Language and script are fundamental to the identity and continuity of any civilization, culture, or society. After the British annexed Punjab in 1849, they systematically targeted the Punjabi language and the Gurmukhi script as part of their colonial policy. Dr. Sikandar Singh, Head of the Punjabi Department at Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, has compiled reports and official documents of the British colonial administration in Punjab that reveal these attempts at the linguistic and cultural erasure of Punjabi and Gurmukhi. This interview is essential viewing for anyone seeking to understand the past, present, and future of the Punjabi language, the Gurmukhi script, and Punjab’s civilizational heritage.

Dr. Sikandar Singh’s upcoming book’s title is: “Colonial Papers on Punjab: PUNJABI and GURMUKHI (The administrative record of linguistic dispossession in colonial Punjab)”. This book is published by FreeBloom Press Canada.