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Man from South popularises Punjabi literature
Bipin Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, May 24
Lack of love of mother tongue among Punjabis has failed to promote literature of great Gurus the way it should be. Punjabi is a rich language and lack of its promotion has kept generations bereft of the teachings of the Sikh Gurus.

Literature has history and it never gets destroyed. Punjabi literature is enriched with teachings, religion and history of great warriors of the state. There is need to spread a message about the use of Punjabi language extensively, feels Pt Rao Dharenavar, a Karnataka resident.

A lecturer in a Chandigarh-based college, Pandit Rao is on a mission of promoting Punjabi literature and has been exploring its new possibilities.

Since there is no movement for the promotion Punjabi literature in the state, Pandit Rao, who hails from Indi village in Bijapur district of Karnataka, started his journey from nearby surroundings and has travelled almost the whole state to infuse love for Punjabi literature among masses in urban and rural areas.

Besides classroom teaching, this visionary - having Kannada mother tongue - has been performing stage and road shows, especially in remote areas of the state to make uneducated people aware of their state’s literature.

"I am travelling throughout the state and delivering lectures, besides staging plays and skits to educate school and college students to create passion among them for Punjabi literature and language," claimed Pandit Rao.

Pandit Rao claimed that educating masses in rural areas was quite a tough task, as at first they hardly relied upon him and, secondly, bringing people at one place was another challenge.

"It was shocking for me when some owners of open theatres and auditoriums demanded money for conducting shows for the promotion of their mother tongue at many places.Then I have to switch over to schools, colleges and other public places for performing plays and skits," he said heaving a sigh. "But I am not shattered. I will make all efforts to fulfil my dreams,” he added.

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When this great South Indian man is promoting our language with so much determination, the least we as Punjabis can do is to speak Punjabi at home instead of Hindi and English. All the Punjabis here who speak Hindi and English with their family members, I say lakh Laanat on them and their being born as Punjabis.