Members of the Sikh community held a peaceful protest rally in Jammu, seeking the restoration and promotion of Punjabi in school education and greater recognition for the language in Jammu and Kashmir.
The demonstration was organised under the banner of the Jammu Punjabi Morcha. The protesters urged the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and the government to introduce Punjabi into the school curriculum and promote it as a community language.
The demand comes amid a wider campaign by sections of the Sikh community in Jammu for greater recognition and promotion of Punjabi. Community representatives have said that the language is an important part of their cultural and linguistic heritage and that steps should be taken to ensure that younger generations have opportunities to learn it.
Surjan Singh, general secretary of the District Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, said the protest was organised to highlight what the community considers a long-pending demand for the restoration of Punjabi in schools. He said Punjabi had been taught in schools in the region before Independence and claimed that it was later removed from the curriculum outside Punjab.
According to Singh, representatives of the community have repeatedly approached the Lieutenant Governor’s administration seeking action on the issue. He also said the community wants Punjabi to receive greater attention in the education system so that children can learn the language formally.
The protesters maintained that language education is closely connected with cultural preservation. They argued that introducing Punjabi in schools would give children from the community an opportunity to read and write the language while helping preserve its literature and traditions.
The Jammu demonstration remained peaceful, with participants raising their concerns about the status of Punjabi and calling for the government to consider their requests through administrative and democratic channels.
The issue also extends beyond school education. Sections of the Sikh community have been seeking official language recognition for Punjabi in Jammu and Kashmir. A separate campaign reported earlier this month called for Punjabi to be granted official language status and for Punjabi classes to be started for community children.
The current demand focuses particularly on the role of Punjabi in schools. Community representatives believe that formal education can help ensure that younger people remain connected with the language. They have also encouraged community institutions and families to contribute to the preservation of Punjabi by supporting its use among children.
The protesters have indicated that they want the issue to be addressed through peaceful and democratic means. Surjan Singh said that if the community’s concerns are not addressed, protesters may continue their campaign through further demonstrations and sit-ins.
The campaign has attracted attention from different sections of the Sikh community in Jammu. Reports from earlier demonstrations show that community organisations and leaders have also called for wider support for the demand. Some campaigners have urged elected representatives to support the recognition of Punjabi and raise the issue through the appropriate legislative process.
The debate over language education in Jammu and Kashmir comes against a broader background of efforts by different linguistic communities to preserve their languages and cultural traditions. Jammu and Kashmir has a multilingual social and cultural landscape, with communities seeking opportunities to maintain their respective linguistic identities.
For the Sikh community, the current campaign is centred on ensuring that Punjabi remains accessible to younger generations. Protesters say that without opportunities to learn the language in schools and community institutions, younger people may find it increasingly difficult to read and write Punjabi.
The community’s demand for Punjabi education is therefore not limited to the introduction of another school subject. Supporters view it as part of a broader effort to preserve language, literature and cultural heritage. At the same time, any decision on curriculum policy and official language recognition rests with the relevant government authorities.
The administration has not announced a final decision on the latest demand at the time of the reported protest. The issue is expected to remain part of the ongoing public discussion among community representatives, political leaders and authorities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Sikh community has said it will continue to pursue the matter through peaceful and constitutional methods. For now, the Jammu protest has brought renewed attention to the demand for Punjabi language education and its promotion among school students in the region.
