CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Minister for Technical Education and Industrial Training, Tourism and Cultural Affairs and Employment Generation Mr. Charanjit Singh Channi today moved a resolution in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha that all Punjab Government institutions should be made mandatory to work in Punjabi language and the functioning of the courts should also be ensured in Punjabi. He also proposed that necessary steps should be taken to make Punjabi language as compulsory subject in all government and private schools up-to tenth standard. In addition, he proposed that the State Government should make necessary arrangements, including the laws, to prevent any person or institution working against Punjabi language. This resolution was unanimously passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
The resolution presented by Channi welcomes every step taken by the state government to promote the mother tongue Punjabi. In the resolution he also applauded the state government for the notification issued to give Punjabi the first place on signboards. He added that this should be made mandatory for all the private institutions also.
Speaking in the House, Mr. Channi said that Punjabi is spoken in 150 countries across the globe and referring to the UNO report, he said that Punjabi ranks 12th out of 7000 languages worldwide. But as per this report there is a threat to 2000 languages which would extinct in the next 50 years and Punjabi is one of them.
He also expressed concern over the fact that children speaking in Punjabi are being punished in state schools and other languages are being given priority, which should be dealt strictly.
To give mother tongue Punjabi full honour and strictly enforce the Punjabi language in the state, a separate commission should be set up. He also proposed strict action against those who do not work in Punjabi and who work against Punjabi. At the same time, he said that it should be made mandatory for all officers and employees of the state to work in Punjabi.
Mr. Channi said that his department technical education has taken a lead to provide syllabus of all the technical education courses in Punjabi. He said that decision in this regard has already been taken to translate all the books in Punjabi. At the same time he appealed to the higher education and Medical Education Minister to provide syllabus books in Punjabi.
The Minister also said that concrete efforts should be made to make Punjabi first language in Chandigarh and make Punjabi subject compulsory till 10th standard in all the government and private schools in Chandigarh. He also advocated making joint efforts to make Punjabi second language in the neighouring states Haryana, Himachal and Rajastan.
Mr. Channi also appealed to the Speaker to ensure all proceedings and working of Punjab Vidhan Sabha in Punjabi.
Mr. Channi told the House that the Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, organized programs at various venues across the state to promote Punjabi Lan.