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PUNJABI REVIEW Sajan Des Videsare
by
Tarlochan Singh Sajan Des Videsare, as the name itself suggests, is also
a venture within the realms of public relations. It is basically a loose
collection of newspaper articles and essays about political
personalities and events, and issues concerning the Sikh community, both
inside and outside Punjab. Although somewhat dated, these articles do
have the stamp of relevance and present a peep into the events of the
past. Since the book lacks a structured approach, the articles are not
in proper chronological order. Besides these offer only glimpses and not
insights. This is a big drawback. Newspaper writings invariably suffer
from space constraints, but the book form brooks no such hindrance. The
writer could — and should — have expanded some of the pieces, such
as Zira te Ferozepur, Vidia te Sikh - Ki Kita Jave into more
comprehensive ones. This would have made the collection much more
informative and insightful. In any case, the collection has a peculiar
historic and social value and makes for an interesting reading.
Translated by Surinder Bansal
Insight is in
abundance in this beautifully produced and illustrated volume. Anupam
Mishra’s Hindi original has had many takers, including President APJ
Abdul Kalam. Now, Surinder Bansal has made it much more meaningful by
rendering it into Punjabi. He has also put in additional labour by
making it more Punjab-centric by adding local inputs and the latest data
about the depleting water table and erosion of hereditary methods of
conserving water. Written in an exhortative style, this volume offers
glimpses from our history and heritage, and builds a strong case against
the modern deep-bore, submersible culture, so prevalent in our
countryside. However, it is a one-sided presentation. The arguments from
the other side are totally missing, making this venture somewhat
convoluted and propagandistic. Nevertheless, the book deserves a decent
attention, especially from those who are concerned about the constant
depletion and degradation of our natural resources and erosion of will
and wisdom to stem this rot.
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Tarlochan Singh is an eminent Sikh statesman. Apart from
being a former Chairman of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) and
presently a member of Rajya Sabha, he has had a long and fruitful stint
on various positions, both within and outside the government. Public
Relations has been his forte. This quality brought him many a laurel and
reward.
Ajj
Vi Kharre Hun Talab