QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has said that impact of globalisation and political turmoil could be countered through promotion of literature.

“Through promotion of literature we can safeguard our national identity, culture and languages,” he said at the lunch of a book on renowned Balochi poet Mir Gul Khan Naseer, organised by Zind Academy, Nushki, at Quetta Press Club.

He said the newly compiled book would help researchers undertake further research on the well-known poet.

“Literature mirrors whatever transpires in a society and Mir Gul Khan Naseer is a mirror of the Baloch,” he remarked.

Dr Malik said that globalisation and political instability had put the national identity in danger. However, through promotion of literature such challenges could be met successfully.

“The encouragement of poets, writers and intellectuals is essential and the government is taking every possible measure in this respect,” he said.

The youth should enhance their knowledge and conduct more research in the field of literature, he said. Literature in Balochi, Brahvi and other languages could not be understood fully without the requisite amount of knowledge.

He said that works by long-deceased writers like Saadat Hasan Manto and Faiz Ahmed Faiz seemed as relevant today as they seemed when they were first produced.

He also lauded the efforts of Yar Jan Badini, the editor of monthly Balochi Zind, for promotion of Balochi language and literature.

On the occasion, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Balochistan Javed Iqbal said the land of Balochistan had given birth to a number of great personalities and Mir Gul Khan Naseer was one of them.

He said that owing to policies of the provincial government, his university was making good progress and was ranked among the top universities of the country.

He said that besides the Gul Khan Naseer chair, his institution had set up four other chairs in the name of prominent personalities of Balochistan, including Khan Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai and Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo.

Balochi intellectual and novelist Munir Ahmed Badini also praised the efforts of Yar Jan Badini for the promotion of Balochi language and literature.

He said the poetry of Gul Khan Naseer taught us how to face challenges, deprivations and difficulties. “We have to work more on all aspects of the poetry of Mir Gul Khan Naseer,” he said.

Balochi intellectual Ayub Baloch said that through the poetry of Mir Gul Khan Naseer “we can learn how to meet the challenges posed by globalisation”.

Professor Behram Ghouri, Muhammad Ayub, Tahir Hakeem Baloch, Pana Baloch and Yar Muhammad Badini also spoke on the occasion.

Earlier, a copy of the new book, entitled “Ma Pa Watan Dewanag Hai”, was presented to the chief minister and other guests.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2015

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