Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 9: The Centenary celebrations of legendary Urdu Short Story writer Rajinder Singh Bedi began today with a formal inaugural function in the department of Urdu, Jammu University.
Prof RD Sharma, Vice Chancellor of JU was chief guest in the inaugural function, which was presided over by Prof Qudose Javed, former HoD Urdu in Kashmir University. Prof Ib-ne-Kanwal, HoD Urdu Delhi University presented a keynote address while former IGP Satinder Singh Bijral was the guest of honour on the occasion.
In his inaugural speech, Prof R D Sharma described R S Bedi a towering fiction writer of Urdu language who gave a new dimension to Urdu short story. He described Urdu as a sweet language which has connected all three regions of the State. Relating Urdu with a particular community is not justified as this Indian language has produced non-Muslim towering writer like Rajinder Singh Bedi, Krishan Chander, Pandit Rattan Nath Serhad, Pandit Daya Sankar Naseem and others,” he said.
In his keynote address, Prof Ib-ne-Kanwal, threw light on the life and contribution of great progressive writer Rajinder Singh Bedi. He made a critical survey of some of the short stories of Rajinder Singh Bedi and described him a writer par excellence who had projected the realities of life in his Short Stories particularly the life of downtrodden member of the society of Punjab. He also discussed his novel “Ek Chader Mali Se”.
In his presidential address, Prof Qudoose Javeed, said that Bedi was a progressive writer and promoted the theme of Progressive writers movements with the core of his heart. There is need to do more research on Bedi’s short stories, he stressed.
Prof Shohab Inayat Malik, HoD Urdu, informed that during the year long celebration, extension lectures, Mehfil-e-Afsana, seminars, symposiums, Urdu dramas would be organized in the memory of R S Bedi and Ismat Chugtai.
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