Bhai Vir Singh.pdf - Vidhia.com

Father of Modem Punjabi Literature / 97
Equally unfair will it be to deify him. That will mean missing
themanandthetruequalityofhis aspirationandachievement.
Without idolizing, anyone can see the unquestionable
originality and excellence of his creative intuition and the
fervour and purtty of his vision. Perhaps, the best way to
understandBhaiVir Singh will be to see himas the main force
behind the cultural revival in the Punjab at the turn of the
century--as one through whom new enlightenment broke
forth upon Punjabi mind and literature and as one who
awakened and shaped the conscience of neo-Sikhism. Bhai
Vir Singh stands as a link between two eras, between two
traditions ofPunjabilearning, oldandnew. Withinthereligious
framework, he wrote withthevigour of a newawareness and
commitment. 'rhrough his works he moulded a whole
generation andled it into newmodes of thought and emotion
and into newfields of achievment. Punjabi literature's debtto
him is permanent. He imparted to it a fresh inspiration and
style and launched it on its modem course of development.
This role of Bhai Vir Singh will claim sharper attEmtion and
recognition as time passes.
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