WHILE Karachi is more known for frequent bloodshed and chaos, the fact that the megacity has just witnessed the seventh edition of the International Urdu Conference shows it can also play host to events that promote learning.

The four-day conference, which concluded on Sunday, featured eminent men of letters and literati from across Pakistan as well as the diaspora. That writers and scholars from India, Egypt and Turkey were present was an added bonus. It is heartening that despite Karachi’s near-constant instability and the fact that political activity in the metropolis was at fever pitch due to Saturday’s PPP rally, the public’s attendance at the conference was encouraging, though perhaps a stronger presence from the youth was needed.

Participants of the “cultural congregation” discussed a range of topics relevant to the condition and future prospects of Urdu. Of course, the rampant extremism in society did not escape the attention of the discussants, as speakers said fiction writers specifically feared an obscurantist backlash.

Equally interesting were concerns about the effects globalisation was having on Urdu. In the new ‘global culture’ — largely shaped by multinational corporations — English was dominant and to ensure its survival Urdu had to “turn itself into the language of creativity and knowledge”.

Languages the world over face a Darwinian struggle; only the strongest survive in a globalised age, and efforts such as the Urdu conference are essential to ensuring languages are patronised and nurtured.

Some speakers also raised the point that in the current societal milieu, literature and language did not matter much.

Indeed, literature conferences, book fairs and other events that promote learning are essential to fostering tolerance and civilised behaviour in society.

Encouragingly, Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad have all over the past few years witnessed regular events that promote literature and the arts. However, challenges persist; only last year, Karachi’s book fair was targeted by protesting extremists.

The state can help by supporting such literary endeavours and protecting them from the threats posed by hardliners.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014