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Aims and Objectives - Punjabi Language Movement - Pakistan
Punjabi Language Movement (PLM) is all about Punjab and Punjabi rights. The movement is meant to save, protect and preserve ancient and beloved motherland Punjab, Punjabi Language, Punjabi nation, Punjabi culture and future Punjabi generations.
PLM’s demands, aims and objectives and its 22 Points Agenda
Under a well planned agenda and conspiracy Punjabi language was banned as a medium of instruction in Punjab about 150 years ago. The ban on basic education in mother tongue in Punjab continued till date was initiated by the imperialists for the purpose of cultural occupation of Punjab. Punjab for the last more than 150 years culturally is a salved land. And Punjabi ‘s generation after generation have been bilingually /culturally exploited, discriminated , brainwashed and mislead beyond imaginations .To keep Punjabis away from their mother tongue, their motherland and their culture under a well thought conspiracy Punjabi language have been declared and is endlessly being propagated in Pakistan as the language of infidels, illiterate, goons, uncivilized and abuses. Punjabi Language Movement is being launched to end the cultural occupation of Punjab and to restore the honor and dignity of Punjabi language.PLM is determined to secure for Punjabi kids their legal, constitutional and birth right to be educated in Punjab in their own mother tongue at primary level just like the children of the rest of the world. Punjab is the only area in the entire world where education in the mother tongue is officially banned by the state.In shortest possible words it can be said that Punjab is under the cultural occupation, Punjabi culture is being abused and exploited, Punjabi nation lingually is a slave nation and Punjabi language is the victim of state sponsored terrorism, exploitation and discrimination for the last 150 years. Punjabi Language Movement is right here to end this endless tyranny, oppression, exploitation, discrimination, slavery and terrorism against motherland Punjab, Punjabi Language, Punjabi nation and Punjabi culture.
To achieve the goal of making Punjabi the " sole, normal and everyday language of instruction, government, judiciary, media, work, communication, commerce, science, technology and business" and to ensure the respect of Punjabi language’s constitutional rights and the linguistic rights of Punjabi nation in the province of Punjab, to preserve Punjabi culture, to protect the integrity of motherland Punjab it is essentially felts that Punjabi Language Movement (PLM) has to be launched. Therefore, to secure the constitutional, legal, democratic and birth rights of motherland Punjab, Punjabi Language ,Punjabi culture and Punjabi nation, to keep Punjab united and to save motherland Punjab, Punjabi Language, Punjabi nation and Punjabi culture from a possible extinction the Punjabi Language Movement announces its aims and objective, demands and 22 point agenda as follows:
Punjabi Language Movement - 22 Point Agenda
1) Charter of the Punjabi Language or Punjabi Language Act be introduced in the Punjab assembly.
“For the purpose of the linguistic officialization, Punjabialisation of the educational system, civil service, enterprises, judiciary and to declare Punjabi as the language of the instruction, legislature ,administration, and judiciary in the province of Punjab “The Charter of the Punjabi Language” or “The Punjabi Language Act “be introduced in the Punjab assembly as a law in the Province defining Punjabi, the language of the majority of the population and as the medium of instruction and as the sole official and judicial language of Punjab”. And to “make Punjabi the normal and everyday language of work, communication, commerce and business of the province. The charter may define the fundamental language rights of persons, the status of Punjabi in the education, legislature and the courts, the civil administration, the semipublic agencies, labor relations, commerce and business.
2) Declare Punjabi as the medium of instruction
Punjabi be declared the basic medium of instruction as well as official and judicial language in Punjab. Basic education (being the birth right of a child) should be imparted in mother tongue according to the constitution of Pakistan and as per the recommendations of UNESCO and UNO. Punjabi is a complete standardized language owned by approximately 150 million people around the globe. Education in mother tongue is the only source to bring an end to illiteracy, feudalism, violence,extremism ,terrorism, backwardness, Joblessness, Poverty, exploitation,
Crime, Intolerance and class discrimination in Punjab.
3) Abolish 150 years old ban on education in mother tongue in Punjab: Restore the fundamental linguistic rights of Punjabi people.
