Ludhiana, April 28, 2017: The maiden novel "Surajan De Haani" by Toronto-based Punjabi poet Ujagar Singh Kanwal was released by eminent Punjabi poet Dr Surjit Patar, former Vice- Chancellor Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr SP Singh, former President of Punjabi Sahit Akademi Prof Gurbhajan Gill and others at a function organised at GGN Khalsa College here on Friday.
This function was organised in association with Punjabi Lekhak Sabha Ludhiana.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Surjit Patar and Dr SP Singh both appreciated the efforts of poet Ujagar Singh Kanwal, an engineer by profession for penning his first novel "Surajan De Haani" in Punjabi language.
Prof Gurbhajan Gill said this was Ujagar Singh Kanwal's first novel after penning five books of Punjabi poetry. Dr Parminder Singh Bhogal, Director of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Study Centre in Arya College Ludhiana and Principal Amarjit Singh Parah Ahmedgarh also spoke on length about this novel.
Ujagar Singh Kanwal said that the idea of penning this novel came to his mind after his grandson, who studies in class seven, questioned him about something and this novel is about the answer to that question. He said that although the question cannot be answered completely in a pin point manner because it is the question of all of today's youth. And we would have to give that reply in collective manner.
Eminent Punjabi poet-painter Swaranjit Savi commented that the function of literature is only to raise questions and the answers itself becomes the extended question, not an answer. "Literature is after all not about stillness, but about eternal journey of questions born out of life's dynamics," said Savi.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Jaswant Zafar, Swaranjit Savi, Prof Ravinder Bhathal, Dr Guriqbal Singh and others.
Also present on the occasion included Punjabi Sahit Akademi patron's Jasjit Singh Natt California and Gurinderjit Singh Natt Texas, Kuljit Singh, Hardeep Singh, eminent poets Trailochan Lochi and Manjinder Dhanoa, Amandeep Singh Phallar, Santosh Kumar, Principal Manjit Singh Chhabra, Director, GGNIMT Ludhiana, besides several others.