HYDERABAD: Promotion of regional languages demanded
By Our Correspondent
HYDERABAD, April 26: Renowned scholar, historian and educationist Dr Nabi Bux Khan Baloch has deplored that no work has been done for the promotion of different languages of Pakistan.
He was speaking at a seminar on “Sindhi and Other Languages of Pakistan - Their Use and Importance”, organized by the Sindhi Language Authority at Mumtaz Mirza Auditorium, Sindh Museum, here on Saturday.
Dr Baloch said that teaching the languages was not enough and it was equally necessary that the languages should be given due importance in every walk of life.
Dr Baloch observed that despite being the national language, Urdu had been subordinated to English because the latter was the language of the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Culture Minister Shabbir Qaimi said that an ethnic gulf had been created in the province in the past but it had been bridged now.
Quoting from a book of Richard Barton, Dr Tariq Rehman said that in the colonial era throughout the sub-continent, only Sindhi and Bengali languages were considered fit to become official languages because they were already being used as medium of instruction in the educational institutions of their respective provinces.
He pointed out that the language issue in Sindh had been raised from time to time and added that it should not be considered as an ethnic issue because it had been related with demands for provincial autonomy, power sharing and justice.
National Language Authority chairman Fateh Mohammad Malik conceded that the demand for the recognition of the language was always backed by the demand for provincial autonomy.
Dr Ahsan Wagha said that some languages were forcibly thrust on others and the regional languages were not provided any incentives.
Others who spoke at the seminar included Dr Fehmeeda Hussain, Badar Abro, Anwar Pirzado, Inam Shaikh, Dr Hidayat Prem, Abdul Jabbar Junejo and Dr Qasim Bughio.
Three books were also launched by the SLA, which included a dictionary of Shah-jo-Risalo, an Urdu-to-Sindhi dictionary and Jatki Boli.
