Re: Urdu as our national langauge
No that’s not it. Most Punjabis are simply not apologetic about about the fact their language lends itself so very well to humour and banter, and self depreciating humour is very much part of the general Punjabi characteristics. Yes Jugat Baazi is a genre that has the most entertainment value, at times, it is pure improvisation hence more popular.
I feel there’s a surge to re-claim the entertainment genre of jugat baazi and present is as a form of stage art. Just like how most posh Italian restaurants in the West proudly serve hearty dishes that were once looked down as peasant food in Italy.
This is not any different from Ilama Iqbal, a native Punjabi speaker who composed his best work in Persian (not Urdu) because of the stylistic depth it offered.
But yes Punjabis in general don’t have a very rigid sense of identity. They as a group are very flexible and accommodating to external influences.