Punjabi writers call for concerted efforts to promote Punjabi globally: GPO Conference
Amritsar, 10 November 2012 (Bharat Sandesh Bureau):– The world renowned Punjabi writers and poets who gathered here today at picturesque and historic Khalsa College campus, gave a clarion call to promote Punjabi globally. They, while speaking during First Punjabi Conference, organized by Global Punjabi Organization (GPO) in collaboration with Khalsa College, seemed upbeat over the future of language that has presence around globe, though they called for more efforts to encourage Punjabi language and its writers.
The meticulously organized Conference saw a galaxy of writers and poets descending upon the campus. Guru Nanak Dev University Vice Chancellor Dr.Ajaib Singh Brar who was the chief guest and Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) honourary secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina who was guest of honour appreciated the GPO for organizing such a great Conference. While referring the glorious history and scientific base of the Punjabi language which is gaining acclaims all over, they said more such Conferences were needed as the enterprising Punjabis who are spread world over had been penning down the great pieces of literature and texts and need to be together to discuss issues confronting Punjabi language.
Earlier Khalsa College Principal Dr. Daljit Singh who is also President of GPO, welcomed the chief guest by presenting them the bouquets. He said GPO’s primary aim is to work for the proliferation of Punjabi language and culture and also to become link for the serious Punjabi writers all over the globe. He also stated that there were some misconceptions and misleading assertions that the Punjabi language is becoming an endangered language.“They (mischief mongers) even quoted UNESCO reports which proved to be false. The truth is that the Punjabi is the 11th largest language of the world and in vocabulary it is richer than all the languages of the world but Arabian and thus can be termed second in the world’’, said he.
He termed the writers and poets as the torch-bearers of the movement to promote the language.The top Punjabi writers including Khoji Kafir, Kewal Dhaliwal, Dr.Harbhajjan Singh Bhatia, Baldev Singh Saraknama and Dr. Joginder Singh Kairon read their research papers on the occasion, touching diverse topics and currents in the language’s history and challenges in the modern times. In the later afternoon session on Punjabi poetry the great Punjabi poets including Surjit Patar, Sukhwinder Amrit, Gurbhajjan Gill, read out their creative writing, earning applauds from the audience, the session was chaired by renowned eye surgeon Dr. Daljit Singh.
The others who were present during the Conference included IAS M.S Kainth, Deepak Manmohan Singh, Harinder Brar, Sukhi Brar, Babbu Teer and Dr.Balwinder Singh Thind.