Punjabi nationalists, writers, intellectuals, teachers, politicians have demanded that the provincial government add Punjabi as a compulsory subject from class one to graduation, following the recent directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
At a seminar at Lahore Press Club on Saturday, the participants called for implementation of the mother tongue of Punjabis as a medium of instruction in educational institutions across Punjab. The event was jointly organized by Punjab Parhao Tehreek and Lahore Press Club.
Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Hassan Khawar, PML-N central leader Malik Ahmed Khan, Punjabi Tehreek leader Ahmed Raza Watoo, PPP leader Faisal Mir, known Punjabi poets Afzal Sahir and Baba Najmi, Punjabi activist Ilyas Ghumman, and Kabbadi champion Shafique Chishti were among the prominent speakers.
“Punjabi is merely an optional subject at the Intermediate and BA levels. It has vanished from primary schools,” said Ahmed Raza. The Supreme Court of Pakistan and Lahore High Court had given rulings for teaching Punjabi to students, he said.
He added that the Constitution of Pakistan had ensured this right. Raza further said that UNESCO resolutions and leading educationists stressed on teaching students in their mother languages.
“We have long been demanding that governments give importance to (our) mother tongue, but no one is listening to our fair demands. Punjab needs Punjabi,” he said.
Ilyas Ghumman said, “Our successive governments had imposed a foreign language as an official language and it resulted in poor academic growth of our students and they could not progress in any field.”
The children, he said, first had to understand one thing in Punjabi, later they had to translate it into Urdu and then in English. Hence, they took studies as a burden, he added.
Representatives of Punjabi Parchar and Punjab National Party Pakistan and known Punjabi poets and activists also addressed the occasion.
A resolution adopted on the occasion demanded appointment of Punjabi language expert teachers in educational institutions. The resolution called for holding training workshops for teachers to develop their language expertise.
It also emphasised the need for preparation of standard Punjabi language books for curriculum. Old books could be used for teaching until the finalization of new courses, read the resolution.
The participants further demanded that the government issue instructions to officials across the province to speak Punjabi during their interaction with the people of Punjab. The appointment of non-Punjabi speaking officials in the province must be linked to the clearance of a Punjabi speaking course, resolution read.
“We feel guilty for ignoring Punjabi. We have done injustice to the people of Punjab,” said Khawar, vowing to raise the issue in the provincial cabinet. The PTI government, he said, would do its best to promote the mother language in the province. He assured the participants that government would certainly consider the demands raised in the resolution.
Hundreds of people later held a rally in front of the Lahore Press Club. They raised slogans of Punjab Di Boli Punjabi (language of Punjab, Punjabi), Sada Haq Aithay Rakh (Give us our rights), Kamyabi Di Pehli Manzal (First step of success), Sirf Maa Boli Vich Taleem (Education only in mother tongue) etc. They criticised the government for ignoring the issue of Punjabi language.
Chand Shakeel, a poet and teacher, while talking to Minute Mirror, said that the national languages were taught in all the three provinces of Pakistan, but Punjab was the only province where Punjab’s language was not being taught to students.
Representatives of Pakistan Punjabi Adbi Board (PPAB), Punjab Parhao Tehreek, Punjab Lok Sangat, Punjabi Sangat, Pakistan Mazdoor Kissan Party, Punjabi Parhao Tehreek, Bonded Labour Liberation Front, All Pakistan Trade Union Federation, Haqooq-e-Khalq Movement, Progressive Students Collective, Punjab Teachers Union, Punjab Professors and Lecturer Association and others were also present. The participants were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans to demand the government to pass Punjabi Language Bill in the provincial assembly.
