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Punjab govt committed to preserving rich cultural heritage for future generations: Mann
Punjab govt committed to preserving rich cultural heritage for future generations: Mann
Chandigarh, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday reaffirmed his government's commitment to preserve the state's rich civilisational heritage for future generations, placing culture at the centre of the state's identity and continuity.
He was addressing the 'Mahinder Singh Randhawa Literature and Arts Festival' here.
Paying tribute to Dr Mahinder Singh Randhawa's role in shaping modern Punjab after partition and for being a key figure in leading the green revolution that saved India from famine by keeping the farmer and grain at the centre, the chief minister emphasised that promoting the Punjabi mother tongue, literature and culture is a shared societal duty and not a political act.
Addressing the festival, Mann stated, "Punjab, since its inception, has been a cradle of civilisation. It is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that we have inherited a glorious cultural heritage along with an unmatched spirit of hard work and resilience."
According to an official statement, Mann said that preserving and celebrating this legacy was essential to ensure that the coming generations remain rooted in their cultural ethos.
Expressing gratitude to the officials of the Punjab Arts Council for organising the festival, the chief minister said, "Such endeavours are the need of the hour to keep our younger generations aware of and connected with our rich culture."
He said that platforms like this festival play a crucial role in sustaining Punjab's literary, artistic and cultural traditions.
Recalling the life and legacy of Mahinder Singh Randhawa, Mann noted that the event had been organised to honour a personality who had sown seeds of hope in the fields of Punjab.
"Remembering Dr Mahinder Singh Randhawa from the depths of my heart, I consider him the architect of modern Punjab's destiny after the 1947 Partition," he said.
Mann noted that hailing from a village in Hoshiarpur district, Randhawa was not only a capable administrator but also a profound philosopher.
Highlighting Randhawa's vision, the chief minister said, "He was blessed with rare qualities of both head and heart. He believed that if a nation's stomach is empty, it cannot fight, but if its soul is empty, it cannot live."
Mann said that guided by this understanding, Dr Randhawa established the Punjab Agricultural University on one hand and the Chandigarh Art Gallery and cultural centres across Punjab on the other hand.
He said, "Whenever we recall the Punjab Agricultural University, our farmers, our litterateurs and the people displaced during the 1947 Partition, one name that comes to mind, holding their hands, is Dr Randhawa."
He described Randhawa as the pioneer of the green revolution in Punjab and said that due to his farsighted vision, Punjab saved India from famine during a critical period.
"Thanks to Dr Randhawa, the focal point of the Green Revolution was always 'grain' and 'farmer'," he added.
Recalling the influence of literature and culture on his life, Mann said that poetry, literature, art and culture had played a profound role in shaping his thinking and journey.
He also recalled eminent literary and cultural figures including Sant Ram Udasi, Devinder Satyarthi, Rasool Hamzatoz, Narinder Kapoor, Keats, Shiv Batalvi and others, acknowledging their immense contribution to the fields of literature, art and culture.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
