The Nation, December 31,2010

LAHORE – The Punjabi Language Movement (PLM) demanded of the government to establish Punjabi University and to adopt the language as medium of education. 

These views were expressed by convener PLM Nazeer Kahut while speaking to a Press conference at Lahore Press Club on Friday. He announced the agenda of PLM and demanded that Punjabi should be declared as the medium of instruction as well as official and judicial language in Punjab. Regretting the ignorance of the Punjabi rulers towards their mother tongue Nazeer Kahut said Punjab was the only place in the entire universe where education in the majority mother tongue was banned by the state and the Punjabi children were being deprived of the basic education in their mother tongue. He said this was a crime committed against the mother tongue of the majority people and will not be tolerated any more.

He said Punjabi should be adopted as the official language of the house by Punjab assembly. He further said senior Punjabi writers and intellectuals should be appointed as the members of the board of directors of Punjab Institute for Language and Culture (PILAC). 

Kahut said NADRA must start issuing the national identity cards in Punjabi and 10 per cent of Punjab’s GDP should be allocated for the development of the Punjabi language education and culture. 

He also suggested Punjab’s educational institutions be provided with the required Punjabi language teaching staff and faculties at earliest and PTV and Radio Pakistan should launch Punjabi language FM stations and TV channels. He urged the BBC to launch its Punjabi service.

Opposing the division of Punjab Nazeer Kahut said that Punjab was a single, lingual, cultural, and historical unit from times immemorial.