<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="">A significant moment for the Punjabi language in Canada</h1>
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</div><div id="attachment_53014" style="width:223px" class=""><a href="http://www.voiceonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/COMMUNITY-SADHU-BINNING-1-Bod.jpg" rel="lightbox[53012] attachment wp-att-53014"><img class="" src="http://www.voiceonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/COMMUNITY-SADHU-BINNING-1-Bod-213x300.jpg" alt="Photo by Chandra Bodalia" height="300" width="213"></a><p class="">Photo by Chandra Bodalia</p></div>
<p><strong>BY SADHU BINNING</strong></p>
<p><em>Vice President</em></p>
<p><em>Punjabi Language Education Association</em></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>THERE</strong> is much that needs to be done for the
preservation and development of the Punjabi language in Canada. In my
view, currently, it is a crucial time for the Punjabi community to work
towards creating a brighter future for our language in Canada. This
moment shall also pass all too quickly, without a care as to whether it
was used wisely or not.</p>
<p>Canada is recognized as an exemplary multicultural country. All
cultures are equally accepted and respected here. However, the biggest
drawback of Canadian multicultural structure is the lack of recognition
of other languages. It is a known fact that no culture can survive
without its language. Yet, at the federal level, only two languages are
recognized as official languages of Canada. As any country is at any
given time, Canada is a project in the making. Once upon a time the
French language faced a tough battle in attaining its due recognition in
Canada. Moreover, until recently, very little attention was paid to the
aboriginal languages and they too are struggling to stay alive. During
the mid-twentieth century, other European languages such as Ukrainian
and Italian were unsuccessful in their efforts to win their place as
Canadian languages. In fact, Canada became a multicultural country in
response to their demands but it did not become a multi-lingual country.
Over time, the number of speakers for these languages declined and now
they are no longer in a position to make such demands.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.voiceonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/LOGO-PUNJABI.jpg" rel="lightbox[53012] attachment wp-att-53016"><img class="" src="http://www.voiceonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/LOGO-PUNJABI-300x245.jpg" alt="LOGO PUNJABI" height="245" width="300"></a>At
this moment the coincidental position of Punjabi in Canada is such that
the Punjabi community can make an effort to advocate some reasonable
changes to Canada’s language policy. This will be a step in the right
direction not only for the Punjabi language but for other minority
languages as well. This is a historical moment for the Punjabi language
but it will not remain so for long.</p>
<p>Here are some facts:</p>
<ol><li>Punjabi has been spoken in Canada since 1897. However, until the
early years of the 1980s, the Punjabi community and its language existed
completely on the margins of mainstream society. Due to an increase in
numbers and positive changes in Canadian society, the position of the
Punjabi community has improved greatly but as far as language is
concerned it is still on the margin. In the 2011 census Punjabi became
the third largest spoken language in Canada following English and
French.</li><li>In last year’s federal election more than 20 people from the Punjabi
community were elected as part of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.
As a result, Punjabi has coincidentally become the third most
represented language in the present parliament, and a number of key
federal ministries have been given to members from Punjabi community.
However, these facts on their own will not have any effect on the
situation of the Punjabi language.</li><li>Currently, a majority of the people within the Punjabi community are
from the immigrant generation and they are using the language not only
in their daily personal communication but also in their workplaces,
businesses and in the media. The first Canadian born generation is also
learning and using the language especially in large centres like
Vancouver and Toronto. It is important to recognize this situation now
because it will likely not be the case 20 years into the future.</li><li>The development in the Punjabi media during the last three to four
decades is simply mind-boggling. In every Canadian city with a sizable
Punjabi community such as Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and a
few other places, there are dozens of Punjabi newspapers. A number of
glossy magazines, which are comparable to mainstream English magazines,
are also published regularly. They include the Punjabi Gurmukhi script
to advertise jewellery, clothing and other commercial items. These
publications are a great achievement for the Punjabi language, not only
on a national level but internationally as well. In some ways, even more
remarkable than the print media is the use of Punjabi in radio and
television. In each city there are a number of local radio stations that
are owned by Punjabis themselves and offer 24-hour Punjabi programs.
Some cities also have local daily television shows while numerous
programs are aired across the nation on Saturdays.</li><li>The Sikhs are a majority in the Punjabi community of Canada. Their
relation to the Punjabi language differs from the Muslim and Hindu
Punjabis. For example, almost every Gurdwara makes a special effort to
teach the Punjabi language to the younger generation. This is not the
case with local Hindu temples or mosques where Punjabis form the
majority of the membership.</li><li>There is a vibrant community of Punjabi writers in each city. These
creative individuals have published hundreds of titles in various genres
during the last 30 years. A prestigious annual award for the best work
of fiction in Punjabi has been established in Vancouver to recognize the
vibrant literary community in the world.</li></ol>
<p>In my view, these are only some of the facts that place Punjabis in
Canada in a suitable position to try and affect some changes to the
language policy at the federal level. It is important to mention briefly
that the need of the time is to have a language policy that reflects
the present demographics of the country. Undoubtedly, that is a tall
order and may be a lengthy process. The second suggestion could be that a
formula should be created that recognizes languages according to their
population and length of existence in Canada.</p>
<p>The present position of Punjabi will not last forever. The current
Punjabi political representation could change, as can laws and policies;
therefore, it is not a given that immigration of Punjabis will keep on
increasing. The next generations of Punjabis will not have the same
relationship with Punjabi. The businesses that are at this time
supporting Punjabi media will eventually start to sell their products by
using mainstream media. This in turn, will directly impact the
progression of Punjabi media. Although no one can predict what will
happen in the future, the important thing to think about is what can be
done with the current opportunities that can have a positive impact on
the future of the Punjabi language.</p>
<p>As Canadians, we are very proud of the fact that ours is a fair and
just society. This was created by fair-minded people from a society that
forced Komagata Maru out of Burrard Inlet a hundred years ago. There is
no doubt that some people may have lost their privileged position in
society, but by treating all citizens equally Canada has become a better
place for all to live. Similarly, if other languages are given some
recognition this would certainly make Canada a much richer and inclusive
place for all.</p>
We should recognize the fact that politicians do not and cannot take
on issues like these on their own. The responsibility lies with the
Punjabi community who need to express their desire to see their mother
tongue flourish in Canada. The time to act is now<br><br clear="all"><a href="http://www.voiceonline.com/a-significant-moment-for-the-punjabi-language-in-canada/">http://www.voiceonline.com/a-significant-moment-for-the-punjabi-language-in-canada/</a><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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