EDUCATION

Inter-college contests
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 1 — The population education committee of Ludhiana Citizens’ Health Council organised inter-college skit and spot poster making contests at the Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujarkhan Campus, on the occasion of World Poverty Day here today.

Students from four colleges participated in the skit contest on the topic ‘Small family : A happy family’. The students highlighted the problems faced by large-sized families. Girls of Ramgarhia Girls’ College stood first. The second prize was bagged by students of Guru Nanak Institute Management and Technology, Gujarkhan Campus, while the third prize went to students of Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujarkhan Campus.

The best acting awards were bagged by Poonam of Ramgarhia Girls’ College and Deepti Aggarwal of Guru Nanak Institute Management and Technology, Gujarkhan Campus.

In the poster-making competition, contestants made posters on ‘Increasing population : Root cause of poverty’. In the postgraduates’ group, Deepti of Government College for Women was declared first, followed by Gurmeet of Khalsa College for Women, Sidhwan. In the undergraduates’ group over 30 students took part. Gurmeet of Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujarkhan Campus, was declared first. Second prize went to Sukhpreet of Government College for Women. Gursharan of Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women got the third prize.

CULTURE

The golden poet of Punjab
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 1 — Dr Ajit Singh Sikka has achieved both name and fame in the world of literature. Winner of many national and international awards like Golden Poet from World of Poetry, California, Natraj Award and Jyotish Shiromani, Dr Sikka has written about 33 books in Punjabi, Hindi and English. He is considered to be one of the famous Punjabi poets, who has skillfully written more than 16 prose and poetry books in English.

Born at Lahindi, Pakistan, Dr Sikka was brought up in a simple Punjabi atmosphere. He was blessed with an innate interest for literature. Belonging to a business family, Dr Sikka shifted to India when he was 18. His never ending interest in Punjabi inclined him to earn his doctorate in the subject.He served as head of the Punjabi Department at Sikh National College, Banga, for almost 17 years. During this time, Dr Sikka wrote many books on the subject which turned out to be quite popular.

The most melodious of his collections of poems, Motian de thal, was written in 1955 in which various aspects of love and subtle passions are depicted in Punjabi folk songs. Other than this, he wrote Noor di dhara, Sat Sri Akal, Ludhiane da ghantaghar, Garibi hatao, Science te dharam (epic), Nazuk khiyalian, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Darshan, Baba Bhagat Singh Nanaksar and Vani Sheikh Farid — a commentary in the light of Koran Sharif. Dr Gurmohan Walia of the Punjabi Department of G.G.N. Khalsa College, while talking about his written biography on Baba Bhagat Singh Nanaksar, said: “His written biography is the sweet outcome of hard labour, gentleness of heart and deep historical and cultural sense and determination”.

It was during this time that he diverted to writing in English when he went to the U.S.A. for four years. Dr Sikka informed: “I had no mastery over the language (English). I used to visit various libraries in the USA and learnt the language and its writing style gradually”. Dr Sikka has written three books on Sikh religion and philosophy in English prose, which include Facets of Guru Nanak’s Thought, Beacons of light and philosophy of mind in the poetry of Guru Nanak — a comparative study with European Philosophy. Besides, he has written thirteen books of English poetry like Sing Songs unto Guru Nanak, Forty ballads about Guru Gobind Singh, Odes to great Sikhs, First Martyr of Sikh Faith, Ophelia of Denmark (epic), Loneliness of a Woman (sonnets) and A Light in Sound (collection of 50 poems). About his 40 ballads on Guru Gobind Singh, Elizabeth. H. House said: “Forty Ballads about Guru Gobind Singh is a unique collection of poetry relating to the inspiring life of Guru Gobind Singh, the last prophet of the Sikh faith”.