‘ONE CAN’T BE ORIGINAL THINKER IF NOT GOOD IN MOTHER TONGUE’
AMRITSAR: More than five decades since the reorganisation of Punjab on the basis of language, the state government is making efforts to restore Punjabi the pride of place it deserves but it needs a collective will of people to make the initiative a success.
On demand of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Punjab was reorganised in 1966 to preserve and promote Punjabi. But like most regional languages, it is finding fewer takers in the younger generation.
“All regional languages are endangered in the country. The condition of Punjabi is worse. One of the reasons for this is that we relate languages to religion. We are witnessing a small improvement but more needs to be done. Today, parents want that they educate their progeny in English, while linguists and psychologists believe that no one can become an original thinker if he/she is weak in his/her mother tongue,” says Surjit Patar, Punjabi poet and president of the Punjab Arts Council.
“Punjabi is the 10th largest language spoken in the world, according to Unesco,” he says.
‘SCHOOLS IGNORING PUNJABI’
Ravinder Singh Bhattal, the president of the Punjabi Sahit Akademi, Ludhiana, says, “The condition of Punjabi is quite bad in its native land. I’ve seen in families that many Punjabi mothers converse with each other in Punjabi but turn to Hindi when communicating with their children.”
COURSE CORRECTION
Punjab higher education and language minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa says that it will be ensured that all government, semi-government and private schools, irrespective of the board they are affiliated to, teach Punjabi as a subject up to matriculation level.