Punjabi should be mandatory in schools from nursery, Akal Takht officiating Jathedar tells Punjab Govt
The officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, said that Punjabi should be a mandatory subject in all state schools from Nursery, regardless of the board they are affiliated with.
While knowledge of multiple languages is beneficial, Jathedar Gargajj said that in Punjab, priority should be given to Punjabi.
“New school admissions are under way. Reports surfaced that several schools have made English and Hindi compulsory while keeping Punjabi as an optional subject. This reflects the growing negligence towards Punjabi, contrary to the government’s claims of implementing it. This is not acceptable at least in Punjab. The mother tongue is the soul of a thriving community, making it our duty to preserve and promote the Punjabi language”, he said.
He also stressed that not just the government but parents, too, have a responsibility to encourage their children to learn Punjabi from the beginning. He questioned parents how their children would connect with Gubani when the sacred Sri Guru Granth Sahib is written in Gurmukhi.
Meanwhile, he urged all Punjabi language activists to take a pledge and inspect schools in their vicinity to identify those schools which do not teach Punjabi from the nursery class.
“A list of such schools should be compiled and presented to the Akal Takht Sahib for further action," he said.
