Quote by Amrita Pritam: “Today, I ask Waris Shah / to speak from his grave.”

This powerful invocation is a desperate plea for a legendary poet to witness and lament the horrors of a present tragedy. It calls upon a historical voice to acknowledge unprecedented suffering, highlighting the profound grief and helplessness felt during a time of immense violence.

From 'Ajj Akhaan Waris Shah Nu' (Ode to Waris Shah), written in direct response to the horrific violence and displacement of the Partition of India. It expressed the collective agony of Punjab, particularly the suffering of women.

Celebrated Punjabi poet and novelist, born in 1919, and the first woman to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956. Her poetry and fiction explored love, partition, and female desire with radical honesty, and her lifelong relationship with poet Sahir Ludhianvi became the stuff of literary legend.