A grand farewell in print: Dr Surjit Patar’s final poetic gift unveiled at Punjab Agricultural University

Titled “Rabb Roti Bhasha Te Raag”, the book was unveiled at a function that transformed the occasion into a moving blend of remembrance and celebration.

Ludhiana

Born in Pattar Kalan in 1945, Dr Patar devoted over six decades to Punjabi poetry with a voice that was both introspective and socially aware (HT)

The literary and academic community of Punjab assembled at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, to pay tribute to one of its most luminous voices with the posthumous release of the latest poetry collection of Dr Surjit Patar.

Titled “Rabb Roti Bhasha Te Raag”, the book was unveiled at a function held in the vice-chancellor’s committee room, transforming the occasion into a moving blend of remembrance and celebration.

For PAU, the event carried a deeper resonance. Dr Patar had served the university for decades as professor of Punjabi before retiring in 2004, shaping generations of students not only through literature but also through his quiet humanism. The gathering felt less like a book launch and more like the poet’s symbolic homecoming to an institution that had been central to his intellectual life.

Noted economist and former Chancellor of the Central University of Punjab, Dr Sardara Singh Johl, recalled how Dr Patar fused academic discipline with an intimate understanding of Punjab’s social fabric. He said the poet chronicled rural change, moral conflicts and collective memory with rare restraint, turning everyday realities into enduring verse.

PAU vice-chancellor Dr Satbir Singh Gosal highlighted the poet’s lasting bond with the university, observing that his presence enriched an institution otherwise known for agricultural sciences. He noted that Dr Patar strengthened the place of humanities on campus and proved that scientific inquiry and cultural consciousness must grow side by side.

Adding a personal dimension, Dr Patar’s wife Bhupinder Kaur spoke of the emotional process behind bringing the manuscript to publication and recited a few lines from the collection, drawing a hushed response from the audience. Their son, Manraj Patar, said the book captures the distilled essence of his father’s thought, weaving together three pillars of existence — faith (rabb), survival (roti) and artistic expression (raag).

The programme was organised under the guidance of Dr Nirmal Jaura, Director Students’ Welfare, who recalled Dr Patar’s lifelong engagement with young writers and students. He said the poet believed literature must invite dialogue rather than dictate meaning, and described the release of the book before the academic community as a continuation of that philosophy.

Speakers noted that the collection stands as both literature and legacy. Its poems explore moral dilemmas, cultural transitions and the unease of a changing Punjab through simple yet evocative imagery, reaffirming Dr Patar’s ability to express complex truths in an unadorned voice.

Eminent Punjabi litterateurs Prof Gurbhajan Singh Gill, Amarjeet S Grewal and Swaranjit Savi reflected on the relevance of Dr Patar’s work in contemporary times, while Dr Vishal Bector, associate director (Institution Relations), conducted the proceedings.

Born in Pattar Kalan in 1945, Dr Patar devoted over six decades to Punjabi poetry with a voice that was both introspective and socially aware. He passed away at the age of 79 at his Ludhiana residence following a suspected cardiac arrest, leaving behind a body of work that continues to shape modern Punjabi literary consciousness.