Dubai, Jan 17: A three-day World Punjabi Conference will begin here today, to be attended by around 500 prominent Punjabis from all walks of life from over 20 countries. The conference will be held under the auspices of the Dubai chapter of World Punjabi Organisation (WPO) which was launched late last year.
The WPO has chapters in more than 20 countries, representing the extensive Punjabi diaspora.
The UAE chapter of the organisation aims at uniting the Punjabis in the Gulf through socio-cultural activities.
It is also finalising a proposal to award financial aid and scholarships to Punjabi students from economically weak backgrounds.
Members can look forward to the celebration of important festivals and events in the Punjabi cultural calendar such as Lohri, Baisakhi and Gurpurab.
The WPO was set up in 1998 under the patronage of former Prime Minister I K Gujral and members include politicians Sushma Swaraj and Madan Lal Khurana, actors Raj Babbar and Sunil Dutt, journalists Prabhu Chawla and Kuldip Nayyar. Bureau Report