New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) Former Union minister Ashwani Kumar on Saturday described acclaimed Punjabi litterateur Surjit Patar as a "poet of the personal and the political" and said his passing has left a deep void in Punjabi literature.

Padma Shri recipient Patar passed away on Saturday at his residence near the Barewal Colony in Ludhiana. He was 79.

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Patar died in his sleep, his family members said.

Kumar said Patar -- a gentle and soft-spoken Punjabi litterateur -- honoured through several awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Saraswati Samman, touched innumerable hearts with his poignant verses.

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Patar mirrored in his writings the harsh realities of existence as well as the finer human emotions that give meaning to life, he said.

His poem "Hanera Jarega Kiven" and several other compositions attest to his intense personal and political sensitivities in pursuit of a life of high purpose, the former Union minister said.

"As a 'philosopher of the heart', Dr Pattar kept alive in his writings our deepest yearnings, ensuring that private and social realities were not kept outside the language of our heart. It can be said of him that the poet and his poetry were revealed in each other," Kumar said.

The former Union law and justice minister further said, "At a time when public and personal sensitivities have coarsened, the loss of a gentle voice as society's conscience keeper is irreparable. The eminent son of Punjab has enriched our cultural heritage and has done the nation proud."

"Your words and voice will remain a lasting testimony to a meaningful life spent in pursuit of goodness and nobility," he added.

Patar's poetic works include "Hawa Vich Likhe Harf", "Hanere Vich Sulagdi Varanmala", "Patjhar Di Pazeb", "Lafzaan Di Dargah" and "Surzameen".

He received the Padma Shri for literature and education in 2012. Patar was president of the Punjab Arts Council. He had also been president of the Punjabi Sahit Akademi.

The poet and writer has also been awarded with the Panchnad Puruskar and the Kusumagraj Literary Award.

From Patar village in Jalandhar district, he did his graduation from Randhir college in Kapurthala and PhD on "Transformation of Folklore in Guru Nanak Vani" from the Guru Nanak Dev University.

He retired as a professor of Punjabi from the Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)