Dr Harbans Singh Dhiman, a highly revered Punjabi scholar, linguist and author, passed away at a hospital in Patiala on Tuesday night. He was 73 years old.
Accident and Aftermath
Dhiman and his wife met with an accident near Samana last week. The car in which he and his wife were travelling overturned on the highway, leaving them seriously injured. The couple was rushed to a hospital in Patiala, where Dr Dhiman succumbed to the injuries while under treatment. His wife is stable and still under treatment at the hospital.
Dhiman's body was cremated on Wednesday in the presence of family members, literary figures, friends and former colleagues. Among those present to pay their final respects were Dr Darshan Singh Aasht, former District Language Officer Dr Surjit Singh Khurma, advocate Surinder Pal Singh, Navdeep Singh Mundi, Dr Lachhmi Narayan Bhikhi, Balwinder Sandhu, Balwinder Bhatti, Gurcharan Singh Pabarali, Bachhan Singh Gurm and several relatives, admirers and students of the late scholar.
Literary Contributions
Born on January 13, 1953, six years after the Partition, Dr Dhiman spent his life building literary and linguistic bridges across borders. His demise has triggered a wave of grief among authors, language activists and academics associated with Punjabi University and regional literary circles. Based out of the Patiala and Rajpura academic hubs, Dhiman was widely respected for his authoritative research into Punjabi phonology, morphology and script history. His seminal textbooks, including 'Punjabi Bhasha ate Vyakaran' (Punjabi Language and Grammar) and 'Viharak Punjabi Bhasha ate Gurmukhi Lipi', are staples of higher education and are part of the curriculum at leading institutions like Delhi University.
Darshan Singh Asht remembers him as a meticulous grammarian who dedicated his career to refining and standardising contemporary Gurmukhi instruction. Beyond his work as an educator, Dr Dhiman played a pivotal role in promoting literary exchange between east and west Punjab. He specialised in transliterating contemporary Pakistani Punjabi literature from the Shahmukhi script into Gurmukhi, allowing Indian readers access to shared regional narratives.
Notable Projects and Legacy
Dhiman's notable projects include the critical evaluation text Pakistani Punjabi Sahit: Nikas te Vikas and the Gurmukhi script conversion of Fauzia Rafique's acclaimed novel Skeena, published via Patiala's Sangam Publications. He also edited Panj Pakistani Punjabi Novelet, a highly regarded compilation of west Punjabi fiction.
Dr Dhiman served in various government schools in Patiala district before teaching for many years in government colleges across the state. Expressing condolences, local writers termed his passing an 'irreparable loss to Punjabi language planning'.
The president of Punjabi Sahitya Sabha (Patiala), Dr Darshan Singh 'Aasht', a Sahitya Akademi Award winner, said Dr Dhiman remained closely associated with the sabha for many years and made an invaluable contribution to the development of Punjabi language and literature. 'The passing of Dr Dhiman marks the end of an illustrious chapter in Punjabi literature. His contributions will continue to inspire generations of writers, researchers and readers,' said Aasht.
