The 17th Mir Punjabi Mela was organized at the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (PILAC) to honor the memory of the renowned Punjabi poet and intellectual Professor Ali Arshad Mir. The two-day event celebrated Punjabi language, literature, and culture.
Writers, poets, artists, scholars, and people from across Punjab participated to show their love for their mother tongue. The sessions focused on Punjabi language, literature, and the poetry and ideas of Ali Arshad Mir.
On the first day, Ilyas Ghuman spoke about contemporary Punjabi politics. Other sessions discussed important issues such as the future of Punjab’s rivers, government policies, rising extremism, and the politics of dams. Speakers also talked about Punjabi folk traditions, farmers’ issues, linguistic challenges, and modern Punjabi poetry influenced by Ali Arshad Mir.
Prominent speakers included Professor Ghulam Hussain Sajid, Dr. Saeed Bhutta, Dr. Kalyan Singh, Farooq Nadeem, Raja Sadiq Ullah, and Irfan Comrade. The sessions were coordinated by Dr. Sarmad Farogh, Akhtar Khan, Saadia Comrade, and Farooq Nadeem.
The Kahani Darbar featured readings and discussions by Tahir Sindhu, Professor Zubair Ahmed, Karamat Mughal, Ijaz Ali, Saeed Anjum Khokhar, Sabir Ali Sabir, Usman Bajwa, and Ehtesham Kazim. Painting and calligraphy competitions were also held based on Ali Arshad Mir’s poetry and Punjabi culture.
On the second day, discussions focused on Punjabi politics and organizations, challenges in Punjabi research, problems faced by young writers, government neglect of the Punjabi language, and Punjabi theatre.
The mela also included music, Sufi dance, and folk performances by Dr. Taimur Rahman (Laal Band), Shujaat Ali Khan, Shiraz Ali Khan, Hasnain Abbas Lonewala, Ahmed Lonewala, and others.
The Mir Punjabi Mela served as a meaningful tribute to Ali Arshad Mir and highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting Punjabi language and culture.
