Nanak Singh Centre opened at GNDU; celebrates novelist’s legacy

Tribune News Service

Neha Saini

Amritsar, October 6

Nanak Singh is a Punjabi by birth, he is an Indian by his deeds and is humanist by creed — the quote written by celebrated novelist Nanak Singh in his book Janam, Karam and Dharam, greets you as you enter the newly inaugurated Nanak Singh Centre at the third floor of Bhai Gurdas Library at GNDU. They also sum up the philosophy of the eminent Punjabi novelist, who is considered among the most influential writers of Punjabi of not just his generation but all.

To introduce, preserve, promote his literary legacy and provide an opportunity to know the man beyond his verse, Nanak Singh’s family through the Nanak Singh Literary Foundation has set up the Nanak Singh Centre that was inaugurated today in the presence of family members, including his sons Kulbir Singh Suri and Kanwaljit Singh Suri and his grandson and former diplomat Navdeep Singh Suri and his wife Mani Suri.

The centre is a dedicated museum space displaying first editions of Nanak Singh’s rare books, manuscripts, complete literature, various honours received by him, his personal belongings like pen, reading glasses, clothes, hand-written letters, personal journals and other things related to his life, original illustrations by painter Sobha Singh as book covers, his photographs with friends and extended family, documenting his journey from 1918 till 1967. The Sahitya Akademi award won by Nanak Singh and the official stamp released by the GoI in 1998 to mark his centenary have also been displayed. In a unique experience, a small corner resembling a back stage of an auditorium has been created to symbolise Nanak Singh’s love for plays.

Sharing the purpose behind establishing the centre, Navdeep Suri said, “We, as a family, felt that bauji’s (Nanak Singh) literature is not only our family’s heritage, but a combined legacy of the Punjabis throughout the world. Until a very long time, we were complacent and ignorant of our own family’s legacy. The realisation struck only when I was posted in Washington and the Indian community there was celebrating the centenary of Nanak Singh and they invited me, as his grandson, to speak on his most famous work Pavitra Paapi. We do not celebrate our writers as national treasures and I wanted to preserve bauji’s legacy by dedicating his work to public. That’s when the idea of setting up a space dedicated to him was born.”

Navdeep’s wife Mani Suri, who is an accomplished graphic designer, conceptualised and designed the Nanak Singh Centre. Kulbir Singh Suri and Kanwaljit Singh Suri also shared some personal incidents from their lives to highlight their father’s ideology, his philosophy and his conduct with his family and loved ones.

In his presidential remarks, Vice-Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu said Guru Nanak Dev University’s pride had increased with the establishment of Nanak Singh Centre. He said through this centre, the entire literary work of Nanak Singh and other things had been preserved and exhibited for researchers, students and others.

The Nanak Singh Literary Foundation will also offer scholarship to students of MA Punjabi to encourage research on the novelist’s literature and his life. The foundation will also develop a virtual centre by digitising the literature by Nanak Singh and any research done on him and his works. The work on this has already begun in collaboration with GNDU. The foundation will also raise a memorial in Nanak Singh Niwas Preet Nagar to create visitor experience.

The Nanak Singh Literary Foundation will also offer scholarship to students of MA Punjabi to encourage research on the novelist’s literature and his life. The foundation will also develop a virtual centre by digitising the literature by Nanak Singh and any research done on him and his works. The work on this has already begun in collaboration with GNDU. The foundation will also raise a memorial in Nanak Singh Niwas Preet Nagar to create visitor experience

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