Mansa based youth Tejinder Singh pedalling across state to promote Punjabi
Ferozepur, February 14, 2020: Tejinder Singh – Mansa based youth, who is pedalling across the state to promote Punjabi language, on reaching Ferozepur was given a warm welcome by the locals. Earlier also he has pedalled twice to promote the mother language Punjabi among youngsters.
A postgraduate and BEd in Punjabi language, Tejinder’s mission is to cover as many regions and schools in the state to encourage the use of the language. In addition, at every bus stand, he has been fixing placards with slogans such as ‘Punjabi meri aan hai’, meri shan hai’ and ‘Apni boli, apna maan’.
Tejinder Singh started his journey from Mansa on February 10 and will culminate after covering the whole of Punjab on February 21 on International Mother Language Day 2020. This day is celebrated worldwide to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism.
Speaking to the media persons, Tejinder Singh said, I was upset with the performance of the students in Punjabi subject under the Punjab School Education Board and continuous fall of Punjabi language. Thus, there is a dire need to make it a public movement to create awareness among youths who are forgetting their own mother language. He expressed concern over the use of short words by the youths spoiling the future of the languages.
He said whenever he spots any school during his journey, he stops his bicycle and conducts a lecture for students of the school in which he makes them aware about the grammatically correct Punjabi language called ‘Muharni’.
Tejinder Singh, who has been received tremendous support and response from people, was not happy with the arrangements by the government as the websites of the state have not been in Punjabi as well despite instructions on this account.
Making an appeal, Tejinder Singh added that people from every sect should work towards the promotion of their language.
He said it is very unfortunate when a youth is failing in Punjabi language by not getting the 33 pass marks. More-so, the youths are not able to write the correct Punjabi language.
To some extent, he also holds responsible the governments for not being serious to promote the Punjabi language. Our writers and singers too can play a vital role in promoting it, he said.
Todays’ trend is of English speaking as a majority of the students are shifting to foreign lands but we should try to create an atmosphere of our own culture at home to keep it alive, said Tejinder Singh.
Linking it with the body exercises, Tejinder Singh said, when we speak the Punjabi alphabets, our whole body comes into action.
Local NGOs welcoming Tejinder Singh also congratulated him for taking this initiative which needs to be converted into a public movement.