Punjabi Artist Wins Prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Ludhiana-based theatre veteran Nirmal Rishi has been honoured with the prestigious 2012 Sangeet Natak Akademi award for acting.
The award, presented to a total of 36 artists for the year in music, dance and theatre from all over the country, is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists.
An elated Rishi says she feels blessed as her efforts of spreading social messages through have been recognized.

The award, comprising a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a taam patra and a shawl, was presented by President Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhawan on May 28.
With a theatre career spanning almost half a century, 70-year-old Rishi has acted in around 50 plays.

Spotted by Punjab’s theatre veterans Harpal and Neena Tiwana and further groomed by greats such as Ebrahim Alkazi and Balwant Gargi, Rishi has dedicated her life to the art that she feels the society must embrace for its betterment.

“That was a golden time when Punjab had a flourishing theatre scene. We put up several amazing plays such as Kabuli Wala, Aate Ki Katori, Dug Dugi Payi Wajdi, Adhure Sapne and Chamkaur di Garri,” recalls the artist, who even appeared in a few films including Laung da Lashkara.
Born in Mansa, Rishi completed her higher education from Ganga Nagar, Rajasthan. It was in college that she began performing on stage.
She moved to Ludhiana for work and took up a job of a lecturer of Physical Education at Khalsa College for Women, Civil Lines. She retired after a service of 34 years.

While she always pursued theatre on the side, traveling frequently to other parts in Punjab and even abroad in Canada, US and the UK, it was after her retirement that Rishi formed a theatre group in 2003 named Alive Artists.

Rishi acts, writes scripts for the play and, lately, has even taken up the role of a director. “I have directed around five-six plays so far. Direction has caught my fancy and this is what I focus on now,” she says.

She, along with her 15-member team, performed at Rashtrapati Bhawan after the award ceremony.

Rishi has never married, and lives in Gurdev Nagar resident.

Amritsar's Gurdas Ram Jalebi Wale

When in Amritsar, do make a visit to Gurdas Ram Jalebi Wale, located at Ahluwali Katra which is quite close to the Golden Temple. 

It is a dessert binge that will make you crave for the taste again and again.

The shop was set up by a Himachali Gurdas Ram in 

1955. Not much has changed since, says Deenanath Sharma, the third generation owner of the business.

The specialty is the generous use of ‘desi ghee’. The sweet snack is priced at Rs 240 per kilo, but people usually buy it paying Rs 10 for a helping.

Chappar Mela in Punjab

 Originated as a small-time village affair in Chappar, Ludhiana, around 180 years ago to worship the snake embodiment of ‘Gugga’, Chappar fair has grown to become a mega affair. While the crowd has been growing by the year, so has the size of the shrine. Once a small ‘samadhi’ for the ‘Gugga Pir’, the shrine now spans 4-5 acres, villagers say. The seven-day collections by devotees now cross Rs 10 lakh, according to a member from the committee that manages the shrine.

On the opening day of the mela that is held around September, families can be seen thronging the shrine, some out of the customary practice and others out of firm faith. Villagers begin by scooping the earth seven times and forming a mound. They fill it with wheat and puffed rice. Interestingly, this offering of grains by villagers is sieved and taken by some who use it for cooking. Almost 60-70 kgs of grains is thus collected by the end of the day, informed a member.

Villagers feel that by praying to ‘Gugga’, they will be protected from snakebites. This belief has been passed onto generations through a legend that narrates the story of a boy and a snake born together in an agricultural family in the village. It is said that the snake and the child were so intimate that if one suffered, the other would feel the pain. One day the child was left on a cot by the mother who went to the fields. The snake, in an effort to protect the child from the heat, stretched its hood over him but was mistaken by the villagers as attempting to bite the kid. The villagers killed the snake, but the boy died immediately too. The family was advised by the villagers to perform religious ceremonies to worship Gugga that led to a revival of the kid.

Khajla

No visitor to the Chhapar Mela misses the ubiquitous stalls selling ‘khajla’, a delicacy from Uttar Pradesh. The most popular eatable and the best selling item at the fair, khajla alone draws in hundreds of patrons from nearby villages who come especially to savour this snack.

