Marking International Mother Language Day, Punjabi Jagriti Manch, led by Advisor, Punjab Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department, Deepak Bali, organised a massive Maa Boli Punjabi March across the city on Thursday. A sea of people from across the globe gathered to celebrate and reaffirm their commitment to the promotion of Punjabi language and culture.
Prominent dignitaries including Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Kultar Singh Sandhwan; Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat; Member of Parliament Ashok Mittal; Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal; and senior AAP leader Rajwinder Kaur Thiara participated in the march. Thousands assembled at Lyallpur Khalsa School, Nakodar Road, from where the march commenced. Passing through various parts of the city, it culminated at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall.
Addressing the gathering, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan lauded Deepak Bali for consistently organising the event to spread awareness about the importance of the mother tongue. He urged youngsters to become ambassadors of Punjabi and propagate the message of Maa Boli worldwide.
He reiterated that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is committed to promoting Punjabi in every nook and corner of the world. Mr. Sandhwan emphasized that while all languages deserve respect, people must prioritise their mother tongue.
He encouraged parents to converse with their children in Punjabi at home. Mr. Deepak Bali, in his address, stressed the need for large-scale promotion of Punjabi and called for making its teaching mandatory in all educational institutions.
He described Mother Language Day as a festival that should be celebrated with pride and said that one’s identity is deeply rooted in one’s mother tongue. The Manch also submitted a memorandum to the Speaker highlighting key demands to further strengthen Punjabi language promotion.
Sandhwan assured that the issues would be taken up with the state government for appropriate action. Adding a cultural touch to the event, renowned singers Mankirat Aulakh, Dalwinder Dyalpuri, Kulwinder Kelly and Gurlez Akhtar enthralled the audience with their performances.