Punjabi Language Movement

This article is about the movement in Pakistan. For the 1947–1966 movement demanding a Punjabi-speaking state in India, see Punjabi Suba movement.

The Punjabi Language Movement (Punjabi: پنجابی زبان تحریک, romanized: Pañjābī zabān tahrīk; pronounced [pənˈd͡ʒaːb.bi zəbaːn təɦ'ɾik]; 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.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Punjabi Language Movement
Public demonstration in Lahore
Location	Punjab, Pakistan
Caused by	Marginalisation of Punjabi Linguistic imposition of Urdu
Methods	Political demonstration
Parties
Punjabi Parchar World Punjabi Congress Punjabi Khoj Garh Punjabi Lok Sujag Government of Pakistan Government of Punjab

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.^[6] Unlike Indian Punjab, where reading and writing the Punjabi language is compulsory at every level from 2008,^[7] 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.^[8] The PLM's ideologies are based on Punjabi nationalism.

See also

• Punjabi nationalism
• Punjabi Suba movement
• Punjabiyat
• Anti-Hindi agitation of 1937–40