FAISALABAD: Punjabi folk songs, mystics’ poetry and photography exhibition on culture enthralled the audience on Monday, the first day of the first Lyallpur Punjabi Literary Festival being held at the arts council.

The two-day festival is also titled “Lyallpur Punjabi Sulaikh Mela”.

Novelist and poet Afzal Ahsan Randhawa inaugurated the photography exhibition.

Addressing the gathering, Randhawa said such events were required for promotion of Punjabi culture and language so that people could remain aware of their identity and culture.

Ali Nasir, a participant, said Punjabi works in Pakistan were decreasing by the day and the Punjabi speakers, particularly among the children, were being tagged as ‘idiots’ and they were being treated unfairly.

He suggested that the government must devise a strategy to organise the festivals of all major languages of the country every year that would help the people to share experiences with one other.

This way, he said, the trend of fundamentalism, racism and hate prevailing among different segments of society could also be curbed.

Kalsoom Hamid said the event had been an amazing opportunity for us to enjoy Punjabi cultural activities.

She said Punjabi was a mother language of millions of people in Punjab, however, it had not got even a single Punjabi medium school.

“We are proudly sending our children to English and Urdu medium schools. Why arrangements are not being made for the Punjabi schools?” she asked.

Documentary on Rai Ahmed Khan Kharal, the most famous Punjabi freedom fighter who led a rebellion against the British, was also screened.

The documentary was produced by Hammad Afzal, a director with Punjabi theatre group, Lok Rahs.

The resident director of the arts council said Punjabi language and literature had an importance in the world history and literary festival was a proof that people wanted to follow their culture.

Various sessions and talks will be held on the second and last day of the festival (today) including those on the role of women in Punjabi literature, challenges for Punjabi language and way forward, Punjabi story, Punjabi novel, Punjabi theatre and books on Punjab’s history. The day will end with a Mushaira.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2016