By: Ashwani Mahajan

The Punjabi community across the Midwest came together to celebrate Punjabi Maa Boli Day, reaffirming its commitment to preserving the Punjabi language, literature, and cultural heritage for future generations. The event brought together writers, poets, scholars, community leaders, and families in a vibrant celebration of Punjab’s rich literary tradition.

Speakers at the gathering emphasized the importance of staying connected to one’s linguistic roots and encouraged parents to speak Punjabi at home so that younger generations, especially children born and raised in the United States, remain connected to their heritage.

A major highlight of the program was the release of three books by noted writer Kashish Hoshiarpuri ‘Gazal’—The Ranjha, Life of Jaswant Kaur, and Chair of My Father. The books were formally released by eminent Punjabi scholar Prof. Gurbachan Gill, who praised the author’s literary contributions to Punjabi literature.

Adding a youthful perspective to the celebration, young participant Nataliya shared her thoughts on the importance of the Punjabi language and inspired the audience with her enthusiasm for preserving her cultural roots.

The literary segment featured poetry recitations by several distinguished poets and writers. The audience warmly applauded presentations by Dashmesh Gill of Vancouver, Kashish Hoshiarpuri, and Abid Rashid, whose powerful nazm Bol Punjabi Bol received special appreciation. Gurleen Kaur presented the poem Asi Ta Unna De Sir Chadke Payia Pella by Sukhwinder Amrit, which was also well received.

Sahitya Akademi Award and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award recipient Dr. Atamjit addressed the gathering, highlighting the challenges of promoting the Punjabi language on the international stage. He emphasized the need for organizing more Punjabi language conferences worldwide and shared valuable insights into the history and evolution of Punjabi literature and culture. Community leader Sardar Rajinder Singh Maggo also entertained the audience with his shayari.

During the program, Dr. Harjinder Singh Khaira and Raj Laly Batala expressed their gratitude to renowned businessman and Pravasi Award recipient Sardar Darshan Singh Dhaliwal for his continued support in organizing the event. They also acknowledged the contributions of Punjabi scholars, writers, and community leaders who have been working tirelessly to promote the Punjabi language globally.

The organizers extended a special welcome to participants who traveled from Milwaukee and Indiana, and congratulated parents who encouraged their children to participate in the celebration, reinforcing the importance of passing the language and cultural values to the next generation.

The event concluded with a ceremony honoring participating children, poets, and writers for their contributions to Punjabi language and literature.

The organizers credited the success of the celebration to the dedicated efforts of Gulzar Singh Multani, Bhupinder Singh, Parvinder Singh, Dr. Vikram Gill, Harvinder Pal Singh, Jai Dev Singh, Parminder Singh Walia, P. S. Maan, Inder Mohan Singh, and Parminder Singh, whose contributions ensured the smooth execution of the program. The formal vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Harjinder Singh Khaira and Raj Laly Batala, who thanked all guests, participants, volunteers, and supporters for making the celebration a memorable success.