CM announces award in Patar’s memory
LUDHIANA Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced that the state government would start an award in the memory of renowned Punjabi poet and writer Surjit Patar, who breathed his last on Saturday at his residence in Ludhiana.
The award will have a prize money of ₹1 lakh and will be presented annually to emerging poets by the Punjab government, he said. Students from Class 8 to graduation level will be allowed to participate in the competition and a panel will be formed to choose the winner, Mann added.
Speaking to reporters after attending the last rites of the Padma Shri awardee, Mann said: “We want young individuals to write poetry after taking inspiration from Dr Patar. The awardee will receive ₹1 lakh cash award and a certificate.”
“However, this award is too small a token in Dr Patar’s memory. What he has left behind is a great ideology and literature which we want the new generation to read, write, and take inspiration from,” the CM added.
Earlier, the mortal remains of the renowned poet were consigned to flames at the Model Town Extension crematorium in Ludhiana with full state honours. Mann offered prayers and also shouldered Patar’s bier.
The funeral pyre was lit by Patar’s sons Ankur Singh Patar and Manraj Singh Patar.
The funeral procession commenced from Patar’s residence at Asha Puri which was attended by family, friends, literary enthusiasts and wellwishers. Leaders from various political parties also joined the procession.
At the cremation ground, a unit of the Punjab Police accorded a guard of honour to the late poet.
The funeral was attended by several dignitaries and literary figures, including Rajya Sabha
MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, MLA Ashok Parashar Pappi, Daljit Singh Grewal, and Tarunpreet Singh Sandhu. Notable personalities from the literary world, such as Harjinder Singh Thind, Baldev Sadaknama, and Gurbhajan Gill, chairman of the Punjab Lok Virasat Academy, were also present.
Patar, who died in his sleep on Saturday, had received the Padma Shri in the field of literature and education in 2012. He was the president of the Punjab Arts Council and Punjabi Sahit Akademi.
The poet and writer had been awarded with the Sahitya Akademi Award, Panchnad Puruskar, Saraswati Samman and the Kusumagraj Literary award.
Patar’s poetic works include ‘Hawa Vich Likhe Harf’, ‘Hanere Vich Sulagdi Varanmala’, ‘Patjhar Di Pazeb’, ‘Lafzaan Di Dargah’ and ‘Surzameen’.
From Patar village in Jalandhar district, he did his graduation from Randhir college in Kapurthala and Ph.D on “Transformation of Folklore in Guru Nanak Vani” from the Guru Nanak Dev University.