Over 150 stalls of this snack line up the two-three kilometer stretch that hosts the fair, leading to Gugga Marri shrine. According to a seller hailing from UP, over 1000 people skilled in khajla preparation come to the village every year for the fair and stay till the seven-day rural extravaganza is on. The majority of the skilled labour comes from Kanpur and Bulandsheher where this snack is extremely popular. Chhapar mela spells brisk business for them and, on an average, a stall sells anything between 150-200 pieces of the snack a day. 

Prepared with refined flour and oodles of butter, laced with various condiments and deep fried, the snack comes in four varieties – salty, sweet, made with milk, and using khoya – and is priced at Rs 50 to Rs 120 a piece.

“I have been coming for the fair for the last decade. The demand for the snack increases every year as the crowd itself swells up each time. The number of stalls put up have gone up over the years too,” says Pankaj Kumar from Kanpur. “Anybody who visits the fair carried a piece or two from the fair to home as the snack is available only during this fair at the village,” he further notes.

While khajla rules the roost when it comes to eatables available at the fair, other snacks popular are jalebi, petha and pakodas. 

From a Small Village, Gill Unites Punjabi Music Lovers Globally

From a small village in Barnala, Sukhpal Gill binds Punjabi music lovers from all around the globe. Gill runs an Internet radio station ‘Dhol Radio’ that plays popular and upcoming Punjabi singers for anyone with web access, and brings them on air for a live chat with the audience.

In just two years of its existence, almost all known Punjabi singers have reached out to their fans through the various programmes that air from the station live. “The roster includes well-known names like Sukhwinder Singh and Jazzy B. As far as I think, only Babbu Mann and Gurdas Maan are the only ones who evade the list,” he says.

Interestingly, the venture is not a commercial one for Gill, but is borne out of his desire to promote music from the state. “I do not allow any advertisement on my website. This, along with no political or religious agenda, is the only rule. I have a team of 20-25 radio jockeys stationed across the world but they work for free, purely out of interest,” says the 30-year-old. Florentina, a Romanian who was introduced to Punjabi language only a year ago, is part of the otherwise all Punjabi RJ team. “She loves Punjabis and the language. She presents programmes in English but has begun to take song requests in Punjabi from people,” says Gill. “My venture sustains on donations from the users. It’s a no-profit no-loss venture,” he says, adding that the recent finale of World Cup Kabaddi too went live for his global audience on the station.

A trained engineer from Ludhiana’s Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Gill prefers the peaceful life of a farmer in his village Kalal Majra. This venture, however, satisfies his urge to reach out to people. “Internet is a great leveler. I feel a sense of achievement when I sway people’s moods, makes them happy and promote new talent, all from this obscure village,” says he. Gill launched a social networking site soon after his degree that made ‘connecting with people” his passion. The real motivation for the venture however came about during his two-year stay in Australia when he studied Horticulture in the country. “I sensed a hunger for Punjabi music among Indians and realized there was a lack of an easy platform for them. Hence this venture,” he explains.

Teacher Makes Learning Punjabi a Fun Ride

That the kids today pay more attention to music than the written word is a grudge shared by teachers and parents alike. A local teacher, however, has exploited this very trait to teach the younger generation a language that is fast losing popularity with them – Punjabi. Karamjit Singh Grewal, also a recorded singer and award-winning author, has created a song ‘Aao Punjabi Sikhiyen’ that makes learning ‘Uda Aida’ a fun ride. The song is now a recorded single that is rising the popularity index by the day.

A Still from the video ‘Aao Punjabi Sikhiyen

This innovative effort to teach i  kind in the state. Karamjit, who teaches at Government High School Kheri Jhameri, says he always felt disappointed and troubled with the way his students entered the classes. 

“Reluctant, crying and sometimes howling. This is how the little students often entered the school. I then came up with this idea knowing how kids today are fond of music and videos. I hoped music would arouse their interest in learning and it worked,” says the 35-year-old who has been teaching at various levels for a decade-and-a-half now.

Karamjit Grewal with his students

Ehde Akhar ne Iktali
Gurra Piran ne jo Pali
Sadi Boli Bhaggan Wali
Uda Uda Uda
Maa Boli Punjabi de Naal Rishta Sada Gurha

This is how the lyrics go, weaving all the 41 alphabets of Punjabi Varnamala. Karamjit narrated them to the students in the form of ‘Boliyan’; his effort was supported by Headmistress Harjinder Kaur. The song was an instant hit and, seeing the warm response, local music company GPM Studio approached the teacher and recorded the lyrics into a song. 
This is how the lyrics go, weaving all the 41 alphabets of Punjabi Varnamala. 

