LAHORE: Hundreds of people from many parts of Punjab on Friday participated in a rally organised by the Punjabi Adabi Board to protest neglect of the Punjabi language on the International Mother Language Day.
The procession was held from the Lahore Press Club to the Punjab Assembly. Civil society workers, Punjabi activists, poets, authors, journalists, educationists and representatives of several NGOs participated.
A good number of people had worn orange scarves – a colour signifying spring and activities like Basant. Slogans like “Sada haq aithay rakh” and “Jaag Punjabi jaag teri pag nu lag gaya dagh” aroused sentiments of those gathered.
Taimurur Rehman from LUMS played on guitar and sang many Punjabi folk songs. A septuagenarian sang ‘heer’ which was highly appreciated by the rally participants who danced to some lovely tunes. All these activities were symbolic in nature and highlighted the demand that the government should not turn a deaf ear to the cause of the Punjabi language.
The rally was led by Punjabi activist and columnist Mushtaq Sufi and Punjabi Adabi Board Secretary Parveen Malik. They handed over a memorandum to Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rasheed, demanding that the government make the Punjabi language compulsory at the primary level.
Teachers should be hired to teach the language in educational institutions, said the resolution.
Mehmoodur Rasheed said he would put in efforts for legislation in the Punjab Assembly to make Punjabi a compulsory language at the primary level. He said a resolution would be passed in the assembly if the government would not show any interest.
Lahore High Court Bar Association President Abid Saqi said: “We have to put in serious efforts for the promotion of the Punjabi language in every educational institution.”
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