Punjabiyat, meaning "Punjabiness",
Aims and goals
In
Pakistan, its goal is a better status of Punjabi language along with
Urdu at state level.
In India, its goal is to bring together the Sikh, Hindu and Muslim communities.
The movement's supporters in the Punjabi diaspora focus on the promotion of a shared cultural heritage.
Link to Sikh nationalism
Panjabiyat also has close links to Sikh nationalism due to the religious significance of
Punjabi language and
Gurmukhi script in
Sikhism.
With the advent of the notion of
Devanagari script and
Hindi or
Sanskrit as a language associated with Hindu nationalism and
Arya Samaj advancing the cause of
Devanagari in the late 19th century, the cause of
Gurmukhi was advanced by Singh Sabha Movement.
This later culminated in Punjabi Suba movement where
Sikhs who mostly identified
Punjabi language as their mother tongue, while
Hindus identifying with
Hindi in the census, leading to trifurcation of state on a linguistic basis in 1966 and the formation of a Sikh majority, Punjabi speaking state in India.
During the Khalistan movement,
were known to enforce Punjabi language,
Gurmukhi script and traditional
Punjabi clothing in Punjab.
SGPC in its 1946 Sikh State resolution declared the
Punjab region as the natural homeland of the Sikhs.
Anandpur Sahib Resolution also links
Sikhism to
Punjab as a Sikh homeland.
See also
Sources
