Pash's birth anniversary to be marked at assassination site

For the first time, revolutionary Punjabi poet Avtar Singh Sandhu, popularly known as Pash, will have his birth anniversary commemorated at the site where he was assassinated on March 23, 1988, in his native Talwandi Salem village. The three-acre site near the tubewell and mango tree is being prepared for the September 9 programme, with tents already being erected. The tubewell held special significance for Pash, serving as a retreat where he bathed, wrote and spent hours discussing ideas with friends. A major highlight will be Asi Ladange Sathi, a poetic play written by former Punjabi Tribune editor and playwright Dr Swarajbir Singh and directed by theatre personality Kewal Dhaliwal. The play draws from Pash's diaries and letters and explores his ideas and struggles. Pash's iconic lines on the death of dreams will also feature in the production. Organisers said nearly 5,000 people are expected to attend, including writers, cultural groups and farmers' and workers' organisations. The programme will also highlight Pash's commitment to rationalist thought and his opposition to superstition. Rajinder Bhadaur of the Tarksheel Society Punjab will speak about his rationalist ideas. Organisers said the event seeks to remember Pash not merely as a poet, but as a thinker whose writings continue to inspire struggles for social justice, rationalism and freedom.