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Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan’s endorsement to Amit Shah’s statement of ‘One nation, one language’ has triggered a storm in Punjabi-speaking people across the world. The singer, who once expressed isolation of Punjabi language through the beautiful song ‘Punjabiyejubane ni rakane mere desh diye phiki pai gaye chehre de nuhar ni’, is receiving flak from the same Punjabis who loved him from the core of their hearts.
Last week during a radio show in Canada, Maan had said that there was no harm in having Hindi as one common language in the entire country. He said: “When we listen to Hindi music, watch films and read Hindi literature, then there is nothing wrong in accepting Hindi.” He called Punjabi the mother and Hindi the maasi. A couple of Sikhs held placards during his live show at Abbotsford BC Canada. However, Maan allegedly responded with profanity to one of the protesters, which triggered a storm in the social media.
“There is no doubt that he is a good Punjabi singer but his statement prompts me to say that he needs a crash course on the concept of mother tongue. I don’t know what his compulsion is to hail Amit Shah’s idea of one language, one nation, but he has certainly become a party to the agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),” said Prof Joga Singh, former head of department of anthropological linguistics and lexicography, Punjabi University, Patiala.
Maan must understand that those who are hailing Hindi as a national language are not even the well-wishers of Hindi. They are themselves destroying it in Hindi-speaking areas. In Uttar Pradesh, thousands of Hindi medium schools were shut down in the Yogi regime. That is the first step to destroy any language when you stop it using as a medium of instruction in schools, he says.
The Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, Punjabi writers’ biggest oragnisation with over 3,000 members, has already passed a resolution against Shah’s statement. Sushil Dosanjh, general secretary of the organisation, says intentionally or unintentionally, the Punajbi singer, who was seen as a loyal son of the language, has served the oppressors who want to unleash an onslaught on all small and big languages in the garb of Hindi. It is not just about Hindi but the larger design is ‘Hindi, Hindu Hindustan’.
The singer is getting a lot of flak on social media also.
