Bhagwant Mann shoulders the bier of revered Punjabi poet Dr Surjit Patar

Chandigarh/Ludhiana: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, on Monday, attended the funeral of revered poet Surjit Patar at Model Town Extension crematorium. Poet Dr. Surjit Singh Patar was cremated with full state honours in Ludhiana.

The last journey of Dr Surjit Patar was taken out from his house to the cremation ground in Model Town. CM Bhagwant Mann also reached there and shouldered the bier. CM Mann also met the family of Dr Patar and shared his condolences. He got very emotional while shouldering the bier of Dr Patar and bid him a tearful final farewell. People raised slogans, ‘long live Patar Sahib’ and ‘long live the protector of Punjabi Maa Boli’. On this occasion AAP MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal was also present.

Punjab government will start the ‘Patar Award’ in the honour of revered poet Dr Surjit Patar, announced CM Bhagwant Mann. Addressing the media CM Mann announced that the Punjab government will start the ‘Patar Award’ in the state. The award will have prize money of Rs. One lakh and will be given every year by the Punjab Government in the memory of renowned Punjabi poet and litterateur Surjit Patar. This award will be given to emerging poets. The award will be for the students from 8th grade to graduation level.

A panel will be formed for the ‘Patar Award’. Litterateurs will be included in this and emerging poets will take part in the competition to win the award. Apart from this, a competition will also be organized for graduation level students. CM Mann said that the aim of this award will be to inspire the youth to read Dr Surjit Patar, to take interest in the literature, and they will become writers and poets like him too.

He said that Dr Patar used to say that the Punjabi language is not part of Artificial Intelligence, we will do our best to take our mother language forward in every field. He said that whatever will be done to honour this ‘proud son of Punjabi maa boli’, will be the service of the Punjabi language itself.