CHANDIGARH: After succeeding in enforcing Punjabi in Punjab government and its allied departments the Panthic Committee (Sohan Singh) and its five allied militant outfits have now trained their guns on the Union territory of Chandigarh. They have directed them to enforce the language by February 1 failing which defaulting officials and their families would be punished.

The six-page handwritten statement was signed by all the five members of the Panthic Committee and the chiefs of the five militant outfits. It was sent by post to selected journalists at their residences and offices with a cover note directing that it be published in the January 16 edition of their respective newspapers. The Panthic Committee in its statement has drawn up detailed guidelines and directives for the Chandigarh administration and all private public and government educational institutions located in the Union territory.

 At the end of the statement the Panthic Committee has drawn up a list of several officers of the Union territory administration and the Punjab University saying that their names and their addresses had been sent to the five militant chiefs for action against them and their families in case any of the officials defied their directives.

The 18-directives enlisted in the statement have ordered the UT administration to convert its entire official functioning to Punjabi. It has asked the public relations department to issue all Press notes only in Punjabi with a complete blackout on Hindi and English to issue 90% advertisements to Punjabi newspapers except Jag Bani which belongs to the Hind Samachar group. It has asked the administration to repaint all milestones and public boards in Punjabi first and then in English to rewrite all name plates and notice boards in Punjabi and dispense with all English typewriters.

SPECIAL CELL: Officers have been ordered not to write official letters in any language other than Punjabi and to establish a ‘ special cell to oversee the simple) mentation of Punjabi This cell has been asked to coordinate with other government departments to ensure that Punjabi was being implemented and to compile information on all those who are defying the code.

To ensure implementation of Punjabi the Panthic Committee has warned that it would be making surprise checks in all UT administration offices before February 1 its proposed deadline.

A major impact is going to be felt by educational institutions in the city. All private public and government schools falling in the jurisdiction of the Union territory of Chandigarh have been henceforth ordered de-affiliated from the Central education boards and instead affiliated only with the Punjab Education Board with effect from the next academic session. The medium of instruction in all these schools shall only be the Punjabi beginning right from Class 1 This shall however not be applicable to those persons whose mother tongue is not Punjabi and those who do not belong to the land of Khalistan. Those who dissociate themselves from Punjabi in the next census would be denied all facilities provided in the Khalistan it warned.

All signboards and nameplates in educational institutions shall be first written in Punjabi and then in English for the benefit of non-Punjabis. However the size of English letters shall be smaller in comparison to Punjabi alphabets it said in order to give Punjabi its due place.

UNIVERSITY AUTHORITIES:

The Punjab University authorities have been ordered to conduct all their official work in Punjabi language with immediate effect. They have been ordered to subscribe to at least two Punjabi newspapers in the university hostels. Special benefits must be given to all Punjabi teachers in schools colleges and the university in order to enhance the prestige and status of Punjabi language.

Significantly the Panthic Committee has said that it shall soon be framing a common education policy for the Khalistan in consultation with intellectuals meanwhile they have directed the education board to arrange for text books in Punjabi from now onwards for the next academic session. They have warned that principals of all those educational institutions whose teachers violated orders to carry out teaching work in Punjabi shall be punished.

Central government offices in the city have also been ordered to change their name plates and signboards to Punjabi. Officers of the UT administration have also been told to write their official letters in Punjabi from the Khalistan while their stenographers and PA’s have been warmed not to write their nothing’s on files in any language other than Punjabi or else they along with their families would be punished. They have asked the administration to begin purchasing Punjabi typewriters warning that if English typewriters are seen after February 1 they would retaliate with severe action.

Finally all residents of the city have been told to get the number plates of their vehicles painted both in Punjabi and English.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 25, 1991