LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said that the establishment of the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture would make up for a long-existing deficiency in the means to promote Punjabi language and culture.

He said this while laying the foundation stone for the institute in a ceremony on Friday.

Elahi said that the Punjabi language was rich in poetry and prose, and “it is our duty to pass this priceless heritage on to future generations”. He said that the people of Punjab had started neglecting their mother tongue, to the extent that today’s generation was unable to even speak Punjabi, let alone read it. He said that the existence of a national language did not imply that regional languages should be ignored.

He said that other provinces had made considerable efforts to preserve and promote regional languages and culture, and it was high time that due attention be given to the promotion of Punjabi language and literature. The chief minister said that numerous intellectuals, writers and poets had been consulted for the establishment of the institution. The Punjab Assembly had also adopted an act for the purpose, he said.

He said that all Punjabi dialects would be studied and researched at the institute.

He said that the government had also chalked out a programme to ensure the maintenance of the quality of Punjabi drama. Vulgar dramas are detrimental to society’s morals, and discourage talented writers and actors from entering the field, he said.

Elahi also announced an annual grant of Rs 2.5 million for struggling writers and poets. The grant would be open to writers of all languages, he said. He also doubled the annual grant for cultural and literary organisations in the province, and announced a Rs 50,000 cash prize for the year’s best book. Earlier, Provincial Information and Culture Secretary Taimur Azmat Usman informed the participants about the objectives of the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture. He said that this was the first time in Punjab’s history that a government had patronised Punjabi language, culture and literature.

He hoped that the institute would prove to be an important centre of research for Punjabi language and culture.