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SD Sharma
Chandigarh, February 17
Literary scholars, thinkers, social scientists and activists from the Punjabi community from India and abroad shared their similarities of concerns, perceptions and challenges to evolve suggestive measures to see Punjabi culture and Punjabiat always at its zenith in the contemporary milieu during the second edition of the three-day World Punjabi Conference.
The conference, organised by the Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha in collaboration with the Punjab Arts Council, Punjabi Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi, concluded at Punjab Kala Bhawan here today.
The highlight of the concluding session remained the participation of firebrand youth leader Kanhaiya Kumar who addressed the intrusive audience in the jam-packed auditorium. Endowed with a vision, dynamism and intuitive eloquence, Kanhaiya, with the comprehension of related issues, offered a convincing analysis of factors ailing the peace, progress and progress of our country.
The need of the hour is to provide alternate or changed political concept to commensurate with the economic and social conditions of India following the changed conditions due to globalisation, industrial revolution and hi-tech advancement. No doubt green revolutions generated enough food to solve scarcity, but at the cost of health hazards.
Attacks on intelligentsia, universities and diktats of saffronisation had put democracy in danger. Making direct attacks and oblique references, he condemned those at the helm of affairs who patronise the traitors and label real freedom fighters as terrorists. He claimed when resourceful capitalists’ business community failed to seek unethical favours from Manmohan Singh, they engineered planting of Narendra Modi. But the only solution is to strictly implement our Constitution in letter and in spirit, observed Kanhaiya.
Earlier, youth leader Saibala too expressed his concerted views on the contemporary burning issues. Senior advocate Anupam Gupta presided over the session. While Amarjit Grewal took up the issue of education, employment and wages, another scholar Gurnam Kanwer presented resolutions approved by all. These include to simplify visa rules of Punjabi community, developing software for ‘Shahmukhi’ and ‘Gurmukhi’, agitating teachers must be supported, more budget for education and health, teaching of Punjabi from Class I in UT among others. The conference ended on a meaningful note with an appeal to writers, poets and artists to contribute to aware all about the rich cultural heritage of Punjab.
Sabha president Dr Sarabjit Singh and secretary Sushil Dosanjh expressed gratitude to all for making the conference memorable.
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