Punjab Government must ensure Punjabi is taught from nursery class in every school: Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargajj
Amritsar: The officiating Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, stated in a statement issued from the Secretariat of Sri Akal Takht Sahib that a person’s mother tongue holds the same significance in life as their birth mother and native land.
He emphasized that the mother tongue is the soul of a thriving communities, making it our duty to preserve and promote the Punjabi language.
He pointed out that the concerns he raised about challenges to the Punjabi language during his address at Hola Mohalla are now proving true. He said with new school admissions underway in Punjab, reports indicate that many CBSE-affiliated schools have made English and Hindi mandatory while keeping Punjabi as an optional subject, which is unacceptable. This reflects the growing negligence towards Punjabi, contrary to the government’s claims of implementing it, he said.
Jathedar Gargajj asserted that under such circumstances, it becomes imperative to ensure that Punjabi is taught from the nursery class in every school in Punjab. Currently, many schools start teaching Punjabi from the first grade, which distances children from their mother tongue. The Punjab government must ensure that Punjabi is made mandatory from the nursery class in all schools, regardless of the board they are affiliated with, said the Jathedar.
He also stressed that not just the government but parents, too, have a responsibility to encourage their children to learn Punjabi from the beginning. Many parents believe that early education in English will benefit their child, but scientific studies have shown that unless children have a strong grasp of their mother tongue, they cannot excel in other languages either, he said.
While knowledge of multiple languages is beneficial, Jathedar Gargajj emphasized that in Punjab, priority should be given to Punjabi. Addressing parents, he questioned how their children would connect with Gurbani when the sacred Sri Guru Granth Sahib is written in Gurmukhi if they are not taught Punjabi.
He called upon every Punjabi to come forward to safeguard the Punjabi language. He urged all language activists to take a pledge and inspect schools in their respective areas to identify those schools which are not teaching Punjabi from the nursery class. A list of such schools should be compiled and presented to Sri Akal Takht Sahib for further action. He stressed the need for every Punjabi son and daughter to stand firmly against attacks on the existence of Punjabi.
