Punjabi convention bats for education in mother tongue
PATIALA:Reaching unanimity on the fact that ignoring the role of imparting education in the mother tongue has created a serious educational, linguistic, cultural and political crisis for the country, eminent Punjabi writers and experts participated in a ‘Punjabi Language Convention’ in the city on Sunday.
The experts agreed that in Punjab, Punjabi needed to be given the numero uno status — something that had not been happening and ensuring that education is imparted in the mother tongue. They sought the inclusion of education in the State List of the Constitution.
Writer Dalip Kaur Tiwana, Professor Joga Singh from Punjabi University, Professor Raunki Ram from Panjab University, Chandigarh and Professor Panditrao Dharennavar were the major experts who attended the convention that Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi had organised. The speakers expressed their serious concern for the marginalisation of Punjabi in the state itself.
The participants also held a protest rally and handed over a memorandum of their demands to the Punjab government through the Patiala DC. Five resolutions were passed at the meeting.
The first resolution stated that education needed to be made a State Subject in the Constitution. “Putting education in the Concurrent List of the Constitution (meaning that both the Centre and the state can make laws for it), has weakened the states’ control over education. This had damaged Indian federalism and the education system,” the resolution said, adding that education was included in the Concurrent List during the unconstitutional emergency rule from 1975-77.
The second resolution demanded the imparting of education through mother tongue. The third said the mother tongue needed to the basis for tests, education and functionality.
The fourth demanded demanded that Punjabi needed to be kept at top in all signboards in Punjab. The fifth resolution condemned the filing of police cases against Punjabi lovers and demanded immediate withdrawal of these cases.