Srinagar : The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) has stepped up pressure on the administration in Jammu and Kashmir, calling for immediate steps to recognize Punjabi as an official language and introduce it across educational institutions.
In a Statement issued here on Thursday SBSP Jammu and Kashmir President Vivek Bali urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to address the community’s demands, highlighting a week-long protest near the Maharaja Hari Singh Ji statue in Jammu.
Pointing to the September 2020 inclusion of Urdu, English, Hindi, Kashmiri, and Dogri as official languages, Bali questioned the omission of Punjabi despite its rich history, distinct script, and substantial speaker base across the region. He noted that the language was taught in local schools for decades with the support of teachers from diverse communities, and cautioned that its continued neglect threatens the area’s cultural heritage.
“The holy scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, is written in the Gurmukhi script, which holds immense religious and cultural significance for the Sikh community. Punjabi is an essential part of our identity and heritage. If the language is neglected and future generations are disconnected from it, our cultural roots and traditions may gradually weaken,” Bali said.
With repeated memorandums and appeals yielding little response, the SBSP leader urged authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Sikh community and Punjabi speakers to safeguard their linguistic rights and traditions.
