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Punjabi Language Movement Protest Rally in Lahore
Punjabis’ legal, democratic rights
‘being usurped’
LAHORE, Feb 20: Constitutional, moral, legal and democratic rights of the Punjabi people are being usurped by the establishment, putting the integrity of Punjab in danger. “Anti-Punjabi language forces within the establishment and anti-Punjabi mindset of the rulers are hampering enforcement of Punjabi as official, academic and legal language in Punjab,” said Punjabi Language Movement convenor Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut at a rally near Shimla Pahari on Sunday. “The 150 years old undeclared and unofficial ban on basic education in mother tongue in Punjab be abolished and systematic cleansing of Punjabi language in Punjab be stopped. Punjab wants its mother tongue back. Punjabi children should be given basic education in their mother tongue just like the children in rest of the world. The official discrimination against the mother tongue of 100 million people of Pakistan should be stopped immediately,” said a charged Kahut. No language could survive without the official patronage and it was time for the rulers to give Punjabi language and people their due rights. Punjab based politicians, religio-political parties and rulers, both dictators and elected ones, played no role to promote the Punjabi language. “The proposed National Language Constitution Amendment Bill 2011, with its highly divisive nature and controversial contents, is a potential threat to the very existence of the country. It may push the country into an endless and large scale ethnical and lingual conflict. Integrity of the country will be at stake if the bill is passed in its present form. It is not acceptable to Punjab in its present shape. Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi, being the majority language of the federating units, should be declared national languages of the country,” he said. Tariq Mahmud Jatala, Dr Dilshad Tiwana, Ghazala Alam, Kausar Tiwana and Umer Mahota called for an end to official discrimination against Punjabi language. Movement delegates from Jhang, Sargodha, Multan, Sahiwal, Jhelum, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Khushab, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawalnagar, Nankana Sahib and Dera Ghazi Khan; Punjabi writers and intellectuals and activists of Punjabi Adbi Sangat, Khoj Garh, Khaksar Tehreek, National Youth Forum, Boli Research Centre, Punjabi Sangat Pakistan, Punjabi Markaz, Sver International, Punjabi Writers Forum, National Students Federation, Punjabi Union, Pakistan Punjabi Adbi Board and Punjabi National Conference attended the rally. DAWN: By Our Staff Reporter : Published: February 21, 2011 Source: http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/21/punjabis-legal-democratic-rights-being-usurped.html
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‘Punjab wants its mother tongue back’LAHORE - Punjabi Language
Movement (PLM) staged a protest outside the Lahore Press Club on Sunday,
and demanded that Punjabi language should not be discriminated and
students should be given basic education in Punjabi. Speaking on the occasion,
PLM Convener Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut said, “Punjab wants its mother
tongue back. The 150-year old undeclared and unofficial ban on basic
education in Punjab should be abolished and systematic cleansing of the
language must be stopped. We want Punjabi kids to be given basic
education in their mother tongue just like the children of the rest of
the world.” He said ‘constitutional,
moral, legal, and democratic rights’ of the Punjabis were being
usurped by the ‘anti-Punjabi rulers’, who were obstructing the
implementation of Punjabi as the official and academic language. About
the proposed National Language Constitution Amendment Bill 2011, Kahut
said the bill, with its ‘divisive nature’ and ‘controversial
contents’, could push the country into an ethno-lingual conflict. Country integrity will be
at stake if the bill was passed, thus they demanded that the bill may be
withdrawn or changed. Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi being the
languages of the majority in the federating units should be declared as
national languages, he said. PLM demanded of the government to introduce
the Punjabi Language Act in the Punjab Assembly. PLM delegations from Jhang,
Sargodha, Multan, Sahiwal, Jehlum, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Khushab,
Gujarat, Faisalbad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawlagar, Nankana Sahib and
Dera Ghazi Khan also attend the rally. Other organizations who joined
the rally included Punjabi Adbi Sangat, Khoj Garh, Khaaksaar Tehreek,
Saanjh, National Youth Forum, Maan Boli Research Centre, Punjabi Sangat
Pakistan, Punjabi Markaz, Sver International, Punjabi Writers Forum,
National Students Federation, Punjabi Union, Pakistan Punjabi Adbi Board
and Punjabi National Conference. Prominent
Punjabi writers, intellectuals, supporters and activists also attended
the rally. PLM central convening committee members Taqriq Mahmud Jatala,
Dr Dilshad Tiawana, Ghazala Alam, Kausar Tiwana and Umer Mahota also
spoke on the occasion. The participants were carrying banners and
placards inscribed with slogans to end ‘official discrimination’
against Punjabi language. Pakistan
Today: By: Staff Report | Published: February 21, 2011
To
see the photos of the rally and to
the report
click on the link below. Source
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/pakistan-news/Lahore/21-Feb-2011/Punjab-wants-its-mother-tongue-back ……………………………………………. Rally for ending 150-year-old ‘ban’ on education in Punjabi LAHORE
– The Punjabi Language Movement has called upon the Punjab government
to introduce the basic education for the Punjabi children in their
mother tongue just like the kids in the rest of the world. The PLM also
staged a protest demonstration at the Lahore Press Club on Sunday
against the official discrimination of the Punjabi Language. The
Nation: Published: February 21,
2011 To
see the photos of the rally and complete report click on the link below Source: http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Lahore/21-Feb-2011/ Rally-for-ending-150yearold-ban-on-education-in-Punjabi ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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