LARKANA: A language is not only the source of communication, but also an important tool of cultural and national identification and uniqueness of its speakers as well.

This was observed by Prof Dr Mazhar Ali Dhootiyo, head of the computer science department, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University Lyari, Karachi. He was delivering a lecture on the ‘Digitalisation of Languages and Sindhi Language’ held at the city’s Knowledge Centre under the aegis of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat on Sunday evening.

He said that digitally the world had become like a smaller village nowadays. Any language remaining aloof from the comity of languages could not survive in this fast-moving, technology savvy world, he said.

The professor said that many languages in the world had already become dead or extinct. Currently there were 7,000 languages existing in the world of which only 106 had been digitalized and Sindhi language was one of them, along with English, Chinese and Arabic, he said.

He said languages had biological value like all other living organisms; they took birth, grew mature and if not taken care of and nourished properly, they became dead or extinct.

He said Sindhi language had all qualities of life and evolution. Its speakers throughout the world loved it and worked for its promotion. In Sindh, information technology experts and linguists had worked to digitalise Sindhi. Its digitalisation was nearing completion to come at par with other developed languages of the world.

He said that in Pakistan, Sindhi was only language which had become universal after becoming digitalized. Very soon it would come to the level that when spoken to computer, the machine would process it and print the sentences as it was.

He also answered the questions asked by the audience.

Sharing his comments after the lecture, Knowledge Centre founder Prof Mukhtiar Samo highlighted importance of the lecture and appreciated Dr Dhootiyo for his share of work in digitalizing Sindhi language.

Earlier, Sindhi Adabi Sangat secretary Ustad Gul Mohammad Dayo introduced the speaker, welcomed audience and reiterated that in future, more lectures would be held on language, literature and other related topics.

The organizers presented gift of Sindhi ajrak and Shah Jo Risalo to Dr Dhootiyo.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2021