Elite school students urge to promote Punjabi

Updated on: Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Hundreds of students of elite schools, where they face virtual ban on speaking in their mother tongue, Punjabi, raised slogans and carried placards to promote Punjabi here on the occasion of International Mother Language Day on Tuesday.

Still the bigger development which seemed like reversing history was that around half-a-dozen colleges and schools controlled by Arya Samaj - which was in the forefront of campaign against Punjabi as their mother tongue during census of 1951, also participated in this procession, organized by the Punjab Jagriti Manch, telling people to feel proud about their mother tongue, Punjabi.

The prominent English medium schools, which participated in the procession included Swami Sant Dass Public School, Cambridge International School, ApeeJay School which don't allow their students to converse in Punjabi in their schools.

"At schools we are told to speak in English or Hindi and we are discouraged from speaking in Punjabi," said a student of Cambridge school.

Arya Samaj institutions, students of which were raising loud slogans for Punjabi and were carrying placards asking people to speak in Punjabi ,included HMV College, KMV College, Doaba College, DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology, BD Arya College, Mehar Chand Polytechnic.

During the census of 1951 Arya Samaj had spearheaded campaign asking Hindus of Punjab to register their mother tongue as Hindi disowning Punjabi.

The political atmosphere and factors at that time were different and different communities had their own insecurities and this divide on language issue created communal rift.

Noted Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans, who addressed a function at the end of the procession at Desh Bhagat Yaadgaar Hall, urged the teachers and managements of these schools not to admonish the students from speaking in Punjabi.

His appeal received a thunderous applaud from thousands of students present there. Punjab Jagriti Manch general secretary Satnam Singh Manak, while reading out resolutions at the end of the function said there should be no restrictions on speaking in Punjabi in schools or colleges.

Another popular Punjabi singer Manmohan Waris apart from presenting his song on Punjabi language also emphasized that language should remain above communal considerations. "What we are seeing today is heartening as all sections of the society have participated," he said.

The state which witnessed communal divide on language issue some 61 years ago found Trinity College, Swami Ramdev's Patanjali Yog Peeth, and Muslim colony residents also participated apart from several members of Valimiki community.

Times of India

Elite school students urge to promote Punjabi

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