India Post News Service
PHAGWARA: Maintaining that a writer gives back to society what he gets from it, Prof Jaswant Singh Gandam, author of the book “Suttey Shehar Da Safar’ said writing is like gleaning and garnering the grain from chaff.
Answering various queries about his new book at a function ‘Pustak Charcha’ and an interface with the audience organised by Punjabi Virsa Trust, the author said, “a writer gathered his material from his surroundings but he filtered out the crude stuff.It is like sieving the flour,” he said to hammer home his point.
On his satirical writings Prof Gandam claimed his satire is soft and gentle.He said,”Mostly people have the tendency to laugh at others. Sometimes we should laugh at ourselves, too.But the best laughter is the collective laughter ie. when we all laugh together.”
Calling literature ‘Samaj Da Darpan'(mirror of society),he said it simultaneously mirrors society while it showed a mirror to it.
Eminent writer, critic and columnist Principal Gurmit Palahi, while speaking on the book, called it a multi-layered book.He said, “The book has total 144 pages and 28 essays including 11 reflective essays, 8 satirical ones, 4 translated stories of classic writers of the world, 4 write-ups on birds and one piece as a tribute to philanthropist, educationist and entrepreneur Kulwindwer Singh Bassi.”
He said that writer’s style and the choice of the words was unique and called the book a new milestone in the prose form. Writer Ravinder Chot described the book as a piece of poetry in prose.Advocate SL Virdi was all praise for translated stories.Punjabi writer TD Chawla called it a well-researched book.Social activist Ashwani Kohli called the book a collection of bold essays.Noted poet Baldev Raj Komal regaled the audience with his ghazal.Parwinderjit Singh conducted the stage.
A large number of writers and admirers of literature attended the function.
