On the Dupaher Wala Show, host Jaspreet Sidhu had an in-depth and meaningful conversation with Balwant Sanghera, president of the Punjabi Language Education Association, about the importance of declaring Punjabi as a mother tongue in Canada’s upcoming Census 2026. During the discussion, Sanghera emphasized that language data collected through the census is not just symbolic—it directly influences government policy, funding decisions, and the delivery of public services. He explained that when people accurately report Punjabi as their mother language, it strengthens the case for more Punjabi-language services in areas such as education, healthcare, government communication, and public institutions. Sidhu and Sanghera also reflected on the long journey of advocacy by the Punjabi community in Canada—from early struggles to introduce Punjabi in schools to achieving wider recognition in public spaces. They highlighted that this progress has only been possible because of consistent community participation and accurate representation in official data. A key message of the conversation was that many Punjabi-speaking families sometimes underreport or choose other languages in census forms, which can weaken the community’s visibility. Sanghera urged listeners to take the census seriously and ensure Punjabi is correctly recorded as their mother tongue where applicable. Doing so helps demonstrate the true size and importance of the Punjabi-speaking population in Canada. Overall, the conversation stressed that filling out the census accurately is a collective responsibility. It is not just about identity, but about securing equitable resources, preserving language rights, and ensuring that future policies reflect the real needs of the Punjabi community in Canada. #BalwantSanghera #JaspreetSidhu #DupaherWalaShow #PunjabiLanguage #Census2026 #PunjabiMotherTongue #PunjabiInCanada #LanguageRights #CommunityAdvocacy #PunjabiCommunity #connectfm