Sidhu home-delivers arts council headship to Patar
CHANDIGARH: With chief minister Captain Am arin der Singh nominating celebrated Punjabi littérateur Surjit Patar (72) as chairperson of Punjab Arts Council( Punjab K ala Paris had ), a poet is at the helm of affairs of this prestigious organisation for the first time.
While the decision was expected (HT had reported this on Tuesday), the manner in which chief Punjab culture minister decided to make the news public was sheer‘ Poetic sat play ’.
In a spontaneous decision, Sidhu decided to personally visit Patar’s residence in Ludhiana to deliver the appointment letter. Before leaving Chandigarh, the minister told HT ,“I am doing it to honour him for he has honour ed us by accepting this nomination .”
Former cricket er, comedy star and now politician, Sidhu has long been an admirer of Patar. When he had floated ‘Awaaz-ePunjab’ political party last year —before joining the Congress— he had used a coup let by Pat ar for his publicity poster which said: ‘Je aayi patjharh te ki hai, tu agli rut te yakin rakhin’ (So what if it is autumn now, keep faith in the next season).
On Tuesday, it was ‘bahar’ (spring) all the way with even monsoon clouds taking a breath er mid-morning in Ludhiana as the minister touched the knee soft he poet in respect in that typical Punjabi manner. Then, he presented the letter that Patar accepted, hoping to do his best to advance Punjabi culture, literature and language, which have been at the core of his poetry.
‘RELUCTANT AT FIRST’
Pat art old HT that he was reluctant to take the post .“However, it was the warmth and exuberance of Sidhu which prompted me to accept it,” he said quoting an Urdu verse ‘Phir teri arzoo ne meri raah rok li, Varna nikal ch ala th has it aronkeja al se ’( The wish to be with you stopped me, Else I was breaking free of the web of stars)
CULTURAL PARLIAMENT THE AIM: SIDHU
Praising the literary genius of Patar, Sidhu said: “Our aim is to wean back the internet generation to our culture, folk arts and literature. We are attempting to set up a Cultural Parliament, associating the best of minds, to start at the district level, move onto to the tehsils, then the villages and homes of people with their active participation”.
Several Congress leaders and dignitaries were present at the occasion.