Seminar on the Short Story Collection Burning Snow
Seminar on the Short Story Collection Burning Snow
Media PBN, Chandigarh-
A seminar on Nirmal Jaswal’s latest short story collection Burning Snow was organized under the theme “One Book: One Dialogue.” The event was jointly hosted by the Punjabi Sahit Sabha, School of Punjabi Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, in collaboration with the Punjabi Sahit Academy, Ludhiana.
The seminar commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Sarabjit Singh, President of the Punjabi Sahit Academy, Ludhiana, who greeted the scholars and speakers and highlighted the Academy’s ongoing literary initiatives. Dr. Paramjit Kaur Sidhu, who conducted the proceedings, introduced the audience to Jaswal’s narrative vision. She emphasized that Nirmal Jaswal is a distinguished and established voice in Punjabi literature, whose work transcends the confines of women’s identity and engages with broader social concerns. Her stories are deeply rooted in social realities and are marked by their fearless and candid expression.
Two research papers on Burning Snow were presented during the seminar. The first, by Dr. Jatinder Singh, examined the distinctiveness of contemporary Punjabi short fiction within the larger tradition, bringing into focus the social and historical dimensions of Jaswal’s storytelling. The second paper, presented by noted writer Jasvir Rana, offered a comprehensive analysis of the collection. He observed that the stories resonate strongly with contemporary human sensibilities and highlighted key aspects of Jaswal’s political awareness, particularly in narratives dealing with social and political themes.
Renowned writer Jatinder Hans initiated the discussion, drawing attention to the creative strengths of the stories. Dr. Baljit Kaur, Assistant Professor in the Department of French, presented a sociolinguistic analysis of Jaswal’s story Vampire. The seminar was presided over by Prof. Yograj, Head of the Punjabi Department, who, in his address, described Jaswal as a mature representative of the third generation of Punjabi short story writers, noting that her narratives are intricately shaped by personal life experiences.
The event was attended by faculty members including Prof. Akvinder Kaur Tanvi and Ravi Kumar, along with writers Paramjit Singh Maan, Pal Ajnavi, Avtar Singh Patang, Parminder Kaur, Ghazalgo Gul, and a large gathering of students and research scholars.
