Punjab’s geographical position and historical trajectory have long secured its strategic relevance, a status that endures today, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) Vice-Chancellor Prof (Dr) Karamjit Singh said on Friday.Addressing a national seminar on “Punjabi Language and Literature: Contemporary Landscape and Perspective”, organised by the university’s School of Punjabi Studies, Prof Singh said such gatherings were vital to underscore the region’s continuing importance. He announced that GNDU would host an international conclave to promote Punjabi language, literature and culture at the global level.Prof Manjinder Singh, head of the School of Punjabi Studies at GNDU, said that alongside historical study, it was equally important to grasp the vibrant trends shaping contemporary Punjabi literature.Prof of Eminence Dr Manmohan Singh said Punjabi possessed not only rich historical treasures but also the potential to become a language of the future.Former Pro–Vice-Chancellor Prof Satinder Singh described the contemporary landscape and outlook of Punjabi as a vast and complex field of study, and drew distinctions between a competent language, a strong language and a global language.Chief guest and noted Punjabi thinker Amarjit Singh Grewal said the present scenario of Punjabi literature rested on the framework of its past, and called for analysis through the new insights of the modern age.“Punjabi has been playing an anti-colonial and anti-bureaucratic role since the beginning. Therefore, it has always been a pro-people language,” Grewal said. He added that for Punjabi literature to reach its peak, it would need to interact with more disciplines, noting that poetry was currently the most capable medium in this context.Scholar Dr Gurpal Sandhu said the contemporary status of Punjabi language and literature was deeply connected to its educational structure. “Punjabi writers of the younger generation are experimenting with new things and are going beyond the traditional boundaries and presenting the complexities of contemporary human life,” he said.