Use of Hindi on Maharaja Agrasen Memorial plaque sparks major row

PATIALA: A controversy has erupted following the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Maharaja Agrasen Memorial at Aggarwal Park in Nabha, where the plaque bearing information about the ceremony was inscribed in Hindi rather than Punjabi.

The event, presided over by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, drew sharp criticism from several prominent voices within the local Baniya community. Writers, lyricists, and activists from the community strongly condemned the decision to use Hindi on the memorial plaque, arguing that Punjabi is the rightful language of the region and the mother tongue of the local population, including Punjabi Hindus.Veteran social activist Pyarelal Garg expressed his disapproval, alleging ideological influence from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "Hindi is not the mother tongue of Punjabi Hindus, nor is it the national language of India - it is only the official language," he said. Garg emphasised that Punjabi remains the predominant spoken language in Nabha, even among the Baniya community, and called the move a distortion of local cultural identity.

"There is a difference between Hindutva and Hindu," he added, warning against ideological impositions. Garg said that RSS was gaining quite a strong hold in Nabha and this decision taken by a few depicted their intrusion.Punjabi lyricist Suresh Bansal, 66, from Malerkotla, also voiced his disappointment. "This move is completely wrong. Punjabi is our mother tongue and we should not abstain from it. I wrote all my work in Punjabi only as a lyricist," he said.Echoing the sentiment, Hakam Chand Singla, widely known by his pen name Preet Kaaljharani, criticised the decision as "unjustified." A noted Punjabi songwriter since the age of 17, Singla wrote for acclaimed singers such as Mohammed Sadiq and Balkar Sidhu. "We should not turn our face from Punjabi," he asserted.Ashok Bansal, a writer from Mansa who authored two books on pre-Partition Punjabi songwriters, said he writes exclusively in Punjabi and considers it his only language.

"It is inappropriate not to display Punjabi on such a significant foundation stone," he said. Responding to the criticism, Om Prakash, president of Patiala District Aggarwal Sabha, clarified that the plaque was part of a personal programme organised by the Sabha, and not the govt. "We have always displayed our boards in Hindi, which we consider our national language, while Punjabi is the state language. Only a few people who are idle keep raising such issues," he said.