SAHIWAL, Feb 22: Winners of the Punjabi essay writing competition have said that in a multilingual country the early learning should be given to every child in the mother tongue.

They stressed this at a young writer conference organised on ‘International Mother Language Day’ at the Library Hall of the Government Comprehensive High School the other day.

The Punjabi essay writing competition was held among 74 government public high and higher secondary schools in four districts -- Faisalabad, Okara, Bahawalnagar and Sahiwal.

Students were asked to write essay on three to four pages in Punjabi language on six different topics.

Masood Khalid, the Punjabi language activist, hosted the writer conference.