Punjabi Language Movement

{{Short description|Movement for recognition of Punjabi in Pakistan}}

{{About|the movement in Pakistan|the 1947–1966 movement demanding a Punjabi-speaking state in India|Punjabi Suba movement}}

{{Punjabis}}

{{Infobox civil conflict

| title = Punjabi Language Movement

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| image = Punjabi prachar demand.jpg

| caption = Public demonstration in Lahore

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| place = Punjab, Pakistan

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| causes = *Marginalisation of Punjabi

• Linguistic imposition of Urdu

| methods = *Political demonstration

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| side1 = *Punjabi Parchar

• World Punjabi Congress
• Punjabi Khoj Garh
• Punjabi Lok Sujag

| side2 = * {{flagdeco|Pakistan}} Government of Pakistan

• {{flag icon|Punjab}} Government of Punjab

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The Punjabi Language Movement ({{langx|pnb|{{nq|پنجابی زبان تحریک}}|Pañjābī zabān tahrīk}}; {{IPA|pa|pənˈd͡ʒaːb.bi zəbaːn təɦ'ɾik|pron}}; abbreviated as PLM) is a socio-political movement in Punjab, Pakistan, advocating the recognition of the Punjabi language, as well as culture and literature, in Pakistan to allow its use in government affairs, education, and media.{{cite web | author=Staff Report | title=Punjab wants its mother tongue back | website=Pakistan Today | date=21 February 2011 | url=http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/02/21/city/lahore/punjab-wants-its-mother-tongue-back/ | accessdate=20 April 2016}}{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Michael Edward|title=Fighting Words: Language Policy and Ethnic Relations in Asia|year=2003|publisher=MIT Press |isbn=9780262523332|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fcoDezu1ABoC&q=Punjabi+Language+Movement+pakistan&pg=PA68}}{{cite web | last=Kamal | first=Neel | title=A march for Punjabi revival in Pak's Punjab | website=The Times of India | date=14 September 2015 | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/A-march-for-Punjabi-revival-in-Paks-Punjab/articleshow/48951621.cms | accessdate=20 April 2016}}{{cite web | last=Soofi | first=Mushtaq | title=Punjab Notes: Mother language, people and politicians | website=DAWN.COM | date=27 February 2015 | url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1166216 | accessdate=20 April 2016}}[http://www.punjabilanguagemovement.org// Punjabi Language Movement]

Today, the Punjabi people constitute the largest ethnic group in the country, though Urdu was given status as the sole national language of the country, following independence.{{cite web | last=Service | first=Tribune News | title=Thousands to march for Punjabi in Lahore | website=tribuneindia.com | date=19 February 2016 | url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/thousands-to-march-for-punjabi-in-lahore/198233.html | accessdate=20 April 2016}} Unlike Indian Punjab, where reading and writing the Punjabi language is compulsory at every level from 2008,{{cite web | title=Punjab Cabinet Okays to amend Punjabi official language Act | website=Zee News | date=3 September 2008 | url=http://zeenews.india.com/home/punjab-cabinet-okays-to-amend-punjabi-official-language-act_466443.html | language=la | accessdate=20 April 2016}} alongside a special Punjabi University at Patiala, Punjabi does not have any kind of official status in Pakistan and is merely recognised as a nominal "provincial language" in Pakistani Punjab.{{Cite web|url=https://nation.com.pk/22-Aug-2019/punjabi-as-medium-of-instruction|title=Punjabi as medium of instruction|date=2019-08-21|website=The Nation|language=en|access-date=2019-10-07}} The PLM's ideologies are based on Punjabi nationalism.