Shimla, June 1:
The Himachal Pradesh unit of the Progressive Writers’ Association on Saturday organized the launch of ghazal poet Sumit Raj’s latest collection, “Ghar Banaun Ki Phir Kitaab Likhoon”, at the Gaiety Conference Hall in Shimla. The event also featured a Mushaira and a poetry symposium, drawing writers, poets and literary enthusiasts from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
The programme was chaired by noted litterateur Suresh Seth, while Himachal Pradesh Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar attended as the chief guest. Among those present were Prof Sukhdev Singh Sirsa, General Secretary of the All India Progressive Writers’ Association, Punjab Progressive Writers’ Association president Surjit Singh Jaj, poet-critic Atma Ranjan, literary critic K R Bharti, writer Manmohan Singh, poet Roshan Jaswal, Dr Narendra Sharma, and renowned poet Kuldeep Sharma.
The gathering also witnessed the presence of acclaimed Urdu poet Dr Jatinder Parwaz, Secretary of the Urdu Department at the Haryana Sahitya and Sanskriti Academy, Vidya Nidhi Chhabra and former Himachal Pradesh Language Academy secretary Dr Karam Singh.
The guests were felicitated with traditional shawls and mementoes before the formal release of the book. During a discussion on the collection, several speakers, including S N Joshi, Atma Ranjan, Jatinder Parwaz, Manmohan Singh, K R Bharti, Surjit Singh Sirsa and Suresh Seth, shared their views on Sumit Raj’s work and praised the literary merit of his ghazals.
Addressing the audience, Sumit Raj spoke about his creative journey, the process behind the collection and his commitment to contemporary ghazal writing.
The session was moderated by writer and poet Romita Sharma.
The post-lunch session featured poetry and ghazal recitations by a number of poets. Ajay Vichalit conducted the poetry session, while K R Bharti delivered the concluding remarks. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks.
