LAHORE: The three-day International Punjabi Conference being organised by Punjabi Parchar will start at the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (Pilac) on Wednesday (tomorrow).

The opening ceremony of the conference will be held at the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture at 11am and it will be followed by the keynote address by Mustansar Hussain Tarar, known for his Urdu novels and travel writings.

He has written two Punjabi novels and his recent, Mein Bhanna Dilli Dey Kingray, was shortlisted for Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature.

Speaking to Dawn about the objectives of the conference, Ahmad Raza Punjabi of the Punjabi Parchar says the conference is aimed at giving clarity about the status of Punjabi language in the world as well as highlighting the challenges the language is faced with in the Pakistani part of Punjab, called Lehnda Punjab. He says the other aims include how the language can be promoted and moved forward in the 21st century. Unlike the typical literary conferences, it has modern contemporary thoughts and festivity besides the pure literary angle, he says.

“It’s a blend of festival and intellectual pure literary conference,” declares Ahmad Raza who adds that the three-day event is an attempt to bring different segments of society of Punjab closer. He says the conference has a futuristic approach to see how Punjabi language can grow among the new generation of Punjabis and move forward in the digital world. However, he asserts that the language would not grow until it becomes a part and parcel of formal education.

Ahmad Raza Punjabi says that Punjabis from across the world, including India, the UK, Canada and the US are participating in the language. “Most of foreign delegates have arrived in Lahore while the rest would arrive today and tomorrow.”

He says that more than 20 foreign delegates would be a part of the three day conference that has also different contests and quizzes for the university students.

Ahmad Raza Punjabi says that the conference is being held in collaboration with the Pilac, however, the it’s solely funded by the Punjabi Parchar and its members.

On the opening day, discussions on conflicting narratives in Punjab, contemporary Punjabi literature, status of Punjabi language, Punjabi women’s defiance and resistance and classic Punjabi poets will be held. Various renowned writers and experts will take part in these discussions. Besides discussions, Punjabi folk singing and dance performances will also be a part of the conference. Sain Zahoor and Hina Nasrullah will be among the singers. Ajoka Theatre will perform its famous play, Bullah.

The scheduled discussions on the second day of the conference include the role of cinema in promoting Punjabi, national languages of Pakistan, nationalist movements in a multilingual nation state, future of Punjabi fiction and poetry, role of Punjabi youth in contemporary Punjabi movement and Punjabi as medium of instruction. Theatre and dance performance, songs and four book launches will also be held on the day.

The discussions on the third and last day of the conference will include role of Punjab and Punjabis in political movements 1901 to 2023, public and literary language, behaviour of bureaucracy towards Punjabi, major issues of Punjab and Punjabis, social media, difference between language and accent and Punjabi language and student politics. Laal Band and Ali Bakhsh will sing songs on the day.

Some prominent figures who would be a part of the conference include Mushtaq Soofi, Nain Sukh, Iqbal Qaiser, Jameel Paul, Sohail Ahmed Azizi, Afzal Saahir, Suhail Warraich, Saeed Bhutta, Neelam Ahmed Bashir, Raja Jahangir Anwar, Ghulam Hussain Sajid, Ali Akbar Natiq and Karamat Mughal.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2023