Surjit Patar

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Surjit Patar
Born(1945-01-14)14 January 1945
Pattar Kalan, Punjab Province, British India
Died11 May 2024(2024-05-11) (aged 79)
Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Occupation
  • Writer
  • poet
  • teacher
EducationPhd. in Literature, Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar)

Surjit Patar (born Surjit Hunjan; 14 January 1945 – 11 May 2024)[1][2] was a Punjabi language writer and poet of Punjab, India.[3] His poems enjoy immense popularity with the general public and have won high acclaim from critics.[4]

Biography[edit]

Surjit Patar with a fan

Patar hailed from the village of Pattar (Punjabi: ਪੱਤੜ) Kalan in Jalandhar district from which he got his surname.[5] His father's name was Harbhajan Singh and mother's Harbhajan Kaur. He had four older sisters. His father had migrated to Kenya for work and would only return home for short time after every five years. He matriculated from a nearby village school. After that admitted in as science student in a college in Kapurthala. But the next year, he took up Arts.[6]

He graduated from Randhir College, Kapurthala and then went on to get a Master's degree from Punjabi University, Patiala and then a PhD in Literature on "Transformation of Folklore in Guru Nanak Vani" from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. He then joined the academic profession and retired as Professor of Punjabi from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.[5] He started writing poetry in the mid-sixties[clarification needed]. Among his works of poetry are "Hawa ਵਿਚ Likhe Harf" (Words written in the Air), Birkh Arz Kare (Thus Spake the Tree), Hanere Vich Sulagdi Varnmala (Words Smouldering in the Dark), Lafzaan Di Dargah (Shrine of Words), Patjhar Di Pazeb (Anklet of Autumn) and Surzameen (Music Land).[5]

He translated into Punjabi the three tragedies of Federico García Lorca, the play Nagmandala of Girish Karnad,[7] and poems of Bertolt Brecht and Pablo Neruda. He also adapted plays from Jean Giraudoux, Euripides and Racine. He has written television scripts on Punjabi poets from Sheikh Farid to Shiv Kumar Batalvi.

He was president of the Punjab Arts Council, Chandigarh.[8] Earlier, he had held the office of the President, Punjabi Sahit Akademi, Ludhiana. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2012.[9]

Death[edit]

On 11 May 2024, Surjit Patar died of cardiac arrest at his residence on Barewal Road in Ludhiana at the age of 79. According to his family members, he did not wake up that morning and was declared dead after arriving in the hospital.[10][11]

Well known poems[edit]

Among Patar's works are "Candles",[12] "Hanere Vich Sulagdi Varanmala",[13] "Aiya Nand Kishore",[4] "Hanera Jarega Kiven", "Fasla", "Koi Daalia Cho Langeya Hawa Bann Ke" along with others.

Filmography[edit]

Surjit Patar wrote dialogues for the Punjabi films Shaheed Uddham Singh and Videsh, the Punjabi version of Deepa Mehta's film Heaven on Earth.

Awards[edit]

Sahitya Akademi Award - Surjit Patar
  • 1979: Punjab Sahitya Akademi Award
  • 1993: Sahitya Akademi Award for Hanere Vich Sulghdi Varnmala[8]
  • 1999: Panchnad Puruskar by Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad, Kolkata
  • 1999: Bhartiya Bhasha Prishad, Kolkata
  • 2007–2008: Anad Kav Sanman
  • 2009: Saraswati Samman by K.K.Birla foundation.[14]
  • 2009: Gangadhar National Award for Poetry, Sambalpur University, Orissa
  • 2012: Padma Shri Award in the field of Literature and Education (fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India)[15]
  • 2014: Kusumagraj Literary Award[16]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Majeed, Shariq (11 May 2024). "Dr Surjit Patar to be cremated with full state honours on May 13". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  2. ^ PTI (11 May 2024). "Punjabi poet, writer Surjit Patar passes away at 79". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Ramgarhia kom News, January-2020".
  4. ^ a b Singh, Surjit (Spring–Fall 2006). "Surjit Patar: Poet of the Personal and the Political". Journal of Punjab Studies. 13 (1): 265. His poems enjoy immense popularity with the general public and have won high acclaim from critics.
  5. ^ a b c Singh, Paramjeet (7 April 2018). Legacies of the Homeland: 100 Must Read Books by Punjabi Authors. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-64249-424-2.
  6. ^ "Surjit Patar: Poet of the Personal and the Political", by Surjit Singh, Punjabi University, Patiala, Page 265, Paragraph 3 and 4, https://punjab.global.ucsb.edu/sites/secure.lsit.ucsb.edu.gisp.d7_sp/files/sitefiles/journals/volume13/13.1.2_Singh.pdf
  7. ^ Vatsyayan, Anupam (14 December 2016). Re-visiting and Re-staging. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4438-5731-4.
  8. ^ a b "Eminent poet Surjit Patar is new Punjab Arts Council chief". The Indian Express. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Punjabi poet Surjit Patar gets Padma Shri". The Indian Express. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Eminent Punjabi poet Surjit Patar is no more" - The Indian Express, Written by Raakhi Jagga, Ludhiana, Updated: May 11, 2024, https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/eminent-punjabi-poet-surjit-patar-is-no-more-9321524/
  11. ^ "Renowned Punjabi poet Padma Shri Dr Surjit Patar passes away at 79" - Hindustan Times, by Tarsem Singh Deogan, May 11, 2024, Ludhiana, https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/renowned-punjabi-poet-padma-shri-dr-surjit-patar-passes-away-at-79-101715401825132.html
  12. ^ Patar, Surjit; Translated by Ami P. Shah (Spring–Fall 2006). "Punjabi Poetry – with translations by Randi L. Clary, Gibb Schreffler, and Ami P. Shah". Journal of Punjab Studies. 13 (1).
  13. ^ Patar, Surjit; Translated by Gibb Schreffler from Hanere vichch sulagdi Varanmala (1992) (Spring–Fall 2006). "Punjabi Poetry – with translations by Randi L. Clary, Gibb Schreffler, and Ami P. Shah". Journal of Punjab Studies. 13 (1).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Jatinder Preet (30 April 2010). "Saraswati Samman for Patar". Punjab Panorama. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  15. ^ "Padma Awards". pib. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  16. ^ "Punjabi litterateur Surjit Patar conferred Kusumagraj Award". Business Standard India. Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2015.

External links[edit]

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