BARNALA: He is contemporary of noted revolutionary poets
Avtar Singh Sandhu more known as
Paash,
Sant Ram Udasi and Lal Singh Dil but
Minderpal Singh Bhattal always remained under wraps.
The poems penned by Minderpal in the 1970s were popular among the students of various colleges and universities in the
Malwa region of Punjab subscribing the left ideals but Minderpal remained away from limelight. His poems written in the aftermath of partition in 1947 and anti Sikh riots at Delhi in 1984 too were taken highly by students.
It is now after many decades into poetry and story writing that Minderpal is being honoured by a score of literary organisations and admirers on November 23 at Barnala. Punjab kala Parishad chairman Surjit Patar will honour Minderpal on behalf of literary figures to recognise the journey of over four decades. Minderpal(67)is working as Homeopathy practitioner at Dhanoula town near Barnala.
Poem Punjab Kaur, Panjo Rafujan about the gory tales of partition when nearly a million people were killed on both sides of Radcliff line, was regularly recited by students of universities in 1970s. These portrayed about the agonies of Punjab and those who had to take shelter after migration into other sides of Punjabs, says Jatinder Kuma of Barnala, who knows Minderpal for decades and is at the forefront of those who have decided to honour the unsung poet.
He wrote against inequality and the downtrodden people whose lives were tormented by various tragedies with the governments coming up with no balm to heal the deep wounds. A score of organisations have decided to honour the peoples’ poet more known as Lok Kavi in the Malwa region, said Minderpoal Bahattal sanman samagam committee convener Sohan Singh and co
convener Sukhdev Singh Pandhi.