Doaba Sahit Sabha honours Punjabi literary icons

In recognition of their outstanding contributions to Punjabi literature, several renowned personalities were honoured at the annual literary awards and Kavi Darbar organised recently by the Doaba Sahit Sabha. The event, held at Babbar Akali Memorial Khalsa College, Garhshankar, saw enthusiastic participation from writers, poets and literature lovers across the Doaba region.

This year’s prestigious awards were presented to eminent literary figures: the Sardar Major Singh Mauji Memorial Award went to noted Punjabi writer and lyricist Amrik Hamraaz; the Principal Sujan Singh Memorial Award was conferred on lecturer Jaswinder Singh Jassi; and the Ustad Ulfat Bajwa Memorial Award was awarded to Gurdeep Singh Saini. Special recognitions were also given to senior members and active participants of the local literary community.

The ceremony began with a lamp-lighting ceremony by Principal Dr Bikkar Singh, president of the Sabha, who welcomed the guests and outlined the Sabha’s literary activities. The event’s leadership panel included Professor Sandhu Varyanvi, General Secretary of the Kendari Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, along with senior members of the Doaba Sahit Sabha.

The Kavi Darbar featured live recitations by poets including Sandhu Varyanvi, Ranveer Babbar, Pawan Bhammiyan, and students from Khalsa College such as Manjeet Sekhon, Prabh, Simran, and Jasmine Kaur, who captivated the audience with their poetry. The programme was hosted by senior member Balveer Singh Khanpuri and concluded with a vote of thanks from Prof Sandhu Varyanvi. He urged the state government to continue initiatives that promote Punjabi language, literature and culture.