BATALA: People of Punjab Friday paid glorious tributes to its son and poet of pathos Shiv Kumar Batalvi as Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal conferred first Shiv Kumar Batavli award to poet himself posthumously that was received by his wife Aruna Shiv Batalvi.
Sukhbir Badal pays tributes to Shiv Kumar Batalvi
It was a poignant moment as Badal handed over the memento and a cheque of Rs 51000 to her and also announced appointment of their son Meharban Batalvi as lecturer in Punjabi University Patiala.
Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister also announced upgrading and maintenance of Shiv Kumar Batalvi auditorium in the city to world class cultural center, in which world renowned artists from all over the world would be invited to perform and relive the magic of the youngest poet who left indelible prints on the psyche of all culture loving people around the world.
Badal also released special postal cover designed by Harvinder Singh Khalsa Vice Chairman Punjab Arts Council, dedicated to the 75th Birthday of the poet.
Paying tributes to Shiv, Badal said that he would be remembered for his romantic poetry, marked by its heightened passion, pathos, separation and lover's agony.
Congratulating the Public Relations Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan for this initiative he said that it was a befitting tribute to a poet as he became the youngest recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1967, given by Sahitya Akademi (India's National Academy of Letters), for his epic verse play based on the ancient legend of Puran Bhagat, Loona (1965), now considered a masterpiece in modern Punjabi literature.
Badal said that it was the deemed duty of a nation to remember those poets, who have created cultural history so that future generation could learn from it.
Speaking about the development initiatives of the Punjab Government, Badal said that focus of present SAD-BJP Government was on power generation, infrastrstrucutre sector, aviation sector, besides administrative reforms to make the life of ordinary citizens easy. He said that Punjab government would soon announce Rs 2500 crore Urban Renewal Package to improve the civic amenities in urban areas. He congratulated the people of Batala and said that new Rs 15 crore ROB being inaugurated today would full fill the promise of SAD- BJP Government to the people of Batala. He said that present government has created a world record by completing 14 ROBs worth Rs 282 crore in last two years and was set to complete 13 more in next 18 months. Later, Badal formally dedicated Rs 15 crore ROB to the people of Majha region.
Speaking on the occasion, Sewa Singh Sekhwan Public Relations Minister said that he was thankful to Deputy Chief Minister for giving support to organize first ever function like this in the memory of Shiv Kumar Batalvi. He said that Shiv’s poetry stands on equal footing, amongst that by stalwarts of modern Punjabi poetry, like Mohan Singh and Amrita Pritam , all of whom are popular on both sides of India-Pakistan border .
Prominent among those who paid tributes to Shiv Kumar Batalvi included Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langah, Capt. Balbir Singh Bath, Jagdish Raj Sahni, Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal and. Gurbachan Singh Babehali ( all MLAs) and Jaspal Singh Vice Chancellor Punjabi University.
On this occasion Meharban Batalvi also thanked the Punjab Government for perpetuating the memory of Shiv Kumar Batalvi.
No comments:
Post a Comment