Punjabi Nationalism in West and East Punjab.

Punjabi Nationalism refers to a nationalist stance applied to Pakistani Punjab (West Punjab) as well as Indian (East Punjab) and the diverse ethnic Punjabi people who inhabit the ethno-linguistic region of Punjab.

Baba Sheikh Farid is considered as the Father of Punjabi nationalism. Baba Bulleh Shah (wrote Kafis), Waris Shah (wrote Heer Ranjha) and Bhai Vir Singh (Modern Punjabi Literature) have an immense contribution to Punjabi Boli.

Punjabi nationalist’s movements.

In 1947 after Partition of Punjab into Pakistani Punjab and Indian Punjab there were some several movements for the protection of Punjabiyat in both Punjabs.

Punjabi Nationalism in East Punjab.

The Punjabi Suba Movement was aimed at the creation of a Punjabi-majority Subah ("Province") in the Punjab region of India in the 1950s. This movement resulted in Punjabi-majority state in India in 1967.

There are still cold movements to end discrimination to Punjabi language, implement it in Punjabi majority areas like Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and many institutes like schools-colleges in Punjab state itself where Punjabi language is ignored.

Punjabi language dialects like Bauria, Bazigari, Bhand, Dhaha, Gojri, Lahanda, Lubana, Odi, Rai Sikhi and Sansi are also becoming extinct in Punjab, India.

There has been a Hindi imposition since 1950s and 1960s in the state against Punjabi language. Despite a rich heritage of Punjabi literature, Punjabi Television serial industry in Indian Punjab has totally disappeared.

Punjabi Nationalism in West Punjab.

In the Pakistani Punjab province, the Punjabi Language Movement is a linguistic movement in aimed at reviving the Punjabi language, art, culture and literature in Pakistan.

There are several attempts going on by the Punjabi society for implementation of Punjabi language as it is completely ignored by the authorities in Punjab province. Urdu is the preferred medium of education in local schools-colleges as well as Government paperwork which is very threatening for survival of Punjabi language in Punjab, Pakistan. But Urdu is the mother tongue of only about 7.57% Pakistanis.

In September 2015, a case was filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the Government of Punjab, Pakistan as it did not take any step to implement the Punjabi language in the province.

Punjabi lovers also say that creation of Bangladesh out of Pakistan proves that love of Mother-tongue is more important than religion.

Pakistani Punjabi language film industry is in crisis as filmmakers were not producing Punjabi language films like before 1975 Punjabi films ruled in the film industry of Pakistan. Television Channels from Lahore (Punjab's capital city) are all in Urdu instead of Punjabi.

There is still 150-year-old unofficial ban on education in Punjabi language in Punjab, Pakistan and Government is ignorant about it thus compelling Punjabi people to protest.

In August 2015, Pakistan Academy of Letters, International Writer’s Council (IWC) and World Punjabi Congress (WPC) organized Khawaja Farid conference and demanded Punjabi University should be established in Lahore and Punjabi language should be declared as the medium of instruction at the primary level.

In Lahore, every year, thousands of Punjabis gather on International Mother Language Day seeking an end to the 150-year-old ban on education in Punjabi in Pakistan and against Urdu-isation of Punjab.

In September 2015 at the Government Emerson College, Multan thousands of aspirants seeking admission protested against the administration for forcing them not to adopt Punjabi as compulsory or optional subjects as usually majority of students prefer Punjabi for balancing their mark sheet in BA (third year).