“Elder litterateurs are society’s priceless treasure” – Dr Asht
Patiala, November 11
In a heartwarming and memorable literary ceremony organised at the Lecture Hall of the Department of Languages, Punjab, Patiala, the Punjabi Sahit Sabha (Regd.) Patiala today conferred its prestigious ‘Punjabi Sahit Sabha Kalmkar Puraskar’ upon five distinguished senior writers, all aged above 80 years.
The honoured literary veterans are:
- Inderjeet Singh Chopra
- Dr Tarlochan Singh Anand
- Baldev Singh Bindra
- Sukirti Bhatnagar
- Mohsin Usmani
Presiding over the event, Sabha President Dr Darshan Singh ‘Asht’ welcomed the veteran writers and announced that the glorious tradition of honouring five senior litterateurs above 80 years of age — a practice started since the Sabha’s founding in 1957 — will continue unbroken. “These elders are society’s priceless capital. Their literary contribution is historic,” he said.
Former Director of Language Department Punjab, Dr Madan Lal Hasija, remarked that such magnificent traditions energise writers across generations. S. Upkar Singh, President of Gyan Jyoti Educational Trust, added that these initiatives enable the younger generation to learn secrets of success and hidden knowledge from the honoured elders.
Citation letters for the awardees were read by Dr Hargunpreet Singh, Shishan Kumar, Satnam Kaur Chauhan, Gurpreet Dimpy and Amritpal Singh Shaida respectively. The dignitaries who adorned the writers with garlands included Dr Surjit Singh Khurmana, Amarjit Singh Walia, Dharm Kammeyana, Asha Sharma, Dr G.S. Anand, former DSP Nahar Singh, General Secretary Davinder Patialvi, Balbir Singh Dildar and Navdeep Singh Mundi, among others.
Patron Babu Singh Rehal described the tradition as a historic milestone in the Sabha’s journey. After receiving the awards, the honoured writers shared valuable life experiences and insights into their creative processes.
During the programme, new-generation writers including Navin Kamal Bharti, Amar Garg ‘Kalmdan Dhuri’, Asha Sharma, Gurpreet Singh Dhillon, Vijay Kumar, Anu Bhatti, Gopal Samana, Gurdhyan Singh, Amritpal Singh ‘Coffee’, Bachan Singh Guram, Angrez Singh Virk, Satish Vidrohi, Jagga Rangowal, Gurpreet Kaur Dhillon and Vijay Kumar presented their compositions.
Among the prominent attendees were Dr Harjinderpal Singh Walia, Prof. G.S. Bhatnagar, Prof. Tarlochan Kaur, Joga Singh Dhanola, Prof. Mahindrapal Singh, Advocate Gurdarshan Singh Gusil, Rajeshwar Kumar, Harvinder Singh Superdent, Jasbir Singh, Gurcharan Singh Gunike, Prof. J.K. Miglani, Joga Singh, Mohan Lal Khanna, Prakash Chand, Gurcharan Singh Chauhan, Rajesh Kotia, Joga Singh Kheeva and others.
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The stage was gracefully conducted by General Secretary Davinder Patialvi and Navdeep Singh Mundi.
At the conclusion, patron Babu Singh Rehal expressed gratitude to all attending writers. The Sabha observed two minutes’ silence in profound grief over the recent passing of Sahitya Akademi award-winning fiction writer Chandan Negi (long associated with the Sabha), painter Gobinder Singh Sohal, Bibi Jaspal Kaur (wife of Jaiteg Singh Anant), and Ajaib Singh Sangrur (brother-in-law of Joga Singh Dhanola).
The ceremony reaffirmed the Punjabi Sahit Sabha Patiala’s unwavering commitment to preserving literary heritage while inspiring future generations.
