LAHORE, Jan 30: East Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh has proposed the constitution of a Joint Punjab Research Council and starting Punjabi Youth Festival and exchange of delegations of students for bringing the two parts of Punjab closer.

He was speaking as the chief guest at the session on 'Globalization, Language and Culture' on the first day of the three-day World Punjabi Conference soon after arrival from India here on Friday.

Mr Singh said the council could conduct research on the culture, history and economy of the Punjab and delegations of school and college students from each part of the Punjab could conduct study tours of the other for three months. Joint youth festivals could also be organized at Lahore and Amritsar annually, he added.

He said Punjabi was the medium of instruction at primary level and knowledge of language was compulsory for government employment in his province. Knowledge of English language had become necessary due to globalization but cultural heritage could not be sacrificed on it, he maintained.

He welcomed the setting up of an institute for Punjabi language and culture announced by Pervaiz Elahi and stressed the need for introduction of Punjabi as medium of instruction at primary level.

Mr Singh said a World Punjabi Centre had been set up at the Patiala University with Rs20 million for the promotion of Punjabi culture globally. He invited the Punjab government to send students and scholars to the centre.

He said both parts of the Punjab had a common language and culture but the British divided them. He was happy over the efforts being made for bringing the people of both the parts closer.

He said he would visit the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday along with the industrialists and businessmen who had come with him and hold talks on cooperation in the trade and industry sectors.

He expressed resentment about restrictions on travel between two parts of the Punjab and said he would take up the matter with Prime Minister Vajpayee.He urged World Punjabi Congress chairman Fakhar Zaman to convene the next meeting at Patiala and he would see as to who dared to deny visas to the delegates from Pakistani Punjab.

Afzal Hasan Randhawa said Punjabi could not be promoted without declaring an official language. Nobody would learn Punjabi if its education was not linked with employment.

Dr Tariq Rehman said the British had promoted Urdu and ignored Punjabi because they had wrested power from the Punjabi speaking Sikhs. They promoted Urdu and reduced the status of Punjabi as the language of servants.

Dr Zulfiqar Kazmi said Indian producers should be advised to stop producing movies against Pakistan. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi announced the establishment of a 'grand' institute of Punjabi language and culture and hiring of more lecturers in Punjabi. He announced this while inaugurating the World Punjabi Conference here.