Unesco has announced 2008 as the year of languages at a time when education stakeholders in our country are still split on the question of mother tongue as the medium of instruction. Dr Tariq Rahman, a distinguished scholar on Pakistani languages, had floated the idea that a well-equipped research institute should be established in Pakistan where researchers and language experts could conduct meaningful research on languages spoken in Pakistan. His idea was given practical shape when the Frontier Language Institute (FLI) was established in November 2002 in Peshawar. But in 28 state-run universities no separate department for linguistic research exists, showing our apathy towards the importance of the mother tongue and its preservation.

Mohammad Zaman Sagar, programme director for the FLI, told Dawn the institute had been established under the auspices of the Frontier Language Welfare Organisation to conduct research on languages spoken in different parts of the Frontier province. Among 72 languages in Pakistan, 26 are spoken in the NWFP, 14 the Chitral district alone.

The primary aim of the institute is to equip people to produce and use all kinds of literature in their mother tongues. Another purpose is to help facilitate conducting effective mother tongue literacy programmes, which assist people to read and write in their mother tongues.

According to independent sources, Kalasha and Yidgha languages are at the verge of extinction and Torwali, Balti, Dameli and Palula have been declared threatened languages. Dashu, a language used to be spoken in the Aryani area near Kalam, has wiped out a few years ago. Languages near extinction are those whose speakers are less than 10,000. Threatened languages are the ones spoken by more than 10,000 people, but are not medium of instruction.

Dr Rajwali Shah Khattak, a former director the Pashto academy, says there is a strong need for preservation of languages and establishment of a separate department in the Peshawar University will cater to this purpose.

About 75 people speaking 20 different languages, including Palula/Ashrati, Khowar, Torwali, Gawari/Kalami, Shina, Hindko, Wakhi, Gawari-Balti, Dameli, Yidgha, Saraquli, Eastern Kataviri, Kalasha, Indus Kohistani, Potwari, Kashmiri, Gojri and Bateri, have participated in various training events arranged by the FLI. The institute has arranged workshops in Peshawar, Bisham and Chitral on issues in language development like data collection methodology, phonology, grammar and cultural research.

It plans to host several workshops every year to address specific needs of those involved in language development work. In December 2003, the FLI introduced the first of several one-year courses to train people in linguistics, literacy, anthropology, lexicography, translation and language planning, enabling them to preserve oral traditions, poetry, proverbs and folktales, and compile dictionaries/glossaries.

“The FLI believes in intrinsic worth of mother tongues and cultures. We should preserve our languages for future generations so they can know about the richness of our traditional stories and social customs,” Mr Sagar maintains.

The institute brings out a newsletter, Zabaan, in English and Urdu carrying information about its research activities. According to the FLI, the number of people speaking the local languages is impressive: Balti (270,00), Bateri (20,000), Burushaski (100,000), Chilisso (3,000), Dameli (5,000), Domaaski (500), Gawar-Bati (1,500), Gawri/Kalami (100,000), Gojri (300,000), Hindko (2.5 million), Indus Kohistani (220,000), Kalasha (3,000), Kataviri/Kamviri (7,000), Kashmiri (105,000), Khowar/Chitrali (220,000), Ormuri (8,000), Pahari/Potwari (3.8 million), Palula (10,000), Pashto (10 million), Shina (50,000), Torwali (80,000), Ushojo (1,000), Wakhi (12,000) and Yidgha (6,000). The institute mentions different locations in the Frontier where the languages are spoken.

“We have used various research sources and survey reports for identification and categorisation of the languages. Establishing a fully-fledged research department in the Peshawar University for carrying out a substantive and meaningful research on languages and cultures of the Frontier province is the need of the hour,” Mr Sagar says.

“We encourage speakers of smaller languages to form community-based organisations in their areas and then recommend committed individuals to us for proper training. We see a bright future for smaller languages in the Frontier to groom and contribute to the linguistic and cultural diversity of our country.”