Munish Nagar: Punjab government appointed prominent Punjabi poet Surjit Patar as the chairman of Punjab Arts Council. The cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, Punjabi singer Pammi Bai and Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Bittu visited Patar’s home and gave him the appointment letter.

Interestingly, the cabinet minister Sidhu gave him the appointment letter to Patar in English. However, the move of Sidhu shows that how ignorant he was while giving the appointment letter to the famous Punjabi writer and poet Surjit Patar.

Patar’s contribution to the Punjabi literature is marvelous. He has also translated into Punjabi the three tragedies of Federico Garcia Lorca, the play Nag Mandala of Girish Karnad and the poems of Bertolt Brecht and Pablo Neruda.

It would have been great if Sidhu could have been given the appointment letter to Patar in Punjabi language. The government should be serious while promoting the Punjabi language. To promote the Punjabi language, the authorities should communicate especially the concerned department in Punjabi instead of English.

Punjabi language has been getting respect worldwide and even countries like Canada made the language as second language of the country. The official visiting cards in Canada prints the name and designation of the officer in Punjabi language too.