International Mother Language Day

Date: 21-02-2023

One day seminar dedicated to the International Mother Language Day was organized by the Punjabi Department of Sant Baba Bhag Singh University on the topic 'Mother Language: Crisis, Status and Prospects'. Presided over by Dr. S. P. Singh, former Vice- Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Special guest Dr. Lakhwinder Singh Johal, President, Sahitya Akademi Ludhiana and Secretary, Arts Council, Chandigarh and Sardar Satnam Singh Manak, President, Press Club Jalandhar, Executive, Editor, Ajit Akhtar Jalandhar attended. The Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. (Dr.) Dharamjit Singh Parmar gave a welcome speech and introduced the glorious history of the mother tongue, inspired the students and researchers to spread and promote the mother tongue and introduce Punjabi subjects in every course of every department of the university. He informed about the history of implementation of Punjabi as a compulsory subject and informed about the initiation of Punjabi Prakarji language from this year. Sardar Satnam Singh Manak, the principal speaker in this one- day seminar, creating a dialogue about the role of mother tongue in social development, made the young generation aware that this language is your identity which gives you a unique place in every corner of the world. Language is not only a medium of communication but it is an important link of personal and social development. While sharing the list of activities being done by various organizations to give legal status to the mother tongue, he also expressed his concern that everyone needs to be aware of the crisis of the mother tongue. In the second session of the seminar Dr. Lakhwinder Singh Johal congratulated the Punjabi lovers and described Sri Guru Granth Sahib as the world's first transliterated scripture. He proposed a script to replace the Shahmukhi and Gurmukhi scripts flauding the honorable work of Sardar Lachhman Singh Gill, the Chief Minister at the time of formation of the Punjabi state, while opening a detailed discussion about the law being made, he said that the issue of implementing the Language Act due to the indolence of the Gill government has been a problem of bureaucracy for the last six- seven decades. The offering of intention is coming. Congratulations to those students, researchers and the entire staff and management of the university that 21 February 2023 will be a historic day to remember that only by making the resolution passed by the government into law, the punishment is added. He also demanded from the government that if Punjabi language is made the language of employment then this crisis situation can be removed. In the presiding speech at the top of the event, Speaking about the state language law, Dr.S P Singh said that even if a language policy is made, it can be implemented only if the intention of those who enforce it is high. The condition of the mother tongue can become worse if not aware. A language which is far away from the common people is slowly on the verge of extinction, a good example of this is Sanskrit. At the end of the event, the secretary of Sant Baba Bhag Singh charitable Society, Sardar Hardman Singh Minhas , while talking about his glorious heritage, said that his father was actively active in the struggle for the formation of three states. The chancellor of the university, Sant Baba Sarwan Singh ji, congratulated the department on this auspicious day. On this occasion S.Pritpal Singh Management Committee Member, were also present. On February 21, 2023, a poetry writing and story writing competition was held in context to awaken and foster awareness among the students about the mother tongue, and prizes were given to the winning students in the form of books. Aneet Kumar, Dean Academic prose a vote of thanks to all.