Abolish the 150 years old undeclared, un-official and unconstitutional ban on education in mother tongue in Punjab imposed by the colonial masters and later continued by the Federation and all its successive governments in Punjab after the independence. More than 100 million people of Punjab are officially being deprived of their mother tongue. Punjab is the only area in the entire world where education in the mother tongue is officially banned by the Federation and the Punjabi children are the only children in the entire world being discriminated and deprived of the basic education in their mother tongue. The Fundamental and constitutional linguistic rights of the Punjabi people must be restored. To end the cultural occupation of Punjab, return Punjab its mother tongue.Those concerned must restore the birth right of Punjabi language in Punjab without further delay.
4) Punjabi be adapted as the official language of the house by Punjab assembly
The unconstitutional, immoral and illegal restriction on the members of Punjab assembly to seek prior permission from the Speaker of the assembly to use Punjabi as medium of expression in Punjab assembly be abolished. All the members of the Punjab Assembly should be free by law to deliver speeches in Punjabi and the house should adapt Punjabi as its official and preferred language.
5) State run Institutions be established: State must Protect and promote Punjabi language
To protect, promote , preserve and for the scientific development of Punjabi language, literature, arts, culture and to provide modern education in Punjabi language and to extend the official patronage, the following institutions must be established by the government of Punjab.(1)Punjabi Language education ministry (2) Punjabi language policy and planning commission (3)Punjabi Language Authority, (4) Punjabi language Text Book Board.(5)Punjabi University with its Campuses at Lahore, Multan and Taxila(6) Punjabi Academy of Letters. (7)Department of Punjabiology be established at Punjab university .And Senior Punjabi writers and intellectuals be appointed as the members of the board of directors of Punjab institute for Language and culture (PILAC) just to ensure the genuine promotion of Punjabi language, literature ,art and culture.
6) Punjabialise Punjab, its media and text books
It is demanded that the federal provincial and private sector advertisements being issued to the print and electronic media for Punjab should be distributed and issued in Punjabi language on priority basis for the Punjabi speaking consumers. The non –local, non –Punjabi names of the streets, bazaars, roads and buildings be changed with the iconic, legendary, historical and famous Punjabi names. All the business dealing with the people in Punjab should be restricted by law to provide their client service strictly in Punjabi. The non-local and non-Punjabi so called heroes of the freedom struggle be removed from the Punjab text book boards and be replaced with the Punjab’s Sufi saints, legends, warriors, freedom fighters and historical figures.
7) Census and the mother tongue: Educate Punjabi people about their mother tongue
The Punjab Government should arrange to initiate cultural awareness among the Punjabi people to read, write and speak their own mother tongue .An d should immediately launch a drive to educate, alert and appeal to the people of Punjab to must write Punjabi as their mother tongue in the column of mother tongue in the census form during the coming census. And Government of Punjab without further delay launch an official claim to educate Punjabi people to speak, read and write Punjabi in everyday life.
8) NADRA must start issuing the national identity cards in Punjabi
The Federal Government should instruct NADRA to start issuing National Identity Cards in Punjabi. As it is already issuing the N.I.C ‘sin Sindhi and Urdu languages. Pakistan post office should start publishing money order forms in Punjabi. Public announcements throughout Punjab at public places such as PTCL and Mobile Phone service providers customer services, air-ports, railway stations, bus stands, banks and markets and in Friday sermons/khutbas in Masjids be made /delivered strictly in Punjabi. Punjab Government must frame necessary laws in this regard. All the political parties operating in Punjab should conduct their meetings and public gatherings only in Punjabi language strictly. Or they should wind up and leave Punjab. The cellular companies are provided services in Urdu, Sindhi and Pushto but they are illegally discriminating their 100 million Punjabi customers. They must without further delay start providing their services in Punjabi too. If the national ID cards can be issued in Sindhi and Urdu why they cannot be issued in Punjabi.
