Govt gears up to promote Punjabi language

The Punjab Government has fully geared up to promote Punjabi in a big way at all levels to restore the pride and prestige of Punjabi folklore, culture and heritage.The strategy has been envisioned in a blueprint drafted on Tuesday in a high-level meeting under the chairmanship of the State Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal. To execute the ambitious multipronged strategy, a committee has also been constituted.

Kaushal reiterated the Punjab Government’s resolve to implement Punjabi at every rank and file in the Government offices, colleges, schools and other institutions in Punjab.Describing various initiatives undertaken by the State Government to incorporate practice of Punjabi usage in official working, he said that a lot more is yet to be done to take the mother tongue Punjabi at a dignified level.

Punjabi University, Patiala, Registrar Prof Davinder Singh stated that the varsity’s language department has been keeping a treasure of good quality of books written in Punjabi by renowned scholars and authors.Chief Secretary suggested the Punjabi University to get historical books digitised and improve the outreach of the University language Center to all the colleges and schools of the State in coordination with Department of Higher Education and Department of School Education.

The option to make available the digital versions of these historical books on popular ecommerce portals should also be explored which will help the Punjabi diaspora to be acquainted with the Punjabi culture, heritage and language.A committee was also constituted under the Higher Education Secretary to prepare an action plan of activities to be performed in the coming year to promote the Punjabi language. The committee would comprise Director Culture, Director languages and Vice Chancellors of all Government and Private universities.

Various kinds of activities, to be executed by the Committee, includes literature festivals, theatre festivals, book fairs, folk festivals, art and heritage related events, seminars, quiz competition, essay writing competitions in schools and colleges especially on the theme of Punjabi heritage, culture and language.

Other activities expected to be performed by this committee are to facilitate in organizing book fairs in collaboration with National Book Trust and staging of nukkad nataks and stage shows with the collaboration of Punjab song and drama division under Department of Public Relations.