In a bid to revive the forgotten culture of handwritten letters in this age of digitization and internet boom, Readers’ Club of the University of Gujrat (UoG) organized a letter-writing competition here at Hafiz Hayat Campus on Wednesday.
As many as 78 students from different departments participated in the ‘Letter Writing Contest 2020′ which was held both in English and Urdu. However, a total of 32 letters, 16 each from both the languages, could qualify for the contest.
Dean Arts Dr Fareeshullah Yousafzai speaking as chief guest on the occasion lauded the role of Readers’ Club in reviving the culture of book reading and letter writing and also promoting other literary skills and cultural values of bygone era.
He claimed that no digital device or application in our arsenal of modern ways of communication can replace the personal touch and satisfaction associated with putting your pen to the paper for your loved ones.
Coordinator Readers’ Club Rukhsana Riaz talked about the fast dwindling culture of sending and receiving handwritten letters becoming the nostalgia for those aged 40 and above. She threw light on the importance of letter writing in Urdu literature.
Deputy Controller of Examinations Tauqir Ashraf and senior academic, Sociology Department, Mr Tipu Sultan, comprised the panel of judges.
Tauqir Ashraf said, “There is more to the writing in a letter than meets the eye, it carries along with it the personal touch and the feelings and emotions of the writer.” He discussed the literary and historical value of a large number of personal letters and other pieces of correspondence which have been put on display in museums around the world.
Tipu Sultan said that the literary genre was on the verge of becoming an obsolete way of communication. He gave a rendition of a few pieces of poetry on the subject amid a roar of applause from the audience. Areej Arif won the English letter-writing contest with Bisma Sahar at the runners-up position. In the Urdu category, Nisha Habib was declared winner with Minal Aslam at the runners-up position.
Asst. Prof. CMCS Dr Muhammad Yousaf talked about the significance of dialogue in the development of personality in the formative phase of educational career and lauded the efforts of the Readers’ Club in this regard.
Chief Librarian Kazim Ali Syed, Dr Arshad Ali and Najeeb ur Rehman were among the guests of honour at the prize distribution. Rukhsana Riaz gave away prizes and certificates to the contestants at the end.
