Phagwara (TIP)- A new book ‘Ugade Suraj Di Akh”, authored by noted Punjabi writer Prof Jaswant Singh Gandam, was released recently here by Smt. Apneet Riyait, I.A.S.,Chief Admin,PUDA, at an impressive “Pustak Lok Arpan Samagam” where she was the Chief Guest.
Punjabi Virsa Trust (Regd.) Phagwara, led by eminent Punjabi writer and columnist Gurmit Palahi, had organized it. Arjuna awardee legendary footballer Inder Singh, Vice Chancellor Sant Baba Bhag Singh University Dr Dharamjit Singh,former national wrestling coach PR Sondhi, Ex-Head of History Department, Kamla Nehru College For Women,Phagwara Prof Manjit Kaur Riyait, General Secretary Punjab Football Association(PFA) Harjinder Singh, noted footballer Varinderjit Parmar, Sports official Deepa also graced the ‘Pardhangi mandal’ and spoke.
Addressing the function, Prof Jaswant Singh Gandam said,” This is my third book, having 176 pages, containing 33 articles on different issues, including 14 satirical pieces. These articles were written after the Corona(AC) period (2022-23) and published in leading Punjabi dailies and weeklies. My first book ”Kuchh Terian Kuchh Merian’ and the second book “Suttey Shehar Da Safar” each contained 28 articles written and published respectively before Corona(BC) ie before 2020 and during Corona(DC) ie 2020-21 respectively. The present book is dedicated to my soulmate Prof Sital Singh Riyait, a sports commentator, football promoter and trainer who left us this 12 May.”
Maintaining that experiences of life and literature go cheek by jowl and that one keeps experiencing throughout one’s life, Prof Gandam quoted lines from Alfred Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses” in this regard, “I am a part of all that I have met;/Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’/Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades/For ever and for ever when I move”. He said that a writer sifts and sieves the coarser elements of his experiences, purges and prunes the baser parts of events/incidents to finally pen down a refined piece of literary work. Prof Gandam said,” A writer gives back what he gets from his surroundings”.
He quoted Sahir Ludhianvi to hammer home his point-“Duniyan ne tajarbaat-o-havadis ki shakal mei/Jo kuchh mujhey diya hai lauta raha hun mei”(Whatever the world has given me in the form of experiences and events, I am returning these(to the world)”.
He referred to Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle who had said that all art was mimetic by nature as it imitated life. “Actually, literature, which was a form of art, mirrored life as well as showed mirror to life”, he quipped. Maintaining that history kept people alive, PR Sondhi lauded inclusion of a chapter on Prof Sital Singh in the book.
Apneet Riyait thanked Prof Gandam for dedicating the book to her father Prof Sital Singh Riyait. She also spoke about her interest in literature.
VC Dharamjit Singh went down memory lane while sharing his association with Prof Riyait.
Gurmit Palahi, the organizer of the function, spoke about the book and its author.
Noted Punjabi writers SL Virdi, TD Chawla, Ravinder Chot, Baldev Komal, Didar Shetra, Lashkar Dhandarwi,Parvinderjit Singh were among those present on the occasion.
Poetesses Jaswinder Kaur,Balbir Saini,Kamlesh Sandhu,Monika Bedi,Simrat Kaur and poets Baldev Raj Komal and Manoj Phagwarvi regaled audience with their poems.
Singer Manveet Mevi mesmerized listeners with his song on Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
Smt Apneet Riyait and her mother Prof Manjit Kaur Riyait were feted with shawls and a set of books.