Karamjit narrated them to the students in the form of ‘Boliyan’; his effort was supported by Headmistress Harjinder Kaur. The song was an instant hit and, seeing the warm response, local music company GPM Studio approached the teacher and recorded the lyrics into a song. 

“The five-minute song released contains the first five alphabets till Haha. We plan to release the rest of the song in turns,” says Karamjit. The song has been on air on major Punjabi music channels ever since it released a couple of weeks ago. The video of the song was shot at the school Karamjit teaches in and features his students.

Karamjit, who hails from village Lalton, has a number of recorded singles to his credit; his lyrics are often about social causes such as female foeticide. A recipient of the best teacher award in 2009 by the state, Karamjit has penned seven children books so far. His debut book of children’s plays in 2005 won Best Children Literature Award from Punjabi Sahitya Akademi.

Man Behind Santabanta.com

Jiwan Deep Ghai, popularly known as JD Ghai, runs the well-known www.santabanta.com. This infotainment providing website has been enjoying an ever increasing user base for over 13 years now who dedicatedly log on to the site for their daily dose of humour, interesting anecdotes, fanciful e-cards, a slew of wallpapers, Bollywood gossip and a host of other attractive features for varied age groups. 

J D Ghai

Featured among the top 1000 players in the global Internet world, the site receives a whopping 100 million visitors every month. What began as a platform for sharing humour is now a multi-crore company employing over 25 people.

Born into a business family of Ludhiana, JDs father dealt in real estate and mother worked as a teacher. Ghai completed his schooling from Guru Nanak Public School and studied Commerce at Satish Chandra Dhawan Government College, Ludhiana, before pursuing his MBA from Punjabi University. 

 

Even as he involved himself in the real estate and other businesses, humour remained a driving force for him. Eventually in 2010, Ghai, along with a friend who had expertise in Information Technology, gave birth to the site that began as a funny portal. The site has seen its ups and downs over the years, survived the dotcom bust and today stands as a booming one-stop point for full-on entertainment. 

“Serious infotainment business,” says JD. For the last nine years, Ghai has been staying in Chandigarh now from where he operates the thriving media house. Persistence and patience, says Ghai, has been the key to his success.

Punjab’s Girl in Global Research Team

City’s Sanya Aggarwal has made the country proud by being part of a global team involved in a groundbreaking research in the UK.

The young research scientist was a crucial member of a team of world experts that has successfully inseminated the UK’s only female giant panda through artificial means. The research was carried out at Edinburgh Zoo.

A still from Sanya’s interview on the BBC

 
The research was supported by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the conservation charity that owns and manages Edinburgh Zoo, and was part of a global panda conservation effort.

Sanya, 23, broke the news to the family a couple of days ago to announce her achievement. Currently in Edinburgh, Sanya is due to visit the family in June.

Her visibly excited parents, Rajesh Aggarwal and Rekha Aggarwal, told the Hindustan Times on Wednesday, “She seemed elated, but very tired on the night she called us to tell all about it, including her interviews with BBC and other global media.”

The couple runs an infrastructure and construction company in the city. Sanya’s younger brother Sharav is pursuing Bachelors in business from Delhi.

The family describes Sanya as an “exceptionally brilliant” student academically. Sanya completed her schooling from GD Goenka Public School, New Delhi, and pursued her Bachelors in biotechnology from Chandigarh’s Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma (GGDSD) College. This was after the family shifted base from Delhi to Ludhiana.

Post this, Sanya got admission into the University of Glasgow for her post-graduation. She has been a researcher with the university for six months now.

The parents said, “Nobody in the family has studied science except her. She had no one to look up to or take guidance from. She makes us proud,” said Rajesh.


The research

 The research involved operation on Tian Tian, the UK’s only female giant panda, after scientists decided that she was exhibiting signs that were not conducive to mating, according to a press release issued by Edinburgh Zoo.

Tian Tian, the UK’s only female giant panda (left); Her prospective mate Yang Guang (right)

This even as her prospective mate, Yang Guang, was showing consistently encouraging behaviour. The operation was carried out on April 21.

Confirmations of whether the operation worked and Tian Tian is pregnant will come in mid-July after an ultrasound scan.

