A performance by Nga Rau Huia o Akina Hastings Girls' High School's Sabhyachar Group (from left), Komalpreet Kaur, Kamalpreet Kaur and Rajvir Kaur. Photo / Connull Lang
A performance by Nga Rau Huia o Akina Hastings Girls' High School's Sabhyachar Group (from left), Komalpreet Kaur, Kamalpreet Kaur and Rajvir Kaur. Photo / Connull Lang
Hawke’s Bay’s fourth annual Punjabi language week celebration was a big success with more than 450 coming and going throughout the afternoon event.
This year’s Punjabi language celebration was postponed for two weeks after the death of a beloved community member as, out of cultural respect, the community didn’t want to celebrate during that time.
But after the postponement, the community rallied to celebrate the Punjabi language, with speeches, singing, dancing, games and food.
Isabella Singh, 5, enjoyed activities at the Panjabi language festival Hastings. Photo / Connull Lang
One of the organisers, Sukhdeep Singh, explained Punjabi language week is celebrated across New Zealand, usually in November, as an annual celebration - just like Māori and Pasifika language weeks.
“Hawke’s Bay’s biggest Asian ethnic community is Punjabi, people from Punjab state in India, and with more than 1000 families living in the region speaking the Punjabi language, it was very important to the community to come together and celebrate,” Sukhdeep said.
“It is so important for us to keep our language alive, especially for our kids and young generation and I personally feel that our language will be extinct if we do not take actions to keep it alive in foreign countries.”
Hundreds turned out to celebrate Punjabi language week at the Toitoi Event Centre in Hastings. Photo / Connull Lang
The event, held at Toitoi, involved Punjabi cultural performances, songs, speeches, prayers in Punjabi by children, poem readings and a great performance of old songs by the community’s grandmothers.
Guests attending the event included Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, Catherine Wedd, Greg Mawson and guests from Auckland.
The plan is for the community to continue to hold this event every year, organised by the Akaal Riders NZ and Singh Sports and Cultural Club.
Rehmat Kaur and Japji Kaur Bhangal showing off their language skills at the Punjabi language celebration in Hastings. Photo / Connull Lang
Sukhdeep is president of both groups and said the whole team was excited about next year’s programme.
“Language is so important and we all have responsibility to keep it alive. This is our identity. Without the language and culture, we have no identity.
“I was very impressed with the kids, we have great talent here in Hawke’s Bay.”
Sukhdeep and the others who helped organise the event thanked the guests and the Punjabi community for their support and aroha, as well as the media partners Radio Spice, Punjabi Herald, NZ Post and Daily Khabar for spreading the news widely around the world, especially in Punjabi.
