 years in as many as eight volumes at Phagwara here.

The book was released at a function organised by Sangeet Darpan magazine, Punjabi Kala and Sahit Kendar, Phagwara, and Punjabi Lok Virasat Academy, Ludhiana.

Taranjit Singh Kinra, Chief Editor, Sangeet Darpan, and president, Punjabi Kala and Sahit Kendar, Sarabjit Singh Lubana, convener, Doaba zone of Punjabi Lok Virasat Academy, Prof Jaswant Singh Gandam, president, and Gurmit Palahi, general secretary of Punjabi Virsa Trust, Phagwara, were among the eminent writers present.

Speaking on the occasion, Gurbhajan Gill, who turned 70 this May, said that he had put together all that he had written between 1973-2023 in his eight books of ghazals.

With 472 pages, the book is printed in the style of two columns on every page so that it does not appear voluminous as ‘big books discourage readers’. Having written over two dozen books so far and won many awards, Gurbhajan Gill, while addressing the gathering, said that a poet expresses his wrath against the system or individuals on paper.

A strong votary of amicable people-to-people relations between India and Pakistan, Gill, whose three books have also been translated into ‘Shahmukhi’, said, “A poet, being sensitive and peace-loving, can not physically fight against whatever he does not like, he puts his anger on paper through his poems. We should all feel the agony of the land that has given us birth and express it in words. But this agony should pass through us in the same way as honey. Everyone bothers about the tune but no one cares for the string (Jo saaz se nikali hai, woh dhun sabh ne suni hai/Jo taar pe beeti hai, who kis ko pata hai).

Calling upon writers to create a culture of words, Gill quoted Hindi poet Dushyant Kumar and recited his couplets. He eulogised noted poets Bashir Badr, Nida Fazli, Surjit Patar and paid tribute to poets like Jagtar, Harbhajan Hundal and Kashmir Qadar.

Addressing the function, Prof Jaswant Singh Gandam said that the beauty of Gurbhajan Gill’s poetry lies in its simplicity, brevity and profundity. He quoted one of his couplets describing the pangs of Partition: “Shehar Lahoron Ambarsar da/Kinna painda ghar tau ghar da” (How far is the journey from home to home between Lahore city and Amritsar).

While Gurmit Palahi presented Gill a set of books, Taranjit Kinra thanked him. Poets/writers Baldev Komal, SL Virdi, Ravinder Chot, Jaswinder Kaur, Inderjit Vasu and Parvinderjit Singh were also present. on the occasion.