Supporting Punjabi Literature
Kapil Dev’s Book
Basant Foundation supported We the Sikhs’ a book by the Indian cricket Legend, Kapil Dev. The foundation purchased and donated the book to several friends and family members.
The Other Shore of Words
Basant Foundation supported publication of another important poetry book The Other Shore of Words an anthology of Jaswant Zafar’s selected Punjabi poems translated into English. The translation team included Prof. Niranjan Tasneem, Gurshminder Jagpal and Jasdeep Singh. The book was printed by Chetna Prakashan Ludhiana in 2016.
At its release in Ludhiana, Punjab (June 2016), noted scholar and critic Amarjit Singh Grewal praised the translators and said such endeavours shall get much deserved recognition for Punjabi literature. Dr. Surjit Patar, Chair Punjab Arts Council, said such efforts keep Indians settled abroad closer to their roots. The Foundation also helped distribute the book in Canada.
Bhagat Satguru Hamara
Basant Foundation launched Jaswant Zafar’s book Bhagat Satguru Hamara in Surrey, Canada. Many writers and readers came to attend the launch with a lunch. Zafar and other scholars including Dr. Sadhu Singh spoke on the book with a cover painting by well known Indian artist Sidharth. The book is in large format with color pictures.
Mini poetry books
Selected Poems (English) by Ajmer Rode, 3rd edition, Third Eye Publications, London Ontario.
Selected Poems (Punjabi) by Ajmer Rode, 4th edition, Third Eye Publications, London Ontario.
Baldev Singh Bath, chair of the Foundation saw copies of the two books and liked their size and contents. He asked for 200 copies each so he could gift them to his friends and customers. These many copies weren’t available at the time. So, he offered to support the printing of new editions of the books.
Supporting Eskstasis Editions
Basant Foundation extended support to the Ekstasis Editions of Victoria, BC, by purchasing 150 copies of their recent publication: A JOURNEY WITH THE ENDLESS EYE written by Ajmer Rode and illustrated by Jarnail Singh a well known Indo-Canadian artist. The book, coffee-table size with original color paintings, narrates the story of an important historical incident Komagata Maru. The ship, Komagata Maru, with 378 Passengers, mostly Punjabi Sikhs, arrived in Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet on 23 May 1914 and was returned with much humiliated passengers after two months.
By supporting A JOURNEY WITH THE ENDLESS EYE Basant Foundation joined other organizations to commemorate the centenary of the incident in 2014 and to pay tribute to the heroic struggle of the passengers against discriminatory immigration laws of Canada in the early years of the twentieth century.