9) Punjabi business community must invest in their mother tongue
Punjabi business community must come forward to invest in establishing Punjabi print and electronic media including the cultural and research centers at all levels all over Punjab to protect and promote Punjabi Language, literature, art and culture. On Punjabi print and electronic media is discriminating and exploiting Punjab, Punjabi language, Punjabi people and Punjabi culutre.Punjabi business community must come forward to rescue Punjab and Punjabi. It should launch Punjabi print and electronic media with full force. Punjabi is the mother tongue of 100 million people in Pakistan. Undoubtedly it’s a very profitable business too.
10) Free Basic education for Punjabi Children
PLM demands that education should be free, compulsory, universal and equal for all Punjabi children especially for the poor in Punjab. Higher education and technical training shall be opened to all by means of state allowances and scholarships awarded on the basis of merit, adult illiteracy must brought to an end by a mass state education plan. All the poor Punjabi children be provided the education from basic to metric level including free unforms, books, food and transportation, Including the free health facility.
11) Allocate 10% of Punjab’s GDP for the development of the Punjabi language, education and culture.
Government should bear all the cost of educational expenses up to degree level. Allocate 10% of Punjab’s GDP for the development of the Punjabi language education, literature,art and culture.
12) Punjab’s educational institutions be provided with the required Punjabi language teaching staff and facilities.
Thousands of qualified jobless Punjabi language teachers be provided with the jobs on priority basis by the provincial government. The Department of Punjabi Language and Literature should be established in all the public sector educational institutions which should be fully equipped with libraries and other educational requirements .And jobless Punjabi teachers should be appointed there. All those private educational institutions which are not teaching Punjabi at primary level they be fined heavily and their licenses be cancelled .
13) Punjabi film city be established.PTV and Radio Pakistan should launch full time Punjabi language TV channel and FM station.
Due to the official discrimination the production of Punjabi film has fallen dramatically. It is proposed that Punjab Government must set up a most modern “Punjabi Film City” laid with Kanals,Parks,flowers,5 star hotels, high tech modern buildings, large squares,opne 4 way roads outside of Lahore at good a location. The studios and their facilities must be latest and of the Hollywood’s standards. Where the entire world may com e to produce the films on cheaper rates. The Punjabi film city should have a Punjabi film training Academy and along with the film city the Disney Park must be established too. Punjabi film cannot be ignored any more. It has to be revived. And Government of Punjab is responsible to undertake this task. Punjabi film has played an extremely vital role in promoting Punjabi language and Music. The revival of Punjabi cinema is extremely vital for the promotion of Punjabi language art and culture. Pakistan Television and Pakistan broadcasting corporation should launch full time Punjabi language TV channel and FM stations.PTV should also launch Full time Sindhi, Pushto ad Balochi channels and FM stations.
14) BBC must launch its Punjabi service
BBC must stop its century old official discrimination against Punjabi language.BBC is ignorant of the fact that Punjabi being the mother tongue of more than 115 million people around the globe I s11th most spoken language in the world.BBC should launch its Punjabi service without further delay. It’s long overdue.
15) “Punjabi Pug Cultural Day” be celebrated officially
The government of Punjab should accept the legal responsibility of promoting and protecting Punjabi culture and to create awareness among the people of Punjab. It should make arrangements to celebrate on first day of Waisakh each year “The Punjabi Pug Cultural Day”. And should declare an official holiday on the occasion accordingly.
16) Division of Punjab be it lingual or administrative is strongly rejected.
Punjab is the ancient motherland of great Punjabi nation. It is a single, lingual, cultural, administrative and historical unit and an identity from times immemorial. And is characterised by its historical, cultural, economic, linguistic, administrative, and geographical identity. The Punjabi Language Movement strongly rejects the division of the Punjab at any pretext, be it administrative, racial, and lingual or something else. PLM also rejects the calls for the new provinces. As they are meant to push the imperialist’s agenda to disintegrate the country.
17) Punjabi speaking areas of Khyber Pukhtoon Khawah be merged with Punjab.
The Punjabi speaking areas of Khyber Pukhtoonkhwah that include Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Hazara be split from that province and merged with Punjab because these are the majority Punjabi speaking areas. Hindko is the dialect of Punjabi language .These areas were already part of Punjab before partition.
