Meet Bhavleen Kaur: The Talented Punjabi Poetry Reciter

Bhavleen Kaur, class 8 student at Apeejay School, Model Town, Jalandhar, has set a new feather in the school’s cap by winning the first position in the district level Punjabi poetry recitation competition. In a brief interview, the young champ says she paid a homage to the chaar sahibzaade of Sikh history through her poem and performance. Read edited excerpts:

So, which poem did you recite in the competition?

I recited a poem on ‘Chaar Sahabzaade’. It is a combination of 6-7 poems. As a participant, one had to recite a poem within 3-4 minutes according to the guidelines. So, I along with my mother, Mrs. Simranjeet Kaur combined 6-7 poems of various Punjabi poets and made it into a single piece.  

Chaar Sahibzaade (The four Princes) are great figures in Sikh history. They were the children of our tenth guru Shri Guru Gobind Singh. The four princes sacrificed their lives for humanity while fighting against oppressive forces. Every year around 20 December the Shaheedi Diwas is celebrated in their remembrance. Through this poem, I paid a tribute to the Chaar Sahibzaade.

Wow, that’s a lovely piece of history. How difficult was the competition level?

The competition was very tough as there were students from over 40 schools. There were more than 50 participants and all of them were fabulous. They recited their poems very well and were so engrossed in the recitation. It was a good experience for me. I enjoyed it a lot. It was my first district level competition after all. 

So, do you love reading Punjabi poets?

I like to read Pubjabi poems. I belong to a Punjabi family, so Punjabi is my mother tongue and I do not have any difficulty in speaking the language. I cherish it.

Any favourite poet?

I have heard a lot about Amrita Pritam and other poets. I do not have a favourite poet yet. I am just beginning to learn about them and will read their works in the future.

How did your school help you in winning this competition?

My Punjabi teacher Ms Rajinder Kaur helped me a lot by boosting my morale. It was my first district competition, so I was nervous, but she reminded me that I must face challenges in life and should try to be different from others.

Principal sir, Mr Malkiat Singh also told me that the result of the competition does not matter. Instead the participation and experience is the final reward.

Has this competition increased your interest in Punjabi literature?

Yes, it certainly has. I want to read more Punjabi literature through books, novels, poems, plays!