The Battle for Punjabiyat: Preserving Punjabi Identity in Pakistan

Long ago, in 1947, a line called the Radcliffe Line split a place called Punjab into two parts.

One part became part of India, and the other became part of Pakistan.

Many families had to leave their homes, and more than a million people lost their lives.

Even though the two countries are divided, the people share the same language, Punjabi, and the same songs and poems.

In Pakistan, schools and leaders often pushed people to speak Urdu instead of Punjabi.

Some people felt that Punjabi was being forgotten and treated as unimportant.

Brave people like Ahmad Raza Punjabi started groups, like Punjabi Parchar, to protect the language.

They even won court cases that said schools cannot ban Punjabi.

Singers like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Sidhu Moosewala are loved on both sides of the border.

Even today, speaking Punjabi makes people on both sides feel like one big family.