From Punjab to the Midwest: Celebrating 5,500 Years of linguistic heritage

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Punjab’s cultural and linguistic heritage shone at the National India Hub in Schaumburg on Sunday, April 6, as the Punjabi community from across the Midwest came together to mark International Mother Language Day with a special focus on Punjabi literature and heritage. The event included poetry, prose, and powerful reflections, followed by a community dinner.

Organized by the Punjabi Community of the US Midwest, the evening honored the language which has a 5,500-year-old history, a press release from Asian Media USA said.

This year’s celebration coincided with the 25th Anniversary of   International Mother Language Day, first proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity around the globe.

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The event brought together an impressive lineup of renowned Punjabi authors, poets, and thinkers, including Dr. Atamjit, recipient of the Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards, Ravinder Singh Sahra, Raj Lally Batala, Kashish Hoshiarpuri, Sajid Chaudhary, Abid Rasheed, Rakind Kaur, Gurleen Kaur, Tahira Rida, Amrit Pal Kaur, Gurbaksh Randhawa, and Ghulam Mustafa Anjum among others.

The chief guest, India’s Consul General in Chicago Somnath Ghosh expressed his joy at witnessing children speak Punjabi on stage, calling it the true spirit of International Mother Language Day. He emphasized that many regional languages, including Punjabi and Bengali, are under pressure due to global economic and digital forces.

“We must use technology, especially AI, to preserve and promote our languages,” he urged, and encouraged the community to develop local Punjabi content and make it accessible online. “If we don’t take the initiative, no one else will,” he said.

Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, the event’s Chief Patron and Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Samman Awardee, echoed similar sentiments. “Punjabi is more than just a language. It is the soul of our traditions, songs, folklore, and everyday expressions. It is our duty to nurture it, especially for the younger generations growing up abroad,” he said.

The event also featured recitations of Punjabi poetry, musical performances celebrating folk heritage, and panel discussions on the significance of language preservation in diaspora communities.

The event’s Chief Coordinator Dr. Harjinder Singh Khaira and Convenor Raj Lally Batala played a key role in bringing the community together. Other key organizing team members included Kamlesh Kapoor (Joint Coordinator), Rajinder Singh Mago, Kuljeet Dyalpuri, Gurmukh Singh Bhullar, Charandeep Singh, Jasmeet Singh, Jasbir Mann, PS Mann, Aman Kullar, Jigerdeep Singh Dhillon, Narinder Sra, Rajinder Dayal, Surjit Sallan, Harjinder Jindi, and Amardev Bandesha.

The program also acknowledged sponsors Japneet Khaira (Grand Sponsor), Gulzar Singh Multani, Bhupinder Singh Dhaliwal, Lucky Sahota, Mukhtiar Singh (Happy Heer), Parminder Singh Goldy, Amrik Singh (Amar Carpet), Dr. Vikram Gill, P.S. Mann, Darshan Singh Grewal, Brij Sharma, Sarvan Singh Mishvaka, Pal Singh Khalil, Kamlesh Kapoor, Dawinder S. Rangi, and Jaskaran Dhaliwal. Sports organizations also played a vital role in the success of this event, organizers said.

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