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Surjit Patar
Surjit Patar
	Patar in 2010
Born	Surjit Hundal; 14 January 1945; Pattar Kalan, Punjab Province, British India
Died	11 May 2024 (aged 79); Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Occupation	Writer; poet; teacher;
Language	Punjabi
Education	Guru Nanak Dev University (PhD)

Surjit Patar (born Surjit Hundal; 14 January 1945 – 11 May 2024). He was an Indian Punjabi language writer and poet from Punjab.^[2] His poems enjoy immense popularity with the general public and have won high acclaim from critics.^[3]

Biography

Patar hailed from the village of Pattar (Punjabi: ਪੱਤੜ) Kalan in Jalandhar district from which he got his surname.^[4] 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.^[5]

Patar 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.^[4] He started writing poetry in the mid-1960s.^[6] Among his works of poetry are "Hawa Vich 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).^[4]

Patar 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.^[6] He also adapted plays from Jean Giraudoux, Euripides and Racine.^[8]^[9] He wrote television scripts on Punjabi poets from Sheikh Farid to Shiv Kumar Batalvi.^[1]

Patar was president of the Punjab Arts Council, Chandigarh.^[10] Earlier, he had held the office of the President, Punjabi Sahit Akademi, Ludhiana. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2012.^[6]

Death

Patar died of cardiac arrest at his residence on Barewal Road in Ludhiana, on 11 May 2024, at the age of 79.^[11]^[12] According to his family members, he did not wake up that morning and was declared dead after arriving in the hospital.^[13]^[14]

Works

Among Patar's works are "Candles",^[15] "Hanere Vich Sulagdi Varanmala",^[16] "Aiya Nand Kishore",^[3] "Hanera Jarega Kiven", "Fasla", and "Koi Daalia Cho Langeya Hawa Bann Ke".^[17]

Filmography

Surjit Patar wrote dialogues for the Punjabi films Shaheed Uddham Singh and Videsh, the Punjabi version of Deepa Mehta's film Heaven on Earth.^[18]

Awards

1979: Punjab Sahitya Akademi Award^[19]
1993: Sahitya Akademi Award for Hanere Vich Sulghdi Varnmala^[10]
1999: Panchnad Puruskar by Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad, Kolkata^[20]
2007–2008: Anad Kav Sanman^[21]
2009: Saraswati Samman by K.K.Birla foundation.^[22]
2009: Gangadhar National Award for Poetry, Sambalpur University, Orissa^[23]
2012: Padma Shri Award in the field of Literature and Education (fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India)^[24]
2014: Kusumagraj Literary Award^[25]

References

^ ^a ^b "Padma awardee Punjabi poet Patar passes away in Ludhiana at 79". The Times of India. 12 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^ "Ramgarhia kom News, January-2020". Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
^ ^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.
^ ^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. Archived from the original on 12 May 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
^ "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 Archived 12 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b ^c "Punjabi poet Surjit Patar gets Padma Shri". The Indian Express. 26 January 2012. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
^ Vatsyayan, Anupam (14 December 2016). Re-visiting and Re-staging. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4438-5731-4. Archived from the original on 12 May 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
^ "Issue 17: March 1998" (PDF). Seagull Theatre Quarterly. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^ "Surjit Patar". Modern Poetry in Translation. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Eminent poet Surjit Patar is new Punjab Arts Council chief". The Indian Express. 23 August 2017. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
^ Majeed, Shariq (11 May 2024). "Dr Surjit Patar to be cremated with full state honours on May 13". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
^ PTI (11 May 2024). "Punjabi poet, writer Surjit Patar passes away at 79". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
^ "Eminent Punjabi poet Surjit Patar is no more" – The Indian Express, Written by Raakhi Jagga, Ludhiana, Updated: 11 May 2024, https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/eminent-punjabi-poet-surjit-patar-is-no-more-9321524/ Archived 11 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Renowned Punjabi poet Padma Shri Dr Surjit Patar passes away at 79" – Hindustan Times, by Tarsem Singh Deogan, 11 May 2024, Ludhiana, https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/renowned-punjabi-poet-padma-shri-dr-surjit-patar-passes-away-at-79-101715401825132.html Archived 11 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine
^ Patar, Surjit (Spring–Fall 2006). "Punjabi Poetry – with translations by Randi L. Clary, Gibb Schreffler, and Ami P. Shah". Journal of Punjab Studies. 13 (1). Translated by Ami P. Shah.
^ Patar, Surjit (Spring–Fall 2006). "Punjabi Poetry – with translations by Randi L. Clary, Gibb Schreffler, and Ami P. Shah". Journal of Punjab Studies. 13 (1). Translated by Gibb Schreffler.
^ "Surjit Patar". kavishala.com. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^ "Eminent Punjabi poet Surjit Patar dies at 79". The Tribune (India). Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^ "Eminent Punjabi poet Surjit Patar is no more". The Indian Express. 11 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^ "पद्मश्री से सम्मानित साहित्यकार और पंजाबी कवि सुरजीत पातर का निधन, 79 साल की उम्र में दुनिया को कहा अलविदा". आज तक (in Hindi). 11 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^ "2008". The Anād Foundation. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^ Jatinder Preet (30 April 2010). "Saraswati Samman for Patar". Punjab Panorama. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
^ "SELF STUDY REPORT FOR REACCREDITATION (Volume –I)" (PDF). 23 December 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^ "Padma Awards". pib. 27 January 2013. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
^ "Punjabi litterateur Surjit Patar conferred Kusumagraj Award". Business Standard India. Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 7 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.