Punjab : Placing culture at the heart of Punjab’s identity, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to preserving the state’s rich civilisational heritage for future generations while addressing the Mahinder Singh Randhawa Literature and Arts Festival in Chandigarh.
Paying tribute to Dr Mahinder Singh Randhawa for his pivotal role in shaping modern Punjab after Partition and leading the Green Revolution that safeguarded India from famine, the Chief Minister emphasized that promoting Punjabi language, literature, and culture is a collective societal responsibility, not a political act.
CM ਭਗਵੰਤ ਮਾਨ ਨੇ ਅੱਜ ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ ਵਿਖੇ ਆਯੋਜਿਤ ਡਾ. ਮਹਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਰੰਧਾਵਾ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਤੇ ਕਲਾ ਮੇਲਾ-2026 ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਿਰਕਤ ਕੀਤੀ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਕਲਾ ਅਤੇ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਦੇ ਮੱਹਤਵ ਬਾਰੇ ਵਿਸਥਾਰ ‘ਚ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਨਵੀਂ ਪੀੜ੍ਹੀ ਨੂੰ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਅਮੀਰ ਵਿਰਾਸਤ, ਲੋਕ ਕਲਾਵਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਨਾਲ਼ ਜੁੜੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਦਾ ਸੱਦਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ। pic.twitter.com/43qeeS7wL4
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“Punjab has always been a cradle of civilization,” CM Bhagwant Mann said. “It is a matter of immense pride that we have inherited a rich cultural legacy along with an unparalleled spirit of resilience and hard work. Preserving and celebrating this heritage is essential to ensure future generations remain rooted in their cultural ethos.”
CM Bhagwant Mann Appreciates Punjab Arts Council for Promoting Cultural Heritage
The Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressed gratitude to the Punjab Arts Council for organising the festival, noting that such platforms play a crucial role in keeping younger generations connected to Punjab’s literary, artistic, and cultural traditions.
Recalling Dr Randhawa’s life and legacy, CM Mann described him as a visionary who sowed seeds of hope in the fields of Punjab. “Remembering Dr Mahinder Singh Randhawa, I consider him the architect of modern Punjab’s destiny after the 1947 Partition,” he said. Hailing from a village in Hoshiarpur district, Dr Randhawa combined administrative acumen with philosophical insight.
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Highlighting Dr Randhawa’s vision, the Chief Minister said, “He possessed rare qualities of both head and heart. He believed that if a nation’s stomach is empty, it cannot fight; if its soul is empty, it cannot live.” Guided by this philosophy, Dr Randhawa established the Punjab Agricultural University and, simultaneously, cultural institutions such as the Chandigarh Art Gallery to nurture Punjab’s artistic and cultural landscape.
CM Bhagwant Mann also praised Dr Randhawa’s role as a pioneer of the Green Revolution in Punjab, stating that his foresight ensured the state became a lifeline of food security for India. “Thanks to him, the focus of the Green Revolution remained on both the ‘farmer’ and the ‘grain,’” he added.
Stressing that the festival was a celebration of language and culture rather than politics, the Chief Minister called on everyone to actively promote the Punjabi mother tongue through all possible avenues. He also reflected on the influence of literature, poetry, and art in shaping his personal journey and paid homage to eminent literary and cultural figures such as Sant Ram Udasin, Devinder Satyarthi, Rasool Hamzatoz, Narinder Kapoor, Keats, and Shiv Batalvi for their lasting contributions to society.