EVERY year February 21 is celebrated globally to commemorate the martyrdom of Bengali students who sacrificed their lives for their mother language almost 65 years back.

In Lahore and other parts of province this day is celebrated in connection with the demand to make the teaching of Punjabi as a subject and as a medium of instruction compulsory at primary level in the beginning and to extend it to the degree level gradually. But despite the verdict of the Supreme Court announced on 8 Sept that the provisions of Article 251 shall be implemented with full force and without unnecessary delay by the federal and provincial governments the clause (3) of article 251 which says: “without prejudice to the status of the National Language, a provincial assembly may by law prescribe measures for the teaching, promotion and use of a provincial language in addition to the national language.” The Government of Punjab has delivered nothing so far.

The Punjab government is requested to enact legislation in this connection without further delay.

Tariq Jatala

Lahore

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2017