‘ਸ਼ਿਅਰੋ-ਸ਼ਾਇਰੀ ਵਿਚ ਸਾਡੇ ਸ਼ਹਿਰਾਂ ਕਸਬਿਅਾਂ ਪਿੰਡਾਂ ਦੀ ਜੜਤ’ — ਬਲਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੰਵਲ

ਬਲਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੰਵਲ

Balbir Singh Kanwal: Birth: Born to Mata Gian Kaur and Bhai Sunder Singh Virdi at village Jaura District Hoshiarpur on 8 March, 1934. Early Education: Primary at Village School, then joined Ghorewaha School, did middle standard from Tanda Urmar there and did matelc from Sain Dass A.5' High School Jalandhar. Further Studies: BA from Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar. M.A. (English) from The Punjab University College, Hoshiarpur, B.T from Ramgarhia Training College Phagwara (Kapurthala). Visited Mwan za, Tanganyka, East Africa in 1959. Migrated to U.K: In 1965 and did Diploma in Education from London. Revered Ustads: Prof. Mohan Singh Mahir & Avtar Singh Azad, Dr. Raja Mrigendra Singh, Ustad Karam Singh Chakkarvarty, UstadAllah Rakha and Ustad Salamat All Khan Sham Chaurasi Gharanawaley. Inspirational Figures: Principal Teja Singh & Dr. Mohinder Singh Randhawa. Life In U.K.: After reaching London in 1965, to run the rut of life, started with a clerical job in the Post Office, left that, did labour, joined post office again and ended up as a teacher in the Education Department. Books by the Author 1. Bharat De Pehalwan (1635.1935) 1964 2. Panjab De Shehar 3. Geet Mere — Saz Tere (Poetry) 4. Panjab Kabaddi Da Ithas 5. International Panjabi Sahit 6. Aalmi Kabaddi Da Ithas 7. Sikh Strongmen Over The Years 8. Panjab De Parsidh Ragi Rababi (1604-2004) 9. Panjab De Sangeet Gharaney Te Bharati Sangeet Prampara 10. Panjab Dian Parsidh Baican Te Sazindey (Covering more than three centuries) 11. Amritsar Dee Virasat 12. Panjab De Peer Fakeer Te Sant Sadhu (Manuscript) 13. Gama - The Lion of the Ganges (1882-1960) Lite StoryOf A Champion Wrestler of The World 14. Music Of The Punjab - Spotlight On The North Indian Music 15. Patiala Gharana And Its Great Artists 16. Patiala & Its Cultural Heritage 17. Ustad Salamat All Khan - Shehnshah-e-Sangeet Awards & Honours: 1965: Won the Unesco Award for his book ‘Bharat De Pehalwan 1975: Earned the title 'One of the world's greatest authorities on Hindu (Hindustani) wrestling by the Canadian Press (Wrestling Monthly Canada) covered this in their March 1975 issue. 1978: To promote our mother-game Kabaddi on the International level was the first person to lead the U.KKabaddi Team as the Manager to take part in the first-ever World Kabaddi Cup Vancouver. Virtually, that laid down the foundations of World Kabaddi Cups - there | was honoured by the East India Defence Committee. 1978 : Spreading the cause of Physical Culture in the world Balbir Singh Kanwal being welcomed at the Vancouver Airport when he accompanied a UK Kabaddi team as its Manager to take part in an International Sports Tournament. That was the first ever World Kabaddi Cup. The game of Kabaddi is the sister of wrestling and is so popular in the Subcontinent. 1984: The British Press carrying a story on him entitled, 'A Literary Jewel in the Crown of Indian Wrestling’, gave him the title as "Researching Indian Wrestling is the name of Balbir's life long game, and he is the reigning World Champion in that. (Ilford Recorder, Ilford, London.Thursday, April 26", 1984). 1985: Got the Shromani Sahitkaar Award (along with a Medal) by the Govt. of Panjab, India. Raag Kanwal Bhairon: As a mark of sheer respect, a new Raag Kanwal Bhairon was invented in the pen-name of the author by Ustad Salamat Ali Khan of Sham Chaurasi Gharana, one of the greatest musicians of the 20™ century. He sang that in an International Music Festival at Geneva. Honoured by the Panjab Wrestling Association Honoured by the Panjab Kabaddi Association Honoured by the Adabi Trinjan, Lahore, Pakistan 1987: Won Bhai Mohan Singh Vaid Purskaar, Amritsar. 1991: Was invited as a Guest of Honour on the 300th birth anniversary celebrations of the famous Sufi poet Hazrat Sultan Bahoo, Jhang, Pakistan 1994.Honoured by the Wrestling Association of Pakistan. A renowned journalist of Pakistan. Mr Nasir-ud-Din Nasir, an authority on Mirza Ghalib, eulogising his services regarding wrestling commented, 'With rare ability and extra ordinary expertise, Kanwal Sahib, has brought such a dry-bone subject such as wrestling at par with literature. Sardar Rajinder Singh Bedi, great short story writer of Urdu had also once complimented ‘Writing on quite two opposite subjects such as classical music and wrestling sounds like flowing of a beautiful Triveni - a great confluence of creation, indeed !” 1996: Honoured by the North American Kabaddi Association on the 3rd International Kabaddi Tournament held at San Jose, California: Was specially felicitated by Amarjeet Singh Tut (my student owning staggering 57,000 acres of land and Paul Sahota Bara Pind-another one of the biggest transporters of North America. 