Amrita Pritam Birth Anniversary: Punjabi poet Amrita Pritam is considered one of the region's leading female poets, having "dared to live the life she imagines."  

While Pritam is best known for her poem about India's partition in 1947, Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu (I Call on Varis Shah Today), the leading 20th-century Punjabi poet, wrote over 100 books of poetry, fiction, biographies, essays, a collection of Punjabi folk songs, and an autobiography that were translated into several Indian and foreign languages.

Amrita Pritam was born August 31, 1919, as Amrit Kaur in Gujranwala, Punjab (now Pakistan). Her father Kartar Singh Hitkar was a poet and a scholar. 

At the age of 16, she published her first book of poems and rose to become the twentieth century's finest Punjabi poet. Her autobiography Kala Gulab reveals much about her personal life, allowing many women to speak frankly about their love and marriage experiences.

Following the partition, Pritam lived in Pakistan and continued to write in Hindi and Urdu. She previously worked at All-India Radio and published the literary journal Nagmani. She was then nominated to the Rajya Sabha of the Indian parliament.

Pritam not only became the first woman to earn the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956, but she also received the Bharatiya Jnanpith literary award in 1981 and the Padma Vibushan, one of India's highest civilian awards, in 2005.

Pritam passed away in Delhi at the age of 86, but her literary works continue to be remembered as representative of cross-border atrocities against women.

Here are some of Amrita Pritam's most memorable books:

Pinjar

The Punjabi novel, written in 1950 tells the story of Puro, a Hindu girl who is abducted by a Muslim man named Rashid. When Puro escapes Rashid's home and returns to her parents, her parents refuse to take in the defiled daughter. Pinjar, regarded as one of the best works of literature written against the backdrop of India's partition, was made into a Hindi film in 2003. Khushwant Singh translated the book into English, while Denis Matringe adapted Pinjar into French.

Raseedi Ticket

In her acclaimed book Raseedi Ticket, Amrita Pritam discusses how she was upset by the power of hatred. The Punjabi novelist discusses how a writer shouldn't be afraid of criticism. It also discusses the period between her intimacy with Sahir Ludhianvi and her close friendship with Imroz.z

Fifty Fragments of Inner Self

The 2003 book includes memorable moments by writer, poet and novelist Amrita Pritam. It is a heartwarming book that chronicles 50 memoirs of remarkable people and extraordinary personalities.

Shadows of Words

Another autobiography after Raseedi Ticket, the book reflects her strong desire to provide readers with an in-depth look into her inner reality. The book not only depicts her life but also transports readers to a spiritual realm.

- PTC NEWS

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