Expert discounts fears on threat to Punjabi from English

Dr Noor was in town to attend a state-level convention on Punjabi language held at Punjabi Bhawan today. Talking to Ludhiana Newsline,Dr Noor said,“At present,Punjabi language does not need to be fearful of any language eating it up but yes the present times are a wake up call for in these times,the balance between tradition and modernism is lost. We as the older generation and then as intellectuals have failed to pass on this balance to our youth which does shirk from speaking Punjabi language or reading Punjabi literature.”

“From villages,the Punjabi language has now entered into international cities and towns. There are bound to be some issues that we need to address,” says Dr Noor.

Dr Noor added,“These are the times of transition and I can see the face of a new Punjabi language emerging very soon. But we need to regulate and mould this new face.”

Commenting on use of English words in Punjabi,which the puritan section feels is eating up Punjabi language,Dr Noor says,“This fear is completely misplaced. Punjabi language has in the past too observed words from Hindi and Sankrit. Same is happening now in case of English. This is only helping our language become more modern and rich and this is what helps the language to grow.”

As a word of advise for the writers and literatures,Dr Noor says,“It is very sad to see that our writers have lost all contact with the grassroots. They engage with society only at the surface level and that is why Punjabi language is not producing good poetry or prose which it otherwise can. The writers need to reconnect with their people once again and talk of problems,aspirations,dreams and issues of the masses.”