LAHORE: Punjab Lok Sangat and other organisations organised a rally on Monday in connection with the Mother Language Day ( Feb 21) and demanded that the government make Punjabi a compulsory subject from class one to bachelors level.

The rally, which was about an hour or so late from its scheduled time of 2pm as the participants could not gather in time, was taken out from Lahore Press Club to PIA Office, Egerton Road.

The Covid SOPs were not properly followed and fewer people were seen wearing masks.

All Pakistan Trade Union Federation, Pakistan Workers Confederation, Muttahida Labour Federation, Awami Workers Party, Mazdoor Kisan Party, Pakistan Mazdoor Mahaz, Alam Bibi Trust, Punjab Professors and Lecturer Association, Punjab Teachers Union, PHA Workers Union, Christian True Spirit Centre for Social Justice, South Asia Partnership Pakistan, Trinjan Theatre group and others participated in the rally.

Some of the participants were wearing turbans and holding red flags mostly of Mazdoor Kisan Party. They were chanting slogans like Sada Haq Aithay Rakh,Chan Punjabi Dhol Punjabi Bol Punjabi Bol Punjabi in support of the promotion of the language.

The rally passed a resolution demanding that Punjabi language should be taught from primary to BA level as a compulsory subject. In every school and college Punjabi language teachers should be appointed. The bill of declaring Punjabi as the official language should be presented in the Punjab Assembly. In every government office, including Punjab Assembly, ban on speaking Punjabi should be lifted.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Lok Sangat Convener Amjad Saleem said not only labourers were being exploited but also their language. He said Punjab had 62,000 schools and there would be ample job opportunities for Punjabi language teachers if it was made a compulsory subject.

Saleem said earlier Shehbaz Sharif did not honour his promise to present the bill in Punjab Assembly and now the current government is doing the same thing. He said when rulers asked for votes in their constituencies in Punjabi language what stopped them from passing a bill regarding the Punjabi language in the assembly.

One of the speakers, Nasir Jamil, said Punjabi is the language of Punjab and it should be made the official language of the province. Haroon Ranjah from Christian Lawyers Association said language is the flag-bearer of culture and heritage and Punjabi language should be promoted at all levels.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2022