Punjabi Revolution
Punjabi Revolution is all about the punjabi language. Punjabi Language should not only be the medium of instruction but also the official language in punjab. Education in mother language is the fundamental right of every child.
Let’s save and promote our mother language and be united on the foundations of our rich cultural heritage. The hatred stemming from the divide of cast, creed and sects resulted in holocaust and violence in 1947.
Let’s learn from the history and build a new Punjab having strong roots in language and culture. Let’s promote love, humanity, tolerance and interfaith harmony.
Let’s promote Punjabi, the language of peace.
Why punjabi Revolution?
It is not at all a political issue. It is the humanitarian crisis. When a punjabi kid goes to school, the first lesson he learns is, inferiority complex. He is not only fined for speaking his mother tongue rather he is mocked, laughed at and even scolded. He learns that his language, his dress, his culture and customs, in short every thing that he inherited from his parents is inferior to that of urdu speakers. He carries this feeling of inferiority from the very first day at school till the death bed. This individual experience in broader context has infected the whole punjabi nation. The punjabi nation is suffering from self hate syndrom. We hate our identity or in a nutshell we hate every thing that belongs to us.
This state sponsored linguistic terrorism is the worst kind of imperialism. Let me reiterate, it is not a political issue rather a matter of basic human rights.
Punjabi Revolution protests to life 150 years old official ban on Punjabi.
Do you know that Punjabi is even banned in Punjab assembly? One needs to seek permission from speaker of the house before talking in punjabi. Do you know why?
The history goes back to 1849 when Punjab was annexed by British.
At that time a British officer Charles Napier said
Punjab has been occupied but not conquered. Punjabi Language has yet to be conquered.
Believe it or not, you can search yourself, Punjab at that time had the highest literacy rate in subcontinent with forward looking peaceful society. Since divide and rule was the basic administrative principle for the British, so to divide the people of Punjab they played the language politics.
Please go to the Lahore museum, you can still find the board with inscription “two annas for a sword but six annas for a Punjabi quaida.”
The British collected Punjabi quaidas (primers) and burned. They had trained administrative Urdu speaking staff from UP/CP. They brought them to Punjab and imposed on Punjabi nation. Punjabi once the most eloquent, respected and cherished language of the region spreading from Delhi to Peshawar and from Kashmir to sindh started being termed as rude rough and language of the villagers. All the linguists agree that all languages are equal and have full capability to express ideas. The political bodies stigmatize them for their vested interest.
Now what? The British left long ago. But even after 70 years the ban on Punjabi language is still there. This is the clear symbol of our incompetency. We are still at the zero point. Time flied but we couldn’t even crawl. Let us show the courage to be proud in our own dress. Let’s fight for the justice and stand up against oppression.
Jeeve punjab jeeve punjabi.
Dr. Rehan Chaudhry +92 332 4139169
rehanchoudhry@gmail.com