Barrhead boy's song about Punjabi alphabet is smash hit

A video of 12-year-old Eastwood High School pupil, Himmat Khurmi, singing Meri Maa Boli, which translates as My Mother Tongue, has attracted tens of thousands of views on YouTube.

The song explains how the Punjabi alphabet works and aims to help educate people about this ancient language.

It was recorded by Himmat during a visit to Punjab, India, in 2017 and is now taking social media by storm, having been released with a new video.

His proud dad Mandeep Khurmi Himmatpura, who is a journalist, told the Barrhead News: “Although adult singers have sung songs about the Punjabi language, not a single child did that kind of effort.

"This is evidenced when you scroll through YouTube or other social media sites."

"This is an extraordinary achievement."

Himmat started life in the Southall area of London, which is often referred to as 'Little Punjab' or 'Little India,' before moving to Scotland.

Along with his sister Keerat Khurmi, he speaks both English and Punjabi, thanks to lessons from their parents.

Mandeep Khurmi made a Punjabi alphabet board in his garden to teach his kids (Image: Sourced)

Himmat's mum, Neelam Khurmi, a solicitor, said: “We teach them at home because me and my husband both know Punjabi.

"We’ve been teaching them since they were three years old, from books.”

The family recently travelled to London for a ceremony organised by the Shivcharan Gill Memorial Trust, at which Himmat was presented with an award in recognition of his success.

This event is celebrated every year in memory of the eminent Punjabi poet, novelist and storyteller Bapu Shivcharan Singh Gill.

Others to be honoured by the trust have included renowned novelist Shivcharan Jaggi Kussa and popular singer Deedar Singh Pardesi, as well as Channi Singh, who is known as the 'godfather' of bhangra music in the West.

To see Himmat's video, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G746AZKf7_k