Tian Tian and Yang Guang had arrived in the zoo from China in December 2011.

Sculptor who Turns Trash into Art

Harminder with his prize in Delhi

A makeover of trash by him turns into an admirable piece of art. Ludhiana-based sculptor Harminder Singh Boparai finds beauty at unlikely places – in waste bins and garbage dumps – and transforms the objects of his fancy into three-dimensional figurines.


For instance, a sculpture depicting a bee on a flower uses cast away cooler fans for petals and discarded foot rests of a scooter for the wings of the bee. For a sculpture symbolizing two dancing girls, the artist uses old milk containers to create the girls’ dresses supported by twisted iron rods for limbs. 


A sculpture of three ostriches uses defunct bike tanks, generator pipes and cycle stands. 



A figurine of two black-and-white ladybirds and another symbolizing a mother-child duo are creative and thoughtful combinations of discarded cooking pans. These are just a few of the nearly 35 pieces created by him out of waste, mostly metal scrap. The other sculptures include Lord Ganesha, Abraham Lincoln, a crow, a dog, and a peacock.

Harminder says he has a passion for all things discarded and is even a compulsive hoarder. “What seems unappealing or quirky to others is inspiration to me. I love turning the everyday objects into interesting things. This is also my way to conserve nature by recycling metal,” says the artist, who teaches art at Satpaul Mittal School. Harminder is also a farmer who, given his habit to not give away old possessions, continues to work with his 40-year-old tractor.



His art is not limited to creating the best out of waste though. Hailing from Ghudani Kalan village, Tehsil Payal, Harminder is a trained sculptor from Tac Academy of Fine Arts and boasts of several awards including Gold Medal in Zonal Level Competitions by Punjabi University Patiala and Appreciation Award by Lalit Kala Academy Chandigarh, 2011. Many of his works have found space in galleries in India and abroad.

His latest achievement is the Silver Minar award, the highest in the art category, at the recently concluded Delhi International Film Festival.


The 32-year-old had showcased a sculpture symbolic of the logo of British entertainment firm HMV. The famous and one of the most loved logo shows a little dog (named Nipper) sitting inquisitively before a gramophone listening to his master’s voice coming from the horn.

Knitting a Revolution

Amit Thapar (left) and Dr Ravinder Verma

Is a revolution in hand-knitting, with a whole new generation of needle hobbyists churning out novel yarn patters on the cards? A Ludhiana-based acrylic and wool yarn manufacturing giant thinks so, and is ready to blow the dust off his folksy skill and lend it bright hues of comfort and style.

Ganga Acrowools Limited, a leading acrylic yarn exporter in the country, barged into this territory last year, with a campaign titled ‘Knitting Happiness’. Under this, the company launched an array of designer yarns with to-do-instructions for people to indulge in some quirky needle crafting. To create not only trendy scarves and sweaters, but also whimsical objects like toys (birds, animals), bells, hand bands, wall hangings, bags, purses, pencil caps and so on.

This special ‘designer’ yarn is manufactured using a special printing technology imported from Italy that lends multi-hues and textures to the yarn. Supplied mainly in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal, Punjab, Delhi, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the product has received a great response, says the company, while claiming to be the only player in this area so far.

The idea, says the owner, comes from places like Europe and the US where knitting as a distinguished craft has been immensely popular for over a decade now. “Knitting is big abroad. It reigns over the lifestyle pages in glossy magazines and has spurred social circles dedicated to it. Women and even men are transforming this homely hobby into a fashion pursuit. 

Multi-coloured yarn by the company

A slew of people are posting their artfully crafted yarn patterns on blogs that are readily lapped up by thousand of fans,” says Dr Ravinder Verma, the Managing Director of the 13-year-old acro-wool unit. “I wish to emulate the concept in India where knitting can serve great as a pastime, for creative satisfaction and even socializing,” he adds.

It is for this reason that the company intends to open a ‘knitting café’ and eventually a knitting school in the city. Informs Amit Thapar, Commercial President, “We want to see the café in place within two years, where a dedicated space for needle-wielding artists can create artful pieces while enjoying a cup of coffee. A knitting school is in the pipeline too, where the new generation will be introduced to this neglected domestic art. We wish to make it an insignia of style, and wish to barge into the social circles of women,” he adds.

