Renowned Punjabi poet Dr Surjit Patar was on Friday, Sep 17 awarded the prestigious Saraswati Samman for the year 2009 for his Punjabi poetry-collection Lafzan Di Dargah. Union Minister for Human Resources Development Kapil Sibal presented Patar with the 19th edition of the award, instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation in recognition of literary eminence in any of the languages included in the schedule VIII of the Constitution of India.
The award money has been increased to R7.5 lakh this year from R5 lakh earlier. Sibal said that he believed that any civilization, which does not honour its poets and writers, can never be progressive. “In our everyday life, we ‘evade’ ourselves. We fear to express ourselves. Poetry is rare form of expression that is qualitatively different. But it is dying.”
“(So) it is important for us to recognise those who penetrate our souls,” Sibal said adding, “Patar’s poetry is immersed in reality of Punjab, yet it is universal in appeal.”
Full report here Hindustan Times
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