The Tribune:  Aug 22, 2017

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Navjot Sidhu hands over the appointment letter to Surjit Patar at the latter'' residence in Ludhiana. Tribune photo: Himanshu Mahajan
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 22

Celebrated Punjabi poet Surjit Patar was on Tuesday appointed as Chairman of Punjab Arts Council in place of television anchor Satinder Satti.

Tourism and Culture Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu presented the nomination letter from Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh at Patar’s residence here.

Speaking on the occasion, Sidhu said it is a matter of pride for this government that Patar had agreed to this role. “There cannot be a more able man to head this chair. He is not only an icon but a genius,” he said.

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Patar is the lighthouse and role model to give direction to the youth and the government is going to facilitate him into this role, he added.

“We are going to inculcate a sense of pride in our culture. We have to go and fight this war in the minds of the people and it cannot be fought by just making a policy. And to fight this war, there is no bigger warrior than Surjit Patar,” he said.

“We are going to create a movement and would involve everyone associated with and passionate for Punjabi culture,” he said.

He said Satinder Satti had worked a lot and she would also be involved. At least 50,000 people would be involved in this movement, he added.

Patar, meanwhile, said he was humbled with this “love and honour”. “I have a firm belief that we would be able to take art, music and culture through the Arts council to village level. Punjab is not just a mere geographical entity, but it is a song, love, feeling and a philosophy,” he added.

“We plan to create a cultural centre comprising a library, a place for staging plays at village level. We would collaborate with the education department so that cultural icons can interact with children at school level,” he added.