Netting Poetry of a Digital Age

For the first time ever, the Punjabi Sahit Akademi opened its arms to poets who write, share and publish their works online, on reading websites or online social networking platforms. For a poetry fair held in Ludhiana in April this year, young poets who are yet to see their works bear a physical form shared stage with published, well-established names from Punjab and Delhi.

The fair, named ‘Punjabi Kavita Mela’ saw around 100 Punjabi poets from various cities of Punjab as well as Delhi recite their poetic works, those creating rich digital literature adding up to at least half this number.

“There is a growing tribe of such creative writers who post works online and enjoy a great fan following. We can’t ignore them,” said well-known poet Jaswant Zafar, Secretary of the Akademi who initiated the event. “The platform is to give them a chance to improve, through interaction with well-experienced poets. This is also a novel way to synergize the two forms of poetry,” he added.

Zafar observed that most such poets belong to small towns of Punjab who are quite savvy with the Internet. “They connect on Facebook, blogs or through their own websites and pages. Most of them are below 30,” he added.

Dr Gurbhajan Singh Gill, President of the Akademi, said he is impressed with the quality and imagination in this “paperless literature” and thus welcomed the move.

“Consider these beautiful lines that come from a young poet Manjinder Singh in Ludhiana, for instance:

Ae keho jahi adalat hai
Ae keho jahi waqalat hai
insaaf da sach tikeya
jhoothe gawahan utte

“We need such talent to come to the fore,” added he.

Interestingly, a majority of these online poets comprised women, observed Dr Gill. “The artist can bear complete anonymity on the web. And the restrictions on stepping out of the house to connect with poets or perform are non-existent here,” he argued.
The event took place at Punjabi Bhawan, Ludhiana, and was organized in association with Shabd Lok.

Visually Impaired, but his vision carried him through

A symbol of the indomitable human spirit, Dr S Tarsem of Malerkotla has overcome visual impairment to emerge a triumph, rising well above most of his sighted peers. A prolific and multiple-award winning author of prose and poetry, he is also a distinguished scholar-teacher of Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu.

 What makes this achiever an extraordinary precedent of crushing despair and shattering stereotypes is that Dr Tarsem has not even learnt Braille, the tactile writing and reading system for the blind.

Just how has a man with an erased vision for the last four decades sailed through the adversities to become a full and happy participant in life? His soon-to-be-published autobiography could throw a light.

Titled “Kalam te Kalaam’, the book chronicles the illuminating career, with its many blessings and challenges, of the 71-year-old retired professor from Government Post-graduate College, Malerkotla.

“I remember how I was ready to be brushed aside for the post of lecturer given my disability during the interview. I promptly stood up and gave a demonstration. The panel was awestruck but impressed, and I was selected for the post,” he shares.

In class, his students read and he explained. During assessment, his helper read and he marked the answer sheets. For his writing, he dictated and his assistant wrote.
“It was never smooth. Many a times, I came under fire from some colleagues who questioned my merit for the job given my disability, but the management always replied that they had no reason to sack me. I was a star lecturer, and a favourite of the students,” says he.

To be published by Sangam Publications, the book is expected to be released within a month.
“My book is not a personal account of loss and triumph. I will serve as an empowering tool for the blind. It will advise them on ways to overcome their disability and gift them motivation,” says Dr Tarsem.

Prakash Singh Badal presenting Sharomani Sahitkar award to Dr.S.Tarsem in 2000.

Born in the small town of Tapa Mandi in Barnala, Dr Tarsem was a normal child who took joy in looking everything around until he fell prey to a genetic disease that killed his sight gradually, rendering him complete blind by the time he turned 30.
Interestingly, it was after eight years of dealing with the visual challenge that Dr Tarsem enrolled for the M.A. degree, for better career prospects. He went on to complete Masters in Hindu, Urdu and Punjabi, and eventually earned his Ph.D. in Punjabi literature at the age of 45.

A ranker throughout, he was the first among the 200 candidates selected by Punjab Public Service Commission in 1983 for the position of lecturer.

Besides penning over 20 books in Hindi and Punjabi including six short story ones, five books of Ghazals and poetry, five proses and six criticisms, he has been bringing out a Punjabi quarterly magazine Nazria for nearly a decade and a Hindi-Punjabi magazine The Bindu since 1995.

Winner of several state, national and international literary awards including Shiromani Punjabi Sahitkar award 2000 from the Punjab Government, Dr Tarsem has also been the General Secretary of Punjab Welfare Association for the Blind for three decades.

