Signboards with Hindi text smeared at Panjab varsity : The Tribune India

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Signboards with Hindi text smeared at Panjab varsity

CHANDIGARH:Panjab University has decided not to go for a formal complaint with this police against a few miscreants who blackened Hindi text on a signboard outside gate number 1 and address displayed on the concrete slabs put up in the lane outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office.



Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 19

Panjab University has decided not to go for a formal complaint with this police against a few miscreants who blackened Hindi text on a signboard outside gate number 1 and address displayed on the concrete slabs put up in the lane outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office. 

“We have asked the police post personnel of the PU to keep a vigil. We are trying to find out who is behind it. Once, it gets confirmed, we will file an FIR,” said Prof Ashwani Koul, chief of the university security. 

After a protest by a section of students, Punjabi has been put up on top of all display boards, followed by Hindi and then English. Outside gate number 1, the name of the university was written on a signboard in all three languages, but Hindi letters were targeted. 

Similarly, the name of the Vice-Chancellor’s office, the Energy Research Centre and the AC Joshi Library written in Hindi were also targeted. 

As soon as the PU authorities came to know about it around midnight, the police were informed. 

Prof Koul also visited the spots. “We got the signboards cleaned immediately at night. Hindi language was targeted. We don’t want to flare up the issue. There are no CCTV cameras in that location,” he said. 

The authorities have cleaned the black ink from the display concrete slabs, but stains are still left. 

“We are waiting for a formal complaint from the PU,” said Inspector Lakhbir Singh, Station House Officer, Sector 11 police station. 

Baljeet Singh Khalsa, a resident of Sector 40, had smeared signboards outside the DC office in Sector 17 with black ink in 2017 as the information displayed on it was not written in Punjabi. English and Hindi were used for the DC office signboard. The court later fined him under the Delhi Defacement of Public Property Act for Rs 7,500, but no such incident took place at the PU earlier. 

Students’ bodies call for action

Various students’ bodies, including the Students for Society (SFS), National Students Union of India (NSUI), Panjab University Students’ Union (PUSU), Students Organisation of India (SOI), Punjab Students Union (Lalkaar), Indian Students Association (ISA), All-India Students Association and Punjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) have formed a ‘Maa Boli Chetna Manch’ to promote Punjabi as official language on the campus. The forum held a meeting on Friday and condemned targeting Hindi language on the campus. 

“This incident is irresponsible and the forum does not endorse such acts. The forum said that after giving the status of the first language to Punjabi, there is no objection regarding any language as a second or third language. The forum demanded that the incident (putting ink on Hindi text on boards) should be investigated. One of our key demands is that students should have the freedom to conduct their exams in their mother tongue (Punjabi, Hindi or other) and also the university should arrange for education material in the respective languages,” said a statement issued by the forum.

Kanupriya, president, PUCSC, said: “The issue of the mother tongue is going on in the PU, but degrading one language like this is condemnable.” 

Daler Singh, vice-president, PUCSC, said: “It is a reprehensible act. The PU security should be improved. Action should be taken against the accused.” 

“It is the outcome of language politics pursued by the Left organisations on the campus. An attempt is being made to spoil the atmosphere. No language should be insulted. Action should be taken and an FIR should be lodged. If the PU doesn’t take action, we will approach the Chandigarh Administration,” said Harmanjot Gill, member, Central Working Committee of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). 


Meeting held to make Punjabi official language

Meanwhile, ‘Maa Boli Chetna Manch’ held its pre-planned meeting on Friday and called for making Punjabi as official language of the PU. The forum said all students should have opportunity to pursue higher education in their own mother tongue. “The PU represents the region of Punjab and it is important that Punjabi should be the first language in the PU,” the forum said. The forum decided to organise a seminar on October 30 regarding the importance of mother tongue and the first language status to Punjabi in the PU. 

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