1999: On the eve of celebrating the tercentenary ofthe Khalsa, was honoured by the Metro Panjabi Sports Club, Ontario (Canada) for his dedication and immense contribution to Kabaddi. Was also honoured at the First N.R.I. Sports Festival at Jalandhar for his splendid contribution in the field of Kabaddi. During International Kabaddi series 1999. was also honoured by British Columbia Kabaddi & Cultural Federation at Nakodar, Jalandhar. 2000: On the eve of 10th International Panjabi Khed Mela held in New York was honoured for his outstanding and dedicated services to Panjabi Community. 2003: Honoured with Ustad Salamat Ali Khan Award at the Ustad's Annual Festival held every year at his ancestral home village Sham Chaurasi, Hoshiarpur. As a mark of respect to the departed soul (author's wife), that year's mela was dedicated to the memory of Sardarni Ajeet Kaur. The following day on 26th January, was also honoured by the local Khalsa College, and got the Hind Rattan Award - at the eve of the Indian Republic Day, in the Hotel Inter-Continental, New Delhi. 2005: Was honoured with a Gur) (Mace- with the citation The Messiah of Pehalwans) by the Wrestling Association of Pakistan, Lahore. Beside the prestigious Ciury, the Association also bestowed upon him two © ion-clofhes of the two immortal Pehalwans - one belonging to Chula Pehalwan Amritsar (1860-1901) which he won in aris in 1900 and the other belonging (o one of his fiignls, Raheem Sultaniwala Gujranwalia who defeated Hudson the Canadian Champion at the ripe age of 70 2006: Honoured at the Maharaja Ranjeet Singh Gold Kabadd Cup at Kapurthala. Honoured by the Doaba Pattarkaas Manch Bhogpur (Jalandhar). Honoured by the Panjab Wrestling Association in the P.A.P Sports Complex, Jalandhar. Honoured at the International Sports Festival Hakeempur with a Gurj (with the citation: the greatest sports & cultural writer of the 20th century plus a purse of One: Lakh Rupees). The Glory of India Award at Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister I.LK. Gujral. Got the greatest Hero of the Wrestling World Award by Ustadanwala Khandaan of Sialkot Pakistan. They also gifted our International Panjab Heritage Museum Fakhre-e-Hind, The Pride of India Medal of Inayat Pehalwan. Guru-Bhai of Goonga Pehalwan Sialkot which he won at a Dangal in Delhi in 1942. The Glory of India — Certificate Of Excellence Award for preserving India's Cultural Heritage (Physical Culture & Music) held in a Grand London Hotel on 12 August 2006. 2007: Got Bhai Mardana Award from International Bhai Mardana Yaadgari Kirtan Darbar - Society. Ferozepur. 2008: Gold Medal awarded by the Panjabi Sath [Lambra (Jalandhar) for his contribution to Desi Khedaan and Music. 2016: Awarded 3 Gold Medal by the Virasat Foundation Trust, Vancouver, Canada for the Promotion of Panjab’s rich cultural heritage of Sangeet & Sports. 2016: Awarded a Gold Medal by the Virasat Foundation Trust,Vancouver, Canada for the promotion of Panjab's rich cultural heritage of Sangeet & Sports. 2017: Awarded Gold Medal in the International Cultural Genre, New Delhi in an International Seminar organised by the Dr. Bhai Vir Singh Sadan regarding 350th celebrations of Three Guru Gobind Singh Ji for his famous book on famous Ragis and Rababis of Panjab(1604-2004). It was a historic function in which our ex-Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh & his Mrs, Vice President Dr. Hamid Ansari, and Arun Jaitley, Central Minister also participated. Honoured by the Panjabi Sahit Academy — Ludhiana, Honoured by the Sirjna Kender, Kapurthala. Honoured by the Malwa Research Centre, Sangrur. Honoured with Santokh Singh Tiger (Tokhi) Gold Medal at the famous Garhdiwala Kabaddi Tournament in the memory of the late player — The Greatest Stopper of the 20" century. Honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan, Jalandhar — one of the oldest Music Festivals of the country. ‘Special Honour Award’, conferred by the Oxford University U.K (Panjab Research Group) for the contribution to the study of the history of culture, especially music in the Panjab. 2022: was honoured at the Europe's oldest and historical Sikh Temple KhalsaJatha British Isles, Sheperd Bush, London in the presence of musicisions, music historians and Scholars who had come from across the whole of Britain. 2023: While celebrating their foundation day, the Pothohar Association UK had especially invited internationally known vocalist Ustad Shafkat Ali Khan's son Ustad Faizan Ali Khan of Sham Chaurasi Gharana of Pakistan. Before starting his performance the great Ustad outrightly came down the stage to pay obeisance to the music historians in order to seek his blessings. Then he began his singing with 'Kanwal Bhairon' ---a new RAGA invented by his grand father Ustad Salamat Ali Khan in the pen-name of the author. Though the 'banish' was different, it was highly appreciated by the audience. 2023: On the occasion of 3rd Panjabi Conference held at Leicester, was honoured by the organisers. Was honoured by the Panjabi Sahit Academy Ludhiana with their Kartar Singh Shamsher Award.