Dr. Harmohinder Singh Bedi

1. Dr. Harmohinder Singh Bedi, is a renowned Hindi author and an academician from Punjab. Heis presently the Chancellor of Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala. Heis also serving as Council Member of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Education, Govt. of India, Member of Senate, Punjab University, Chandigarh; Executive member, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Wardha; Hindi Advisor to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India and Member of National Monitoring Committee on Minority Education, Govt. of lndia.

2. Born on 12th March, 1950 in Mukerian, Hoshairpur district of Punjab Dr. Bedi received his M.A. (Hindi). M.A. (Punjabi) and Ph.D. in Hindi from Guru Nanak Dev University where later he joined as Lecturer in 1978. He got D.Litt. from Bhagalpur University, Bihar. At Guru Nanak Dev University, he initiated research to trace and compile Hindi literature in Gurumukhi script. His father played a vital role in nourishing his early interest in literature, language and culture.

3. Dr. Bedi along with his several researchers discovered and edited several books of Hindi literature in Gurmukhi script and also wrote medieval Hindi literature historiography exploring the contribution of Punjab to literature and language. His three volume edited work on Shardha Rani Phillauri, Hindu social reformer and writer from Punjab, has reoriented the history of Hindi literature. His most notable contribution lies in exploring and interpreting the message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the most revered holy text of Sikhs. More than a religious text it represents syncretism of lndian tradition and a pan Indian dialogue of Gurus, Sufi's and Bhagat's. He compiled and edited the bani of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji famously known as Hind di Chadar and works of poets of Vidya Darbar of Guru Gobind Singh. Locating and editing this vast body of literature from Bhakti Kaav to Guru Kaav and many other centers of learning like Udasis and Nirmale have helped to redefine the contribution of Punjab to literature and learning.

4. Dr. Bedi's works have highlighted the spiritual, cultural and religious contribution of Punjab to Hindi literature in general and specially to explore the collective threads of knowledge and language that makes South Asia a unique and common cultural zone. Apart from publishing on all major national journals of Hindi, he has been regularly writing columns for several Hindi newspapers. A poet at heart, his creative side has gifted Hindi literature with over 15 books of poetry. His sensibilities are deep enough to touch all aspects of human life and his poems specifically brings to fore the state of contemporary human life disrupted by the forces of modernity. He has served as Professor Emeritus with the Punjabi University, Patiala from 2012 to 2014. He retired as Professor and Head of Department of Hiridi. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, where he also served as Dean and Director of Chairs of Bhagat Kabir, Satguru Ram Singh and Swami Vivekanand..

5. Dr Bedi has received various awards and honours including Sevi Puruskar in 2017; Shiromani Hindi Sahitkar in 2004 by Punjab Government and Raj Bhasha Puraskar in 2018 by Raj Bhasha Vibhag, Govt. of India for his contribution to the field of Hindi language.