Chandigarh's Resident Brings Overland Photo Tours to India

Thanks to the big idea of a former army officer, India might gear up to travel the new way.
In overland truck expeditions, Captain Suresh Sharma of Chandigarh brings a new concept to the domestic market from Africa. He offers to let you take on rugged terrain aboard a vehicle turned into self-contained movable world, with passenger seats; kitchen with enough foods and water; space for camping and leisure equipment; luggage lockers; and washroom all attached.

Sharma quit as short service commission officer in the army only to get into shooting with a camera and travelling, his passions. “The tour will give the travellers a thrill that only going into the wild can offer,” he says. “Where else do you see a wild elephant sloshing its way across the waterway.”

Besides the simple joys of travel, passengers explore unfamiliar cultures and the excitement of capturing rare photographs. “It is an overland photo tour, where my role is of a mentor and guide,” says captain Sharma, whose photographs were included in the coffee table book “The Indian Army: An Illustrated Overview”, which the defence minister had released in September 2007.

Many of his photographs have also made it to reputed newspapers, magazines, textbooks and websites. His next coffee table book is about fighter aircraft MiG-21. In his overland adventure venture Green Dot Expeditions, the support of his wife, homoeopathic doctor Rajbir Kaur, has made the journey smoother.

In the past three years, the couple has detailed every aspect of the expedition and engineered equipment to need. Push-back seats, thick mattresses under the on-board roof-top prefabricated tent canopies, an LED monitor, and a library are a few of the overlander’s many features.

“The on-board outdoor studio equipment comes handy to capture unannounced delights such as a camel trader cooking food with family over sand dunes,” says captain Sharma, who has logged more than 1-lakh kilometres in the country in his self-designed caravan (he maintains a logbook). Of late, he delivered a talk in New Delhi on “Caravan tourism: India by road”, which the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry had organised.

His first overland expedition takes off next month, to Kullu, Teerthan Valley and Manali, for 10 days. In winter, the destinations are warmer Rajasthan and coastal India.

Oldest Surviving Founder member of CPI (M) Dies in Punjab

Comrade Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, veteran communist leader and the oldest surviving founder member of Communist Party of India (Marxist), passed away in Ludhiana on Monday night.
Lyallpuri, 96, breathed his last at his residence in Krishna Nagar at 11:30pm, due to failing health over the last few days.

Jagjit SIngh Lyallpuri

He is survived by three sons. His two eldest sons, Jagdeep Singh, a retired engineer, and Sudeep Singh, a retired Colonel, live in the UK. Lyallpuri lived in city with his youngest child Dr Navdeep Singh Khaira, a Nephrologist at Christian Medical College and Hospital, daughter-in-law Dr Parwinder Kaur, and two grandsons, an engineer and a doctor.

Throughout his illustrious career as an activist and a communist that spans over seven decades, Lyallpuri held several key posts including the general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha and, during the fag end of his career, the general secretary of the Marxist Communist Party of India (U) when the latter was formed in 2005.

Lyallpuri, a senior trustee of Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Commmitee, had been to jail several times, including during the pre-independence days and the emergency in 1975.
He is best remembered for his struggle as a nation leader for farmers’ and labourers’ rights, and was among the leaders who opposed ‘Khush Hasiyati Tax’ imposed by Punjab Government after independence.

Born in Lyallpur, Pakistan, on April 10, 1917, he qualified as a lawyer from Government Law College, Lahore, in 1940. He began his political career as a Congress party worker. He quit the job to become a co-opted member of the central committee of the Kirti Communist Party, when he was soon encrusted with the task of legal functioning of the Punjab Kisan Sabha.

Lyallpuri's Autobiography

 When All India Kisan Sabha activists were arrested by the British rulers at the outbreak of Second World War, he abandoned his newly begun practice as a lawyer.
In 1942, the Kirti Communist Party merged with the Communist Party of India and Lyallpuri remained a member until CPI split into two in 1964 when he, along with veterans such as Jyori Basu and AK Gopalan, founded CPI (M).
 
Lyallpuri had shifted to Ludhiana after partition in 1947, taking up residence first new Rakh Bagh and in 1974 in Krishna Nagar.

He never applied for any benefit entitled to freedom fighter. In 2010, he brought out his autobiography titled My Life My Times.