Anthology of songs “Mere Panj Darya” written by Gurbhajan Gill published in Shahmukhi will strengthen the foundation of bonds of Indo-Pak relations says Dr. Johl
Ludhiana, February 25
Congratulating the Punjabi Lok Virasat Academy Ludhiana on publishing the entire collection of Gurbhajan Gill’s songs in Shahmukhi under the title “Mere Panj Darya”, former President of Punjabi Sahit Akademi Ludhiana, former Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University Patiala and PAU Ludhiana, Padma Bhushan Dr. S. S. Johl has said that the literature of the eastern Punjab should be published in Shahmukhi script for the readers of the western Punjab and the literature of the western Punjab should be published in Gurmukhi script here so that all Punjabis can be connected to the common literary heritage. He said that Gurbhajan’s song collection “Mere Panj Darya” will definitely strengthen the foundation of Indo-Pak relations. Such efforts need to be continuously increased.
Speaking on the occasion, Gurbhajan Gill said that he had realized in 2001 that due to the decrease in cooperation in the literature of the two countries, many misconceptions were being created. But now Punjabi writers have paid attention to this, due to which about 2500 books have been translated from Shahmukhi to Gurmukhi in this side of Punjab. There are hundreds of writers like Baba Najmi, Afzal Sahir, Sugra Sadaf, Bushra Naz, Tahira Sra, Afzal Tausif, Afzal Ahsan Randhawa, Salim Khan Gimmi, Mustanad Hussain Tarar, Irshad Sandhu, Saber Ali Saber, Sultan Kharvi, Tajammal Kaleem, Habib Jalib, Arshad Manzoor, Bushra Aijaz who are being read with interest in Indian Punjab. This year itself, there is an attempt to publish the selected poetry of Tanvir Bukhari and Zafar Iqbal Ji in Gurmukhi.