:dateline:Vishva Punjabi Bhasha Samelan, the International Conference on Punjabi Language which has been cancelled by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for unspecified reasons. �The conference�was scheduled to be held in Sri Anandpur Sahib on 25th & 26th of this month, however it has now been cancelled and new dates are yet to be announced.�
Notably, the conference was scheduled for the first time in October 2015 but the SGPC had to cancel it due to Punjab wide desecration row where a number of beadbi incidents came to the fore.
Initially, the SGPC issued a press note citing critical conditions of Punjab for cancelling the conference. However, in a revised press note shared with Sikh24 the SGPC has excused of urgent reasons for cancelling the conference.
Internal sources within the SGPC however suggest that the conference was cancelled on orders of Akali Dal President Sukhbir Badal who was fearing backlash from the Sikh diaspora. �
Sikh scholars from across Punjab and worldwide were invited to speak on various topics related to the Punjabi language, however, last year, Akali leaders were facing extreme scrutiny due to their inability to control�desecration incidents. �Punjab remained on complete shutdown for almost two weeks in October 2015.
Speaking with Sikh24 this past August, Dr. Anurag Singh said that along with intellectuals from Punjab and India, scholars were invited from Pakistan, UK, North america and other countries. �The focus of the conference was going to be “Gurmukhi Lipi”.
SGPC President Avtar Makkar did not respond to multiple phone calls about the conference.
Punjab Govt is so serious for Punjabi that u can judge while moving through roads of entire state that no petrol pump, no State Bank ATMs and other Central Government institutions have PUNJABI SIGNBOARDS, confusing that whether it is a Punjabi State.