Our CorrespondentMandi Ahmedgarh, November 13
Disappointed over the role of a section of media in deteriorating the quality of the culture and folk art of Punjab, Harpreet Kaur Cheema, winner of World Nippun Panjaban Title, called upon intellectuals and artists of the state to join hands in preserving the cultural heritage.
The title was conferred on her by the Punjabi Sabhyachar Sath after a series of open contests at a function organised in Ludhiana recently.
Addressing students of Sanatan Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School during a felicitation function organised by the various organisations of the town and surrounding villages, Harpreet said she could achieve her target with the joint efforts of her parents and schoolteacher who had nurtured her in the budding state.
Her talent was explored by Data Ram Sharma, founder director of SVM Senior Secondary School, where she had taken education up to Class 12.
Though Mukhtiar Singh, former sarpanch of Baurhai Kalan village and grandfather of Harpreet, wanted her to be well-versed in knitting and embroidery, her mother Manjit Kaur inspired her to follow the path shown by her maternal grandmother Gurbachan Kaur who was herself a schoolteacher and a folk art admirer.
Besides achieving a large number of prestigious prizes in cultural activities in inter-school and inter-college contests she represented Sangrur district at state-level functions also. She had given an outstanding performance at Inter-College Youth Festival of Punjab University.
“One should not be proud of one’s beauty as it could fade with the blinking of an eye but the true knowledge lasts ever which could not be stolen either. Had I lacked knowledge about my heritage many more girls could have overtaken me,” Cheema said explaining secret of her success.
Devotion and dedication towards her profession would fetch more laurels for her family and institutions she joined .She joins many other artists in paying gratitude to Mr Jasmer Singh Dhatt Chairman Sabhyacharak Sath Punjab who had made a successful attempt to get recognition to the true Punjabi culture.
Presently she was perusing her studies in fashion designing at Gujjranwala Khalsa College Ludhiana.
