By Asia Samachar | Panjab |
Santokh Singh Randhawa, a long-standing advocate for the promotion of the Panjabi language in Malaysia, has been honoured at an international conference in Panjab, where he was the only overseas recipient among five awardees.
He received the recognition at a three-day international conference organised by Jawaddi Taksaal in Ludhiana, which concluded on Feb 22. This year’s conference was themed ‘Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji: Life, Bani and Legacy’.
“Among the five Sikhs honoured, I was the only overseas person chosen for the revival of the Panjabi language in Malaysia. I feel it is a recognition of Malaysian Sikhs as a whole, and the honour belongs to the entire community,” Santokh said in a message to Asia Samachar.
Santokh previously served as president of Khalsa Diwan Malaysia (KDM), the Ipoh-based body that spearheaded structured Panjabi language education in the country. Under its leadership, more than four dozen Punjabi Education Centres (PECs) were established nationwide, forming the backbone of community-based language instruction.
In an earlier Asia Samachar article, Santokh recounted how a 1988 seminar in Malaysia sparked his lifelong commitment to revitalising Panjabi language teaching and learning. That turning point eventually led to the creation of a national Panjabi language programme under KDM, laying the foundation for the PEC network.
The initiative marked its 25th anniversary in 2025, underscoring a quarter-century of sustained efforts to preserve and strengthen Panjabi literacy among Malaysian Sikhs.
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Revival of the Punjabi Language in Malaysia (Asia Samachar, 28 Aug 2025)
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