PLEA To Celebrate International Mother Language Day Saturday (Today)

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Winter months are usually a quiet and slow time for activities. However, in our community, there is no slowing down. As a matter of fact, the pace of activities picks up around this time of the year. Weekends are especially busy with so much going on. In this context, it is relevant to mention that in the next few days two major activities will be taking place. Punjabi Language Education Association (PLEA) will be celebrating its 13th International Mother Language Day (IMLD) on Saturday, February 27 from 3 to 5 PM at North Delta Recreation Centre, 11415-84 Avenue, Delta.

PLEA’s focus this year will be to highlight its achievements and challenges. Locally, our main emphasis will be on Surrey, the largest school district in the province and a major centre for Punjabis, Punjabi language and culture. Surrey School Trustee Garry Thind has been invited to share with the attendees the situation of Punjabi language in Surrey. The election of twenty Punjabis to the House of Commons in Ottawa, has given a big boost to the Punjabi community. PLEA is hopeful that our newly elected law makers would be able to assist PLEA in promoting this third most spoken language in Canada .  Now is a great opportunity for our community to get our mother tongue Punjabi its due place and recognition in Canada. PLEA has invited Surrey Centre M.P.  Randip Singh Sarai to discuss this issue.

To conclude, PLEA will have some students share their poems, stories and related works with the audience. In May 2016 Statistics Canada will be conducting its national census. In order to provide information about this, officials from Statistics Canada will be available. The admission is free and light refreshments will be available.

A few days after the PLEA function, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama ’at will be holding an interfaith symposium dealing with issues relating to youth, violence, peace and spirituality. Titled: Radicalization in Faiths, the speakers will be dealing with the issue of radicalization and violence through their respective faiths. Five prominent scholars from different faiths-Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Judaism and Hinduism- will be sharing their views with the attendees. This symposium will take place on Wednesday, February 24 from 7 PM to 9PM at Baitur Rahman Mosque, 9570 River Road, Delta. It is an open function with free entry. Delta Police Department Head Chief Constable Neil Dubord will be the keynote speaker. Public is cordially invited to attend.

Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist.