LAHORE, Jan 1,: Punjabi Language Movement convener Nazeer Kahut has demanded that the government introduce the Punjabi Language Act in the Punjab Assembly.

He sought the Punjabi language to be declared the sole official and judicial language of Punjab. The PLM is a newly-built organisation pledging to work for the promotion of the language and culture.

Speaking at the Lahore Press Club on Friday, he also demanded that Punjabi be adopted as the official language of the house by the Punjab Assembly, senior Punjabi writers and intellectuals appointed members of the boards of directors of the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture, the Punjab University, the Punjabi Language Authority and the Punjabi Academy of Letters.

That Nadra must start issuing the national identity cards in Punjabi, 10 per cent of Punjab’s GDP be allocated for the development of the Punjabi language education and culture, the PTV and Radio Pakistan must launch Punjabi FM stations and BBC launch its Punjabi service, were other demands.

Mr Kahut stressed that Punjab’s educational institutions be provided with the required Punjabi teaching staff. He said the PLM rejected the division of Punjab at any cost. He further demanded that areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that includes Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Hazara be merged with Punjab.

A national cultural day be celebrated, the name of the federal capital Islamabad be changed to New Taxila and the Indus Valley culture be declared the national culture of Pakistan, he demanded.

He said the very existence of the Punjabi language, the mother-tongue of more than 100 million people of Punjab, was threatened. He announced that on first of Waisakhi each year “Punjabi Pagdi and Chunni Cultural Day” would be celebrated and the PLM had declared 2011 the year of the Punjabi language.

He said a Punjabi Language Action Committee would be formed and all likeminded organisations, intellectuals, workers and supporters would be invited to join the movement. He said a mutually-agreed charter of demands would be presented to parliament, federal and provincial governments, the United Nations, Unesco and other international forums to end injustices being committed by the federation against the Punjabi language.

Curtsey:DAWN.COM: Published on  January 1, 2011

Legislation demanded to make Punjabi official language

LAHORE: To put an end to the 150-year-old lingual discrimination and exploitation of more than 100 million people of Punjab, the Punjab Assembly should pass a law with a name “Punjabi language act”, defining it as the medium of instruction of education as well as the sole official and judicial language of the province.

Punjabi Language Movement (PLM) Convener Nazeer Kahut made this demand while addressing a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Friday.

Regretting the ignorance of Punjabi rulers towards their mother tongue, Kahut said that Punjab was the only place in the world where education in mother tongue had been banned by the state. “This is a crime against our mother tongue,” he said, adding that it would not be tolerated any more.

Kahut said that the Punjabi speaking areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that included Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Hazara should be merged in Punjab. Feudalism in south Punjab should be abolished, he added.

West Punjab

The PLM’s other demands included: adaption of Punjabi as official language of the House of the Punjab Assembly, appointment of senior Punjabi writers and intellectuals as members in board of directors of the Punjab Institute for Language and Culture (PILAC), establishment of a Punjabi university, a Punjabi language authority and Punjabi academy of letters, computerised national identity cards issued by NADRA should contain details in Punjabi, allocation of the 10 percent of the province’s GDP for development of Punjabi language, education and culture, and provision of Punjabi language teaching staff and faculties to educational institutions in the province. It also demanded that the state-run TV channel PTV and Radio Pakistan should start Punjabi language TV channels and FM radio stations. staff report

Curtsy:Daily Times: January 01, 2011

Punjabis’ legal, democratic rights ‘being usurped

LAHORE, Feb 20: Constitutional, moral, legal and democratic rights of the Punjabi people are being usurped by the establishment, putting the integrity of Punjab in danger.

“Anti-Punjabi language forces within the establishment and anti-Punjabi mindset of the rulers are hampering enforcement of Punjabi as official, academic and legal language in Punjab,” said Punjabi Language Movement convenor Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut at a rally near Shimla Pahari on Sunday.

“The 150 years old undeclared and unofficial ban on basic education in mother tongue in Punjab be abolished and systematic cleansing of Punjabi language in Punjab be stopped. Punjab wants its mother tongue back. Punjabi children should be given basic education in their mother tongue just like the children in rest of the world.

The official discrimination against the mother tongue of 100 million people of Pakistan should be stopped immediately,” said a charged Kahut.
No language could survive without the official patronage and it was time for the rulers to give Punjabi language and people their due rights. Punjab based politicians, religio-political parties and rulers, both dictators and elected ones, played no role to promote the Punjabi language.
“The proposed National Language Constitution Amendment Bill 2011, with its highly divisive nature and controversial contents, is a potential threat to the very existence of the country. It may push the country into an endless and large scale ethnical and lingual conflict.

Integrity of the country will be at stake if the bill is passed in its present form. It is not acceptable to Punjab in its present shape. Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi, being the majority language of the federating units, should be declared national languages of the country,” he said.
Tariq Mahmud Jatala, Dr Dilshad Tiwana, Ghazala Alam, Kausar Tiwana and Umer Mahota called for an end to official discrimination against Punjabi language.

Movement delegates from Jhang, Sargodha, Multan, Sahiwal, Jhelum, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Khushab, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawalnagar, Nankana Sahib and Dera Ghazi Khan; Punjabi writers and intellectuals and activists of Punjabi Adbi Sangat, Khoj Garh, Khaksar Tehreek,  National Youth Forum, Boli Research Centre, Punjabi Sangat Pakistan, Punjabi Markaz, Sver International, Punjabi Writers Forum, National Students Federation, Punjabi Union, Pakistan Punjabi Adbi Board and Punjabi National Conference attended the rally.

DAWN.COM— PUBLISHED FEB 21, 2011 

Rally for ending 150 year-old-old ban on basic education in Punjabi

LAHORE –Feb 21 ,The Punjabi Language Movement has called upon the Punjab government to introduce the basic education for the Punjabi children in their mother tongue just like the kids in the rest of the world.

The PLM also staged a protest demonstration at the Lahore Press Club on Sunday against the official discrimination of the Punjabi Language.The participants of the protest were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans to end continuous official discrimination against Punjabi language.

On the occasion, a number of other organizations including Punjabi Adbi Sangat, Khoj Garh, Khaaksaar Tehreek, Saanjh, National Youth Forum, Maan Boli Research Centre, Punjabi Sangat Pakistan, Punjabi Markaz, Sver International, Punjabi writers Forum, National Students Federation, Punjabi Union, Pakistan, Punjabi Adbi Board and Punjabi National Conference joined the protest.

Prominent Punjabi writers, intellectuals, supporters and activists including Taqriq Mahmud Jatala, Dr Dilshad Tiawana, Ghazala Alam, Kausar Tiwana and Umer Mahota also participated in the protest.

While addressing the protesters, PLM Convener Nazeer Kahut said: The 150-year-old undeclared and unofficial ban on basic education in the mother tongue in Punjab must be abolished.He said Punjab wanted its mother tongue back, demanding stoppage of official discrimination against the mother tongue of 100 million people of Pakistan.

He further said that the constitutional, moral, legal, and democratic rights of the Punjabi people were being usurped by the establishment and the integrity of Punjab was in grave danger.
Anti Punjabi language forces within the establishment and the rulers are hampering the implementation of the Punjabi as the official, academic and legal language in the Punjab, he added.

Kahut said it was the natural, legal, constitutional, democratic, moral and birth right of the Punjabi nation to speak, read and write their mother tongue as the language of its education and literature.Talking about the proposed national language constitution amendment bill 2011, Nazeer Kahut said the bill with its highly divisive nature and controversial contents was potential threat to the very existence of the country.He further said it might push the country into an endless and large scale ethnical and lingual conflict.

The proposed National Languages Bill either be withdrawn or re-written as it is not acceptable for Punjab in its present shape.Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi being the majority language of the federating units should be declared as the national languages of Pakistan, he added.
On the occasion, Kausar Tiwana said that no language could survive without the official patronage and time had come for the rulers to give its due rights to Punjabi language.

She said the Punjab based politicians, political parties and rulers not played their role to promote the Punjabi language.She further said that Punjabi was language of the Sufi saints like Baba Farid, Sultan Bahu, Khwaja Farid, Shah Hussain, Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah and Mian Muhammad akhsh who spread the word of God in this beautiful language through their poetry.

On the occasion, PLM delegations from Jhang, Sargodha, Multan, Sahiwal, Jehlum, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Khushab, Gujarat, Faisalbad, Rawalpindi, Attock Bahawlagar, Nankana Saihb and Dera Ghazi Khan also attend the protest

Curtsy :The Nation:Feb  22,2011: http://nation.com.pk/lahore/21-Feb-2011/Rally-for-ending-150yearold-ban-on-education-in-Punjabi

Mother Language Day – PLM stages hunger strike

LAHORE – Punjabi Language Movement (PLM) chief Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut along with other Punjabi writers, intellectuals, activists and supporters on Monday went on a hunger strike against what they termed was a ‘discriminatory attitude’ meted out to the Punjabi language by the establishment.

The hunger strike was staged in connection with the International Mother Language Day in front of the Punjab Assembly in support of the Punjabi language rights. Kahut was joined in the hunger strike camp by Tariq Jatala, Dr Dilshad Tiwanam and other workers. Other Punjabi organisations which were present included the Punjabi Adbi Sangat, Khoj Garh, Saanjh, National Youth Forum, Maan Boli Research Centrem Punjabi Sangat Pakistan, Pajabi Markaz and others.

The hunger strike was part of the Punjabi Language Movement’s ’2011-year of Punjabi language’ campaign to press for its demand to have Punjabi declared as a medium of instruction in Punjab. Addressing activists, Kahut severely condemned the 150-year-old undeclared official ban on basic education in the mother tongue of the province and said that due to official discrimination and its forced absence from the primary level, Punjabi has become a seriously endangered language.

Discrimination against a majority language is a violation of constitution subject to treason. He said that the establishment was usurping the language and under an organised agenda, Punjabi was being subjected to state-sponsored terrorism, ethnic cleansing and exploitation.

Curtsy: Pakistan Today: FEBRUARY 21, 2011 BY STAFF REPORT

Source Link: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/02/21/city/lahore/mother-language-day-plm-stages-hunger-strike/

Punjabi`s status as official language sought

LAHORE, Dec 31: Punjabi Language Movement convener Nazeer Kahut has demanded that the government introduce the Punjabi Language Act in the Punjab Assembly.

He sought the Punjabi language to be declared the sole official and judicial language of Punjab. The PLM is a newly-built organisation pledging to work for the promotion of the language and culture.

Speaking at the Lahore Press Club on Friday, he also demanded that Punjabi be adopted as the official language of the house by the Punjab Assembly, senior Punjabi writers and intellectuals appointed members of the boards of directors of the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture, the Punjab University, the Punjabi Language Authority and the Punjabi Academy of Letters.
That Nadra must start issuing the national identity cards in Punjabi, 10 per cent of Punjab’s GDP be allocated for the development of the Punjabi language education and culture, the PTV and Radio Pakistan must launch Punjabi FM stations and BBC launch its Punjabi service, were other demands.

Mr Kahut stressed that Punjab’s educational institutions be provided with the required Punjabi teaching staff. He said the PLM rejected the division of Punjab at any cost. He further demanded that areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that includes Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Hazara be merged with Punjab.

A national cultural day be celebrated, the name of the federal capital Islamabad be changed to New Taxila and the Indus Valley culture be declared the national culture of Pakistan, he demanded.

He said the very existence of the Punjabi language, the mother-tongue of more than 100 million people of Punjab, was threatened. He announced that on first of Waisakhi each year “Punjabi Pagdi and Chunni Cultural Day” would be celebrated and the PLM had declared 2011 the year of the Punjabi language.

He said a Punjabi Language Action Committee would be formed and all likeminded organisations, intellectuals, workers and supporters would be invited to join the movement. He said a mutually-agreed charter of demands would be presented to parliament, federal and provincial governments, the United Nations, Unesco and other international forums to end injustices being committed by the federation against the Punjabi language.

DAWN.COM Saturday,January 01,2011

===============================================

Govt urged to adopt Punjabi language as medium of education

LAHORE – The Punjabi Language Movement (PLM) demanded of the government to establish Punjabi University and to adopt the language as medium of education.

These views were expressed by convener PLM Nazeer Kahut while speaking to a Press conference at Lahore Press Club on Friday. He announced the agenda of PLM and demanded that Punjabi should be declared as the medium of instruction as well as official and judicial language in Punjab. Regretting the ignorance of the Punjabi rulers towards their mother tongue Nazeer Kahut said Punjab was the only place in the entire universe where education in the majority mother tongue was banned by the state and the Punjabi children were being deprived of the basic education in their mother tongue. He said this was a crime committed against the mother tongue of the majority people and will not be tolerated any more.
He said Punjabi should be adopted as the official language of the house by Punjab assembly. He further said senior Punjabi writers and intellectuals should be appointed as the members of the board of directors of Punjab Institute for Language and Culture (PILAC).

Kahut said NADRA must start issuing the national identity cards in Punjabi and 10 per cent of Punjab’s GDP should be allocated for the development of the Punjabi language education and culture.

He also suggested Punjab’s educational institutions be provided with the required Punjabi language teaching staff and faculties at earliest and PTV and Radio Pakistan should launch Punjabi language FM stations and TV channels. He urged the BBC to launch its Punjabi service.
Opposing the division of Punjab Nazeer Kahut said that Punjab was a single, lingual, cultural, and historical unit from times immemorial. Staff Reporter

Curtsey: The Nation: Friday ,December 31,2010

Punjab not implementing federal education policy

Lahore,Feb20:The Punjab government is not implementing the federal education policy which warrants adoption of regional languages as national languages.

Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut founder Chairman of Punjabi National conference said this in his keynote address  at a function organized in connection with International Mother Language day by the National Youth Forum at Punjab Institute of Language,Arts and Culture here on Sunday.
He regretted that  Chief Minister Shahbaz Sahrif had adopted discriminatory attitude towards the Punjabi language while English was being made compulsory at the primary level in the province.

He said a movement be launched to protect the rights of the Punjab  and Punjabi language  to save it from what he called the conspiracies of the Punjabi establishment,feudal lords,generals and politicians.

He said the Sindhi members of parliament were trying to introduce a resolution in the National Assmebley and the Senate for the adoption of Seraiki,Ounjabi,sindhi,Pushto and  Balochi as national languages.

He urged the Punjabi parliamentarians of PPP,PML-N.PML-Q and other main stream parties to join hands to support the move  only for four mother languages Sindhi,Punjabi,Pushto and Balochi   as national languages but not the Seraiki .As the  so called fifth language Seraiki is not a language its mere  a dialect of Punjabi language.And moreover it was  an internal matter of Punjab.
He sought the support of the Sindh province to thwart the nefarious designs of the forces wanted to divide Punjab on the basis of Language and ethnicity,

He said Punjabi be made medium of instruction in all the schools of the province and demanded that  registration of private Schools failing to introduce the Punjabi language be cancelled and more newspapers ,magazines and books be writted in the mother language.
He said Punjabi software,search engine be introduced and a Punjabi university and a Punjabi language authority be established.

Curtsey :Freemedia: Photos By.Khalid Nazir,Lahore

Legislation demanded to make Punjabi official language

LAHORE: To put an end to the 150-year-old lingual discrimination and exploitation of more than 100 million people of Punjab, the Punjab Assembly should pass a law with a name “Punjabi language act”, defining it as the medium of instruction of education as well as the sole official and judicial language of the province.

Punjabi Language Movement (PLM) Convener Nazeer Kahut made this demand while addressing a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Friday.

Regretting the ignorance of Punjabi rulers towards their mother tongue, Kahut said that Punjab was the only place in the world where education in mother tongue had been banned by the state. “This is a crime against our mother tongue,” he said, adding that it would not be tolerated any more.

Kahut said that the Punjabi speaking areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that included Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Hazara should be merged in Punjab. Feudalism in south Punjab should be abolished, he added.

The PLM’s other demands included: adaption of Punjabi as official language of the House of the Punjab Assembly, appointment of senior Punjabi writers and intellectuals as members in board of directors of the Punjab Institute for Language and Culture (PILAC), establishment of a Punjabi university, a Punjabi language authority and Punjabi academy of letters, computerised national identity cards issued by NADRA should contain details in Punjabi, allocation of the 10 percent of the province’s GDP for development of Punjabi language, education and culture, and provision of Punjabi language teaching staff and faculties to educational institutions in the province. It also demanded that the state-run TV channel PTV and Radio Pakistan should start Punjabi language TV channels and FM radio stations. staff report.
Daily Times,Saturday, January 01,2011

Punjab not implementing federal education policy

Lahore,Feb20:The Punjab government is not implementing the federal education policy which warrants adoption of regional languages as national languages.
Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut founder Chairman of Punjabi National conference said this in his keynote address  at a function organized in connection with International Mother Language day by the National Youth Forum at Punjab Institute of Language,Arts and Culture here on Sunday.
He regretted that  Chief Minister Shahbaz Sahrif had adopted discriminatory attitude towards the Punjabi language while English was being made compulsory at the primary level in the province.

He said a movement be launched to protect the rights of the Punjab  and Punjabi language  to save it from what he called the conspiracies of the Punjabi establishment,feudal lords,generals and politicians.

He said the Sindhi members of parliament were trying to introduce a resolution in the National Assmebley and the Senate for the adoption of Seraiki,Ounjabi,sindhi,Pushto and  Balochi as national languages.

He urged the Punjabi parliamentarians of PPP,PML-N.PML-Q and other main stream parties to join hands to support the move  only for four mother languages Sindhi,Punjabi,Pushto and Balochi   as national languages but not the Seraiki .As the  so called fifth language Seraiki is not a language its mere  a dialect of Punjabi language.And moreover it was  an internal matter of Punjab.

He sought the support of the Sindh province to thwart the nefarious designs of the forces wanted to divide Punjab on the basis of Language and ethnicity,

He said Punjabi be made medium of instruction in all the schools of the province and demanded that  registration of private Schools failing to introduce the Punjabi language be cancelled and more newspapers ,magazines and books be writted in the mother language.
He said Punjabi software,search engine be introduced and a Punjabi university and a Punjabi language authority be established.

Later on a rally was taken out from the Punjabi Complex in the Gaddafi Stadium ,to Liberty Chowk to  Create awareness. On the eve of the International Mother Language Day on Saturday.Addressing the rally    Nazir Kahut said said the class system was the root-cause of the downfall of Punjabis and their language.He demanded that  Punjabis should be given their birthright to speak and learn their mother tongue. He of   warned of a movement to protect rights of Punjabis and the Punjabi language.Police stopped  the rally  from moving ahead.

Curtsey :Freemedia: Photos By.Khalid Nazir,Lahore

Punjabi and Sindhi writers talk language

LAHORE, March 2: Punjabi Writers Forum and members of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat had a sitting at the Punjab Institute of Language Art and Culture (PILAC), where the speakers unanimously passed a resolution that regional languages should be given the status of national languages.

Punjabi Writers Forum and PILAC arranged the sitting to welcome Sindhi writers and intellectuals who returned from India through the Wagah border crossing on Wednesday after participating in centennial celebrations of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Dr Dilshad Tiwana from Punjabi Writers Forum thanked the Sindhi writers for attending the sitting.

Speaking on the occasion, Yousaf Sindhi from Sindhi Adabi Sangat said Punjabis and Sindhis could have political differences but there were no differences on the issue of language. He said it was good that Punjabi friends had realised that no progress could be made without the promotion of mother tongue. Mr Sindhi said regional languages should be introduced as official and educational languages in all four provinces.

Dr Mushtaq Phul from Sindhi Adabi Board said writers should not detest any regional language. He said Sindhi was being taught in Hyderabad and Mirpur Khas boards but it was not being taught in Karachi. “Why this discrimination?” he asked.
Nazir Kahot, convener of the Punjabi Language Movement, endorsed Sindhi participants’ views on the language issue.
Writer Hussain Majrooh, PILAC director Dr Sughra Sadaf and poet Sofia Baidar said efforts should be made for the introduction of regional languages as national languages as well as elimination of the class based system in all four provinces.

CURTSY:DAWN.COM — PUBLISHED MAR 02,
SOURCE LINK: http://www.dawn.com/news/610248/punjabi-and-sindhi-writers-talk-language

Punjabi Culture-Turban day

The negative attitude and ignorance of Punjabis towards their own mother tongue and culture have not only endangered the very existence of Punjab, Punjabi language and Punjabi culture but have also threatened the very existence of Pakistan as well .

These views were expressed by Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut, Convener Punjabi Language Movement (PLM) while addressing the Punjabi Turban Cultural Day at the Lahore Press Club on Wednesday.
He pointed out that to save Punjab, Punjabi language, Punjabi culture and Pakistan, a Punjabi cultural revolution had become a need of the day.
The News: Thursday, April 14, 2011 

Punjabis attitude flayed

These views were expressed by Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut, Convener Punjabi Language Movement (PLM) while addressing the Punjabi Turban Cultural Day at the Lahore Press Club on Wednesday.

He pointed out that to save Punjab, Punjabi language, Punjabi culture and Pakistan, a Punjabi cultural revolution had become a need of the day.The news

Curtsy:The News Lahore: April 14,2011

Kahut demands Punjabi language rights

Punjab not implementing federal education policy

Nazeer Kahut speaking at a conference organized by National Youth Forum  Lahore at PILAC auditorium  to mark international mother language day .(Photo by :Khalid Nazeer) Lahore,Feb20:The Punjab government is not implementing the federal education policy which warrants adoption of regional languages as national languages.

Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut founder Chairman of Punjabi National conference said this in his keynote address  at a function organized in connection with International Mother Language day by the National Youth Forum at Punjab Institute of Language,Arts and Culture here on Sunday.
He regretted that  Chief Minister Shahbaz Sahrif had adopted discriminatory attitude towards the Punjabi language while English was being made compulsory at the primary level in the province.

He said a movement be launched to protect the rights of the Punjab  and Punjabi language  to save it from what he called the conspiracies of the Punjabi establishment, feudal lords, generals and politicians.

Nazeer Kahut said that the Sindhi members of parliament were preparing  to introduce a resolution in the sindh assembly and later in National Assembly and the Senate for the adoption of Seraiki,Punjabi,sindhi,Pushto and  Balochi as national languages.He urged the Punjabi

Parliamentarians of PPP,PML-N.PML-Q and other main stream parties to join hands to support the move  only but on with the condition that there are only  four mother languages Sindhi,Punjabi,Pushto and Balochi  in Pakistan and none other.As far as ,he said the so called Seraiki is concerned, It is  a ghost  created by anti-Punjab and anti Punjabi  racist group in 1960.Seraiki is not a separate language from Punjabi it is just one of the many  its dialects of Punjabi language.Every one in Punjab speaks one language and that is Punjabi.Seraiki movement is meant to disintegrate Pakistan,eliminate  motherland Punjab,save feudalism and Support the creation of Karachi Province and divide Sindh.And moreover it was  an internal matter of Punjab.

Nazeer Kahut  sought the support of the Sindh province to thwart the nefarious designs of the forces wanted to divide Punjab on the basis of Language and ethnicity,

He said Punjabi be made medium of instruction in all the schools of the province and demanded that  registration of private Schools failing to introduce the Punjabi language be cancelled and more newspapers ,magazines and books be written in the mother language.
Kahut  said Punjabi software,search engine be introduced and a Punjabi university and a Punjabi language authority be established.

Curtsy: Agencies/Media Centre : Lahore,Feb21,2010

Punjabi Language in Danger, claims Kahut F.P. Report

LAHORE: Punjabi National Conference Founder Chairman Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut and chairman of the Punjabi Khoj Garh (Punjabi Research Centre), Iqbal Qaisar, on Sunday went on a hunger strike against the discriminatory attitude meted out to the Punjabi language by the establishment. The hunger strike was held in connection with the International Mother Language Day in front of the Punjab Assembly. Addressing the Punjabi rights activists, students, poets, intellectuals who gathered at the hunger strike camp, Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut said that the constitutional, moral, legal, and democratic rights of the Punjabi people were being usurped by the establishment and the integrity of Punjab was in grave danger. He said that situation had gone out of control and the ruling elite now could no more deny the 10 crore people of the Punjab their rights. Nazeer Kahut demanded the Punjab government to end discrimination against the Punjabi language and adopt Punjabi language as the official medium of instruction in the province. He proposed that a Punjabi university on the pattern of the Federal Urdu University, an Institute of Punjabiology like the Institute of Sindhalogy and a Punjabi Language Authority should be established in the province. Nazeer Kahut suggested that funds should be allocated for an institute to translate the science and non-science literature of international level into the Punjabi language. Nazeer Kahut alleged that some leaders from political parties in Punjab, rulers, feudal lords and bureaucracy supported status quo and did not want the common people to prosper. “That is why they are hampering the implementation of the Punjabi as the official, academic and legal language in the Punjab,” he said. Nazeer Kahut, who is also an award-winning Punjabi language novelist and well-known intellectual, said that no language could survive without the official patronage and time has come for the rulers to give Punjabi language and people their due rights. He said the politicians, religio-political parties, and rulers, both dictators and elected ones, played no part to promote the Punjabi language. He said that Punjabi is language of the Sufi saints like Baba Farid (RA) Sultan Bahu (RA) Khwaja Farid (RA), Shah Hussain(RA), Bulleh Shah (RA) Waris Shah (RA) and Mian Muhammad Bakhsh(RA) who spread the word of God in this beautiful language through their poetry. He asked the people to make good use of the treasure trove of the Punjabi culture and language to enrich their souls. He asked the people of the Punjab to rise to the occasion and speak and write Punjabi language with a renewed vigour and pride, adding that the people of Punjab should stop listening to the BBC unless it starts its service in the Punjabi language. “The BBC is averse to the Punjabi language since the 100 years then why should we listen to it,” Mr Kahut remarked. Nazeer Kahut added that all the announcements at airlines including the Pakistan International Airlines coming to the Punjab, bus stands, railway stations and other public places should be made in the Punjabi language. 

The Frontier Post:Staff Report: Monday, February 22, 2010
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=ln&nid=4097

       Pro-Punjabi Language Activists Stage Hunger Strike

Lahore—Punjabi National Conference Founder Chairman Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut and chairman of the Punjabi Khoj Garh (Punjabi Research Centre), Iqbal Qaisar, on Sunday went on a hunger strike against the discriminatory attitude meted out to the Punjabi language by the establishment. 

The hunger strike was staged in connection with the International Mother Language Day in front of the Punjab Assembly. 

Addressing the Punjabi rights activists, students and others who gathered at the hunger strike camp,Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut said that the constitutional, moral, legal, and democratic rights of the Punjabi people were being usurped by the establishment and the integrity of Punjab was in grave danger. He said that situation had gone out of control and the ruling elite now could no more deny the 10 crore people of the Punjab their rights. 

Nazeer Kahut demanded the Punjab government to end discrimination against the Punjabi language and adopt Punjabi language as the official medium of instruction in the province. He proposed that a Punjabi university on the pattern of the Federal Urdu University, an Institute of “Punjabiology” like the Institute of “Sindhalogy” and a Punjabi Language Authority should be established in the province. Nazeer Kahutsuggested that funds should be allocated for an institute to translate the science and non-science literature of international level into the Punjabi language. 

Nazeer Kahut alleged that some leaders from political parties in Punjab, rulers, feudal lords and bureaucracy supported status quo and did not want the common people to prosper. He said that no language could survive without the official patronage and time has come for the rulers to give Punjabi language and people their due rights. He said that Punjabi is language of the Sufi saints like Baba Farid(RA) Sultan Bahu (RA) Khwaja Farid (RA), Shah Hussain(RA), Bulleh Shah (RA) Waris Shah (RA) and MianMuhammad Bakhsh(RA) who spread the word of God in this beautiful language through their poetry. He asked the people to make good use of the treasure trove of the Punjabi culture and language to enrich their souls.

Pak Observer : Monday, February 22, 2010

http://pakobserver.net/201002/22/detailnews.asp?id=16772

Strike for Punjabi Language Cause
LAHORE, Feb 21: Punjabi National Conference chairman Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut and Punjabi Khoj Garh(Punjabi Research Centre) chairman Iqbal Qaisar on Sunday staged a hunger strike camp in front of the Punjab Assembly against the ‘discriminatory’ attitude of the establishment toward the Punjabi language, says a press release. 

The camp was staged in connection with the International Mother Language Day. 

Speaking to the Punjabi rights activists at the hunger strike camp, Kahut said that constitutional, moral, legal, and democratic rights of the Punjabi people were being usurped by the establishment and the integrity of Punjab was in danger. He said that situation had gone out of control and the ruling elite now could no more deny the 100 million people of the Punjab their rights. 

Kahut asked the Punjab government to end discrimination against the Punjabi language and adopt Punjabi language as the official medium of instruction.
Source:www.dawn.com :February 22, 2010    

Hunger Strike for Punjabi Language

LAHORE ,Feb21:TWO notable Punjab writers on Sunday observed a hunger strike against, what they called, discriminatory attitude meted out to the Punjabi language by the establishment.

