Prominent Sikh Prominent farmer Leader Badheri Criticizes CBSE For Keeping Punjabi Language of Sikh Gurus in Less Important Subjects

Inferior and narrow-mindedness is working behind the classification of languages: Rajinder Singh Badheri

Tejal Gyan Chandigarh, October 24,
Prominent Sikh Farmer Leader National Delegate and State President All India Jatt Maha Sabha Chandigarh Rajinder Singh Badheri has strongly condemned CBSE for its dictatorial decision to exclude Gurmukhi Punjabi from the main subjects, which was uttered by the Gurus of India. In a statement issued here, Badheri said the decision was against the federal spirit of the Indian Constitution.

Criticizing the decision, Mr. Badheri said that the Central Board has declared Punjabi as well as other regional languages and some other subjects as minor subjects while Hindi and English have been placed in the category of major subjects.

Referring to the Constitution of India, Mr. Badheri said that there are 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and Hindi is also included in it and all these languages have equal status. Then the question arises if the remaining 21 languages are in the category of minor subjects, by what criteria was Hindi placed in the category of major subjects?

Mr. Badheri said that this dictatorial decision of the Government Institution proves that a certain kind of pluralistic mentality is at work behind the classification of languages. This phenomenon also shows that government institutions are not only insensitive to the people but also have no sympathy for the local languages.

He said that the aristocratic attitude of the Board was also behind the previous mentality of calling regional languages including Punjabi as minor. Mr. Badheri further said that the Union Ministry of Education should also realize that only by acquiring proficiency in mother tongues can the students have a special, noteworthy and creative development.

Therefore, the Ministry of Education should immediately issue orders to the Board to reverse this decision. Mr. Badheri said that the all the States should oppose the Central Board of Education treating local languages as a minor subject.