After spending eighteen years in England where he worked part-time and studied, Jasbir Singh Gandham immigrated to Burnaby, British Columbia in the summer of 1977. Eventually, Gandham found work as a real estate agent. However, he recognized the importance of preserving one’s heritage and culture, specifically through the medium of language. After enrolling his daughter in a Punjabi class at the Ross Street Gurdwara, Gandham himself became heavily involved in teaching Punjabi, teaching at Gurdwaras, and setting up classes in the Lower Mainland. As a member of the Khalsa Diwan Society and Canadian Sikh Study & Teaching Society, Gandham wishes to further preserve the legacy of Punjabi here in Canada: as he describes in his interview, “people nowadays are starting to come to respect Punjabi more, but as we reach the end of our life it is on the youth to further the legacy of Punjabi, we have put our entire effort, now it’s up to the next generation.”
SHORT PROMOTIONAL VIDEO:
Why is it important to learn Punjabi? ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਿੱਖਣੀ ਕਿਉਂ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ? پنجابی سکھنی کیوں ّضروری ہے؟