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Clash of views at World Punjabi Congress
Posted by Balvinder Singh S Bal Send Email to Author on Monday, 2/02/2004 9:28 AM MST
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040201/world.htm#3
Clash of views at World Punjabi Congress

Lahore, January 31
A clash of views surfaced at the inaugural session of the World Punjabi Congress here on Friday, with chief ministers of West and East Punjab — Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and Capt Amarinder Singh — expressing divergent views on issues relating to a one time key area of the subcontinent.

While Capt Amarinder Singh used the opportunity to blame Britain for dividing Punjab through its politics, Elahi countered it by saying that though Pakistani and Indian Punjabis shared the same language, yet nothing could be handed down or handled as a surrogate in one’s own homeland.

Though the climate and culture of both Pakistan and Indian Punjab was uniform, yet “there is no alternative to one’s own country,” Elahi said.

From the positive point of view, however, Capt Amarinder Singh said nothing could divide Punjabi culture, the way of living, language and love.

“If we have to promote Punjabi language, we will have to arrange for the teaching of the Punjabi language at the primary level in Pakistan like in India. We should allow students on both sides to visit each other’s country for three months so that they could forge love and amity among themselves,” Capt Amarinder Singh was quoted as saying by Online News on Friday.

On the occasion, he also announced the setting up of a Punjabi Centre in Patiala where he would hire the services of Pakistani Punjabi scholars and writers.

The centre would initially receive a monetary grant of Rs 2 crore from his government, he said.

About the possibility of holding a Punjabi Youth festival, he said he would talk to Chief Minister Elahi about it. He said he was in favour of holding such a festival in Lahore and Amritsar annually.

Acknowledging the efforts mounted in Indian Punjab for promotion of the language, Elahi said such efforts were missing in Pakistan.

He said his government had sent out teams throughout the Punjab province and was astounded to discover that the work for preservation of their provincial languages had been going on for the past 50 years. After the findings of the delegation, he said, “we also initiated work for promotion of Punjabi language.”

He announced a grant of Rs 2.5 million for the establishment of an institute to preserve and promote Punjabi as a language. This institute would also have a museum that would showcase Punjabi history, culture, language and arts. —ANI


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