It imposed two foreign languages – English and Urdu – on the people, with far reaching socio-cultural consequences. The issue of the Punjabi language needs to be understood and analysed in the context of colonialism in the subcontinent. Punjabi was kept out of new schools where two foreign languages, English and Urdu, were imposed. Punjabi did not enable them to make a living, and how can a language be owned and used if learning it disempowers them? While the roots for the oppression of Punjabi were laid down long ago, we are to this day continuing the movement for the preservation of Punjabi in a nation that still holds Urdu above all languages.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 21, 2018 11:03 UTC