Lahore pays tribute to India-origin Punjabi literary intellectual couple

Lahore, Nov 7 – A Shahmukhi book on Giani Gurdit Singh was released during a function at the Dyal Singh Research and Cultural Forum here, which commemorated the birth centenary of two literary intellectuals from Punjab (India), Giani Gurdit Singh and Inderjit Kaur Sandhu, on Tuesday.

Wasif Nagi, the Chairman of Khalil Ur Rehman Memorial Society and senior journalist associated with the Daily Jang newspaper, was the chief guest on the occasion.

The guests of honor were Shaista Nuzhat, a Punjabi poet, writer, linguist, and researcher on Punjabi language and literature, and Tanveer Qasim Rana, Director, Coordination, Punjab Higher Education Commission.

The Director of Dayal Singh Research and Cultural Forum, Abdul Razzak Shahid, welcomed the guests and praised the literary services of Giani Gurdit Singh and Inderjit Kaur.

He shed light on the educational services of Inderjit Kaur. Events dedicated to their birth centenary (both were born in 1923) are being celebrated all over the world.

Gianiji was the owner and editor of the Punjabi newspaper ‘Prakash’. He was also the editor of ‘Singh Sabha Patrika’, a monthly magazine on Sikh ethos.

From 1956 to 1962, he was a member of the Punjab Legislative Council.

Inderjit Kaur completed her MA in Philosophy from the Panjab University in Lahore, along with her Bachelor of Teaching. She started her professional life as a teacher. In 1975, she became the Vice-Chancellor of the Punjabi University, Patiala. She was the third VC of the university and the first woman VC of North India.

She passed away last year at the age of 98.

The event was organized by the Canadian organization Hardarshan Memorial International Trust, with the support of Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Trust, the UK.

After the introduction of both the personalities, a voice message was read by Jaiteg Singh Anant, a resident of Canada.

Slides based on the lives and achievements were shown of both spouses, whose relatives and friends were present in the ceremony through a Zoom link.

Roopinder Singh, the son of Gurdit Singh, talked about both his parents, saying that an entire generation appreciates their literary and academic services.

Gurinder Mann attended the event from New York, while Khushal Singh represented the Kendri Sir Guru Singh Sabha, Chandigarh.

Baldev Singh Sadaknama’s monograph on the ‘Maker of Modern Indian Literature, Giani Gurdit Singh’, was released in Shahmukhi, Punjabi and Urdu.

The book, originally published in Gurmukhi, discusses the literary and personal journey of Giani Gurdit Singh.

Prizes named after these two eminent personalities were distributed to the former Principal of the National College of Arts and CEO of ‘Thap’, Sajida Haider Wandal, and noted Punjabi writer, novelist, travel writer and poet Aashiq Raheel, who were given Lifetime Achievement Awards and cash prize.

Recognizing his services to Punjabi language and literature, Kalyan Singh Kalyan, Ibad Nabil Shad, and Satwant Kaur were honoured with the Punjabi Sevak Award.