The hunger strike was observed by Punjabi National Conference Founder Chairman Chaudhry NazeerKahut and Punjabi Khoj Garh (Punjabi Research Centre) Chairman Iqbal Qaisar in connection with the International Mother Language Day in front of the Punjab Assembly. Addressing the Punjabi rights activists, students, poets, intellectuals who gathered at the hunger strike camp, Chaudhry Nazeer Kahutsaid that the constitutional, moral, legal and democratic rights of the Punjabi people were being usurped by the establishment and the integrity of Punjab was in grave danger. He said that situation had gone out of control and now the ruling elite could no more deny rights to 100 million people of the Punjab.
Source: www.thenews.com.pk Monday, February 22, 2010
Punjabi Activist goes on Hunger Strike
LAHORE: Punjabi National Conference Founder hairman Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut and Punjabi ‘Khoj Garh’ Chairman (Punjabi Research Centre) Iqbal Qaisar, went on a hunger strike on Sunday to protest against the discriminatory attitude meted out to the Punjabi language by the establishment. 

The hunger strike was held in connection with the International Mother Language Day in front of the Punjab Assembly.

Addressing activists, students, poets and intellectuals who gathered at the hunger strike camp, Kahut said that the constitutional, moral, legal, and democratic rights of the Punjabi people were being usurped by the establishment and the integrity of Punjab was in grave danger.
Source:www.dailytimes.com.pk February 22,2010

Call for making Punjabi language compulsory subject

LAHORE, Feb 21: Participants in a seminar arranged by the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (PILAC) on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution, urging the provincial government to make Punjabi language a compulsory subject up to class V.
Moved by PILAC Director-General Maj Tariq Javed Afridi (retired), the resolution was supported by columnist Shafqat Tanvir Mirza, Parveen Malik, Prof Jameel Ahmad Pal, Prof Dr Mazhar Moeen, Husain Shad, Dr Roshan Singh, Mudassar Iqbal Butt, Aizaz Ahmad Azar and Dr Sughra Sadaf.
The seminar was arranged in connection with the International Mother Language Day.
Earlier, the participants highlighted the importance of mother language in the development of education in several countries. They also demanded that Punjabi language should be declared medium of instruction in the province.
strike: A large number of writers, intellectuals and activists observed a six-hour hunger strike at Charing Cross on Monday to press for an end to the discriminatory attitude against the Punjabi language.
In connection with the International Mother Language Day, the hunger strike was part of Punjabi Language Movement’s 2011 — year of Punjabi language campaign to get Punjabi language declared medium of instruction in the province.
A delegation of Sindhi writers and intellectuals, led by former secretary-general of Sindhi Adabi Sangat Yousuf Sindhi, also joined protestors.
PLM chief Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut said due to official discrimination and its forced absence from the primary level the Punjabi language had become a seriously endangered language.
Curtsey:DAWN.COM— PUBLISHED FEB 21, 2011 

Street play, demonstration remember Bhagat Singh

LAHORE: Scores of passers-by joined civil society activists in watching ‘Chipen Ton Pehlan’ staged near Shadman Chowk on Wednesday in connection with the 79th anniversary of Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom.
Written by Davinder Daman and directed by Huma Safdar, the one-hour street play was arranged by Punjab Lok Rahs.Reviving the old tradition of Nukar Theatre, the play portrayed Bhagat Singh’s struggle against British imperialism.
The cast included Punjab University Mass Communication Department students Hammad Afzal (Bhagat Singh), Adil Aziz (Boga sweeper), Adnan (advocate Pran Nath Metha) Mohsin Ali Danish (jailer Akbar Khan), Tayyab and Akmal (jail officials) while Sobia Zaidi and Huma Safdar performed choreography.
At nearby Shadman Chowk roundabout, civil society activists held a demonstration under the umbrella of Institute for Peace and Secular Studies.Carrying placards, the demonstrators joined by Labour Party Pakistan activists demanded that the Shadman Chowk be renamed after Bhagat Singh who was hanged there on March 23, 1931. They also raised slogans like `Inqilab Zindabad,’ Bhagat Teray Khoon Se Inqilab Aaey Ga,’ and ‘Amriki, Arab Samraj Murdabad’.
They also informed Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Syed Asif Hashmi that the Punjab government had been approached in 2001 that Bhagat Singh should be recognised as one of the heroes of independence movement and Shadman Chowk be renamed after him, but no action was taken.
Mr Hashmi assured the demonstrators that he would take up the matter with federal and Punjab governments. He said that a block in the ETPB offices would be named after Bhagat Singh on Thursday.The ETPB would also give award to a Sikh on the occasion of Baisakhi every year who would have contributed to the cause of independence.
Also, the Punjabi Language Movement observed the death anniversary of Bhagat Singh at its Shama Chowk office on Wednesday.
Movement convener Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut said the Quaid-i-Azam made no secret of his sympathies for Bhagat Singh and other freedom fighters in the Lahore prison.
“Jinnah sahib in his speech in the Central Assembly on Sept 12, 1929, said `the man who goes on hunger strike has a soul. He is no ordinary criminal, who is guilty of cold blooded, sordid wicked crime’.
“It is clear that Jinnah Sahib considered Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev freedom fighters. If the father of the nation admires a freedom fighter, how can we ignore him? Why not Serdar Bhagat Singh be declared the hero of independence movement in our history and text books?
“After partition of Punjab, creation of Pakistan and freedom of India, where do Punjab’s heroes of independence movement like Rai Ahmed Khan Kharral and Bhagat Singh stand? Why discriminate Bhagat Singh and other Punjab’s heroes of independence?” asked Kahut.
Allama Iqbal was Bhagat Singh’s favourite revolutionary poet. It was Maulana Zaffar Ali Khan who for the first time floated the title of Shaheed for Bhagat Singh.Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore. He demanded that a statute of Bhagat be installed there and the Qadahfi Stadium also be renamed after him.
CURTSY:DAWN.COM  PUBLISHED MAR 23, 2011 

‘Punjab wants its mother tongue back’

LAHORE – Punjabi Language Movement (PLM) staged a protest outside the Lahore Press Club on Sunday, and demanded that Punjabi language should not be discriminated and students should be given basic education in Punjabi.

