"Now , in Pakistan , most people speak Urdu..right? and people can't even write Punjabi...though they can speak it...mmm well in this case , Punjabi language's future
does look bleak."
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network
Urdu in Pakistan is spoken by the elite of Urban areas only. Rural population in Pakistani Panjab almost entirely speaks Panjabi. Rural Pakistani population in Sindh, Balochistan, Northwest Frontier area speak, Sindhi, Balochi, and Pasto respectively not Urdu.
"Secondly , as Gyani ji said , Punjabi is losing its social relevance...People would rather read sign boards in Urdu/Hindi or English rather than Punjabi...As older generations die out...so will the Punjabi language..."
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network
In Vancouver in Canada and some places in UK where most Panjabis live the street signs are written in Gurmukhi as well.
In UK, and elsewhere, Sikh parents who are concerned about their children wandering away from their culture have realised that if they send their children to Panjabi schools in Gurdwaras they would learn Panjabi, as they in fact do, and also attend the classes introducing them to their religion. The groups of students attending these classes within the group feel no inferiority about their language and culture and in fact begin to adorn 'Bana' etc. The education system in UK accepts Panjabi language qualifications such as GCSE 'O' levels or 'A' levels and the grades in Panjabi boost the chances of students competing for admission to universities, hence encouraging youth and their parents to follow this trend.
Another mechanism is to send children to the 'Gurmat Camps' organised by various Sikh organisations. Participants may or may not become good Sikhs but for parents it is an encourging social interaction between young males and females in the camps under the superivision of organisers. Such interactions result quite often in engagements and Anand Karaj of the copules. I have attended many such weddings over the years.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38946
Thus, the Panjabi Sikh parents have found these positive interactions in western countries not so much to make their children Barahm Gyanis but a successful attempt to preserve their culture in their future generations, including Language, religion and social values. This takes away the major worry of parents about their children marrying in non-Panjabi families.
In my opinioin, unlike back home in Panjab, Panjabis abroad are more aware of these issues and finding positive ways to deal with these.
It was the Panjabi singers in UK who inspired the Bollywood crowd to adopt Panjabi music as part of their musical masaala. Now we find, no film is successful if it doesn't have Panjabi lyrics in its songs. There are more Panjabi films that are produced by or helped financially by Panjabi 'NRI's.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38946
Future of Panjabi is cetainly not so bleak as portrayed.
Humbly
Serjinder Singh
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