Meanwhile, the year witnessed one of its greatest tragedy on July 29 when talented, suave and soft-spoken, winner of the reality show, Star Voice of India, Ishmeet Singh passed away in what now seems as a freak accident. Ishmeet died while swimming in a hotel pool in Maldives where the latter along with a troupe was supposed to perform on August 1. Along with Ishmeet, the city’s cultural scene also saw intellectuals like Prof SS Narula and Prof Mohinder Singh Cheema, poet Kulwant Jagraon, Dr Gurdev Singh Pandhohal, gazal writers Ulfat Bajwa, Chaman Lal Sukhi, gazal poet Prof Kuldip Aujla passing away.

The largest literary body, Punjabi Sahit Akademy meanwhile opened its account after a bitter election which took place in April. With heavy weight Dr Dalip Kaur Tiwana, one of the most celebrated female Punjabi novelist on one side and popular Gurbhajan Singh Gill, backed by people like Dr SS Johl and Dr SP Singh, both former VCs, these elections saw a lot of politics and strategies unfold. Yet in the the Akademy chose its first female president in Dr Tiwana. The academy then proceeded on its usual calendar of seminars and talks with the national symposium in poetry becoming the talk of the year. It was this symposium that saw poets like Leela Dhar Jagoori regaling the audience with some of his masterpieces.

Awards too rained this year. Apart from Dr Patar and Meet, poetess Sukhwinder Amrit received the Bhasha Vibhay’s best poetess award and Gurbhajan Gill bagged the Baba Bulleshah award. The city also saw well-known cinema critic and sufi exponent Dr Madan Gopal Singh being conferred the first-ever Prof Sant Singh Sekhon Sahitaarth Puraskaar.

Along with the Akademy, Punjab Agricultural University too pitched in with a trilingual poetic symposium and a long list of book releases, not to forget the play “Rishtey” staged by Canada-based Gurdeep Arts Academy, in collaboration with Punjabi Sabhiyachar Academy.

Private groups like the Adeeb International Sahir Cultural Academy held its annual mushaira in memory of Sahir that was held under the shadows of Mumbai terror attack with poets from Pakistan failing to make it to the mushaira. Ludhiana Sanskritik Samagam (LSS) meanwhile marked its tenth anniversary with the Ekjute Theatre Group led by Nadira Babbar performing a play on memoirs of M.F. Hussain — “Pencil sey brush tak” apart from holding its regular programmes. Media Artists Media Artists meanwhile held a concert for peace and understanding in November featuring Bhai Baldeep Singh, a multi-dimensional cultural explorer and a 13th generation Kirtan exponent, who is a vocalist, percussionist and string player, all rolled into one besides being an Instrument Maker, Lecturer, Archivist, and founder of ANAD Conservatory: An Institute of Sikh Aesthetics and Culture. The city saw “Fann’a: Ranjha revisited” a dance theatre conceptualized, choreographed and performed by well known Bhartanatyam exponent Navtej Singh Johar, brought to town again by the same organization that also had Dr Madan Gopal Singh cast a magical spell on select audience at a concert, Sufiana.