17th Mir Punjabi Mela celebrates Punjabi language & culture in Lahore

LAHORE: A two-day 17th Mir Punjabi Mela was organized at the Punjab Institute of Language Art and Culture in memory of the great Punjabi-language poet and intellectual Professor Ali Arshad Mir.

Writers, artists, poets, and intellectuals associated with Punjabi language and literature, along with members of the public, participated in the festival to express their love for their mother tongue. Various sessions held during the mela featured in-depth discussions on themes related to the mother language and the poetry of Professor Ali Arshad Mir.

On the first day, sessions included a notable talk by Ilyas Ghuman on contemporary politics in Punjab. In later sessions, Amir Riaz Toto and Dr. Taimur Rahman highlighted issues such as the government’s attitude toward the future of Punjab’s rivers, the growing trend of extremism in Punjab, and the problems posed by existing dams on Punjab’s rivers. They critically examined the politics surrounding dams across Pakistan’s river systems and also proposed solutions.

In other sessions, scholars and writers openly discussed topics including the traditions of Punjabi folk tales, fundamentalist trends in Punjabi nationalism, the problems faced by farmers in Punjab, and Ali Arshad Mir and modern Punjabi poetry. Participating intellectuals included Professor Ghulam Hussain Sajid, Dr. Saeed Bhutta, Dr. Kalyan Singh, Farooq Nadeem, Raja Sadiq Ullah, and Irfan Comrade. Session coordinators were included Dr. Sarmad Farogh, Akhtar Khan, Saadia Comrade, and Farooq Nadeem.

The Kahani Darbar/ Fiction / Story reading session was organisted moderated by Ali Usman Bajwa & featured by Tahir Sindhu, Professor Zubair Ahmed, Karamat Mughal, Ijaz Ali, Saeed Anjum Khokhar, Sabir Ali Sabir, and Ihtisham Kazim. A painting and calligraphy competition was also held, with themes centered on Professor Ali Arshad Mir’s poetry and Punjabi culture.

On the first day of the mela, Hasnain Abbas Lonewala, Ahmed Lonewala, and Ali Imran Shaukat received great appreciation for their folk songs. Tabla player Waseem alvi showcased his musical talent, while Sufi dance was performed by Nadeem Abbas. At the end of the first day, Bilal Iqbal and Party presented qawwali, thoroughly entertaining the audience.