Speaking on the occasion, PLM Convener Chaudhry Nazeer Kahut said, “Punjab wants its mother tongue back. The 150-year old undeclared and unofficial ban on basic education in Punjab should be abolished and systematic cleansing of the language must be stopped. We want Punjabi kids to be given basic education in their mother tongue just like the children of the rest of the world.”

He said ‘constitutional, moral, legal, and democratic rights’ of the Punjabis were being usurped by the ‘anti-Punjabi rulers’, who were obstructing the implementation of Punjabi as the official and academic language. About the proposed National Language Constitution Amendment Bill 2011, Kahut said the bill, with its ‘divisive nature’ and ‘controversial contents’, could push the country into an ethno-lingual conflict.
Country integrity will be at stake if the bill was passed, thus they demanded that the bill may be withdrawn or changed. Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto and Balochi being the languages of the majority in the federating units should be declared as national languages, he said. PLM demanded of the government to introduce the Punjabi Language Act in the Punjab Assembly.

PLM delegations from Jhang, Sargodha, Multan, Sahiwal, Jehlum, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Khushab, Gujarat, Faisalbad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawlagar, Nankana Sahib and Dera Ghazi Khan also attend the rally. Other organizations who joined the rally included Punjabi Adbi Sangat, Khoj Garh, Khaaksaar Tehreek, Saanjh, National Youth Forum, Maan Boli Research Centre, Punjabi Sangat Pakistan, Punjabi Markaz, Sver International, Punjabi Writers Forum, National Students Federation, Punjabi Union, Pakistan Punjabi Adbi Board and Punjabi National Conference.
Prominent Punjabi writers, intellectuals, supporters and activists also attended the rally. PLM central convening committee members Taqriq Mahmud Jatala, Dr Dilshad Tiawana, Ghazala Alam, Kausar Tiwana and Umer Mahota also spoke on the occasion. The participants were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans to end ‘official discrimination’ against Punjabi language.
Pakistan Today: By: Staff Report | Published: February 21, 2011

To see the photos of the rally and to  the report  click on the link below.
Source http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/pakistan-news/Lahore/21-Feb-2011/Punjab-wants-its-mother-tongue-back

Half of Punjab left unlisted in census

LAHORE, April 22: More than half of Punjab has been dropped and left unlisted in the ongoing house-listing census process as the Population Census Organization lacks the staff and expertise for the task, claims the Punjabi Language Movement.
Speaking at a press conference here on Friday, convener Nazeer Kahut alleged that “insufficient” and “disorganized” enumerator of the organization failed to ensure complete coverage of each and every housing unit in Punjab in the given time.

He feared that the “grave irregularity” was set to result in drastically reducing Punjab’s population at the end of the census and consequently causing irreparable damage to the province’s interests both at federal and provincial level.
Rejecting the house-listing process, he said the house census in almost half of Punjab could not be initiated either for lack of staff shortage or with the “ill-intent” to reduce the province’s population.
Challenging the census data, he said he was ready to prove it wrong through field check in the presence of media, judiciary, army and United Nations’ observers.

Mr Kahut alleged that the 1972 “fraud” pattern was being repeated by computerized manipulation of population figures as the authorities failed to cover the province with more than 100 million population.

He said the “engineered” house-listing was aimed at reducing province’s population to divide Punjab on a lingual basis and to deprive it of its due share in the NFC award and other grants, civil service and jobs in federal financial institutions, as well as seats in parliament.
Pointing out irregularities in the past five censuses, he claimed that in the 1951 census the Punjabi speaking people were 67.08 per cent of the total population, in 1961 it was reduced to 66.39 per cent, in 1972 to 66.11 per cent.
He said in 1982, the Punjabi population was drastically reduced to 48.17 per cent and in 1998 to 44.15 per cent as never in the history of any country the linguistic identity or ethnic groups had seen such a drastic fall in its population.
The Punjabi Movement leader demanded putting an end to “Seraikilisation of Punjab” and removing Seraiki from the census form declaring it a dialect like various dialects of Sindhi, Balochi and Pushto.

He sought a 30-day extension in the house listing period and increasing the number of enumerators to 100,000 in Punjab for covering the whole province.
He demanded intervention of the judiciary and the army “for the sake of justice and to ensure a free and transparent house-listing and population census”.
Curtsey:DAWN.COM PUBLISHED APR 22, 2011