18) End the feudal state and abolish the feudalism in South Punjab
Pakistan is a feudal state. South Punjab, its people and its resources are being exploited and plundered by its feudals, Serdars, Pirs and the privileged ruling class .Common people enslaved by the feudal and are being treated by them like slaves. South Punjab has been turned in to a colony of feudals , Serdars, Pirs and privileged who have hindered and obstructed all sort of development in the areas since centuries. The feudal system should be abolished in south Punjab and feudal land holdings be distributed among the landless and tenants.
19) Federal Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi universities be setup
The Federal Government should set up Federal Sindhi University, Federal Punjabi University, Federal Pushto University and Federal Balochi University in Islamabad on the pattern of the Federal Urdu University along with their provincial campuses established in their respective provinces.
20) Declare Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi as the national languages of Pakistan.
The federation must declare Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi being the majority languages of all the four federating units as the national languages of Pakistan. Constitution of Pakistan must be amended and the four national languages constitution (amendment) bill to declare majority Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi languages as the national languages must be adapted by the national assembly. A National Language and Cultural commission be setup by the federal government for promotion of Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi languages and to promote inter-cultural harmony.
21) “National Cultural Day” be celebrated on the national level
It is proposed that a “National Cultural Day” be celebrated on the national level, to promote the Indus valley culture as the culture of Pakistan. It shall help to promote the inter-provincial harmony, unity and brotherhood among the provinces .A public holiday be declared on the occasion to celebrate the “National Cultural Day” throughout the country. And the Indus Valley culture be declared as the national culture of Pakistan.
22) Integrity of the motherland Punjab will be defended at all costs.
PLM is strongly opposed to the idea of creating new provinces and the division of ancient motherlands of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pukhtoonkhwah .Division of any of the federating unit (province) be it lingual or administrative is strongly rejected. Such demands are meant to impose the minority and pseudo nationalities on the ancient majority nations .Division of Punjab (be it lingual or administrative) is meant to disintegrate Pakistan. It is meant to divide Sindh to split Karachi from Pakistan. New provinces if attempted are bound to push the country in to an endless ethno-lingual civil war in which millions will be slaughtered that will result in breakup of Pakistan .The day Punjab is divided Pakistan falls.170 million people enslaved forever. PLM therefore is strongly committed to defend the integrity of Punjab that means it is defending the integrity of Pakistan. The imperialists’ agenda being pushed ahead by imperialists Pakistani touts for the division of Punjab be it lingual or administrative is strongly rejected. Punjab is the ancient motherland of Punjabi nation. Punjab belongs to Punjabis only. And all those who live in Punjab are Punjabis. The enemy is all out to destroy Pakistan by dividing Punjab. Pseudo nationalities, imperialists’ touts and vested interests are being organized, conspiring and targeting Punjab to divide it. The malicious media trial of Punjab and Punjabis is part of the sinister move to break up Paksitan.PLM is to organize Punjabi people to defend the integrity of its motherland Punjab. And it will be defended at all costs no matter what may come.
PLM is to work to secure and is committed to organize the masses to retain and protect Punjabi language’s constitutional rights through peaceful means. The very existence of Punjabi language, the mother tongue of more than 100 million people of Punjab is threatened seriously. The issued needs to be addressed seriously. The federation/state must return Punjab its mother tongue now.
Punjabi Language Movement has decided in principal to celebrate year 2011 as the year of Punjabi language. Our slogan is “Punjabi is the destiny”.
PLM is here to Save Punjab, Punjabi language, Punjabi culture to save Pakistan”. Its a “Jehad” to fight for the rights of one mother tongue. And PLM will fight it in a befitting manner Punjabis…lets join hands and be a part of this historic struggle being launched. Punjabi Language Movement is all about Punjab and Punjabi rights and it is here to save, protect and preserve ancient beloved.
motherland Punjab, Punjabi Language, Punjabi nation, Punjabi culture and our future generations……Jeewey Punjab
Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut: Convener, Punjabi Language Movement (Pakistan), Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Email:
nazeerkahut@yahoo.com punjabilanguage.m@gmail.com