Surjit Singh Patar


Surjit Singh Patar, a prominent writer of Punjabi language and a very popular poet of the present
times, was born on 14th January 1945 at Pattar Kalan, Jalandhar, Punjab. Thus, his sir name is derived
from the name of his birthplace (village Pattar). He did his graduation from Randhir College, Kapurthala
and then went on to do Master’s degree from Punjabi University, Patiala and then a Ph.D. 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. He started writing poetry in mid-sixties. Among this 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).
Most of his poems deal with various phases of human life. We feel the pain and agony felt by any person
in hard situations of life. When state of Punjab was faced with terrorism and disturbed conditions following
the attack on Sri Harimandar Sahib, Amritsar, he gave vent to his feeling that some bad omen had sturck the
state and it should be saved from that. His touching words

ਕੁਛ ਕਿਹਾ ਤਾਂ ਹਨੇਰਾ ਜਰੇਗਾ
ਕਿਵੇਂ ਚੁਪ ਰਿਹਾ ਤਾਂ ਸ਼ਮਾਦਾਨ ਕੀ
ਕਹਿਣਗੇ ਗੀਤ ਦੀ ਮੌਤ ਇਸ ਰਾਤ
ਜੇ ਹੋ ਗਈ ਮੇਰਾ ਜੀਣਾ

describe the condition of that time. Even when he talks of his early life when the family had to pass
through difficult time, he give expressions to the stress and pain through which he had to pass. Then he says
“Dil hi Udas hai baki sab khair e”. He has also translated into Punjabi the three tragedies of Federico Garcia
Lorca, the play Nag Mandala of Girish Karnad, and poems of Bertolt Brecht and Pablo Neruda. He has also
adapted plays from Jean Giradoux, Euripides and Racine. He has written tele-scripts on Punjabi poets from
Sheikh Farid to Shiv Kumar Batalvi. He is the President of Punjab Sahit Academy, Chandigarh. In the past
he has held the office of the President, Punjabi Sahit Academy, Ludhiana. Being the greatest Punjabi poet of
the present times, he is definitely a role model in this genre of Punjabi literature.