Language Department celebrates 75th Foundation Day in Ferozepur
Ferozepur, January 2, 2023: The Punjab Language Department celebrated its 75th Foundation Day at a very simple and impressive manner, under the tutelage of Meet Hair, Minister of Higher Education and Languages, in which the artists and writers of Ferozepur district participated enthusiastically in this event.
On this occasion, the District Language Officer Dr. Jagdeep Singh Sandhu said that while the Punjab government is working conscientiously towards health and education, it is also trying to play its due role towards language and literature. After playing of the departmental song 'Dhanu Lekhari Nanaka', Dr. Jagdeep Singh Sandhu welcomed the guests and congratulated them on the New Year and the 75th Foundation Day of Language Department Punjab.
DLO shared about the glorious history, achievements and activities of the language department. He said that the Department of Language has played a very important role in the field of publishing.
He said, the Language department was established on January 1, 1948, as the Punjabi Section. In the year 1949 its name was changed to the Department of Punjabi and then from the year 1956 onwards as the Language Department, Punjab. The department has published 1,632 books so far which include Lexicography and Punjabi World Dictionary which is the first work in Punjabi language.
He said, in addition to creative literature, lexicography, children's literature, translation of classical literature, editing and four magazines of the language department (Punjabi Duniya, Jan Sahitya, Punjab Saurabh and Prawaz-e-Adab) are notable works. Apart from this, creating literature by the language department, conducting literary events in collaboration with literary societies, conducting Punjabi, Urdu Amoz course training classes and organizing literary and artistic events through language forums in various educational institutions are also major part of the department's activities. He said that last year District Language Office, Ferozepur organized about fifteen literary events of different genres.
In this event, poet Gurtej Koharwala, Prof. Kuldeep Jalalabadi, Dr. Kulbir Malik, Sukhjinder, Dr. Rameshwar Singh, Amarjit Sanhervi, Jagtar Singh Sokhi, Meena Mehrok, Dr. Jaswinder Kaur, Gurnam Sidhu (Gama Sidhu), Sukhdev Bhatti Ferozepuri, Harinder Bhullar, Lecturer Narinder Singh, Lecturer Rajni Jagga, Ravinder Singh, Balkar Singh, Avtar Singh Puri, Nishan Singh Virdi, Gurdayal Singh Virak, Surinder Kamboj, Balwinder Panesar and Urdu Teacher Ramnath Chopra presented his ideas according to the format of the event.
Further expansion of the publishing work of the language department is special attention to children's literature, ensuring the participation of students of educational institutions in the activities of the language department, pure use of the language, content of textbooks of various subjects in Punjabi. Research work on required Punjabi vocabulary is going on and for this, translated literature not only translation but its publication, correct pronunciation of the language and signposts at various places and names of institutions in Punjabi, publication of plays in departmental publications is also going on. Also emphasising on the need to make appropriate efforts to publicize the activities of the language department in the prime time of social media.
The event started by paying tribute to the departed poet Anil Adam by observing two minutes of silence.
Concluding remarks at the end of the event, poet Gurtej Koharwala pointedly said that we should not only think about language in terms of scripts, books, seminars and literary events but it is also related to human existence, and life. Therefore, the department can keep its approach to language from this point of view as well.
On this occasion, a book exhibition was organized by District Language Office, Ferozepur and Urdu teacher Ramnath Chopra was felicitated for his continuous services. In the success of the event, Sr. Assistant Raman Kumar, Jr. Assistant Navdeep Singh and Ravi Kumar had special contribution.