PESHAWAR: Poets, writers, academicians, research scholars, political workers and social activists held seminars, declamation contents, rallies, walks and book fairs across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday to mark International Mother Language Day.

Speakers at one of such functions said that linguistic and cultural diversity would lead to national integration and ethnic cohesion because saving a dying language was tantamount to saving a generation and its death meant extinction of a culture.

They said that mother tongue was not only a symbol of identity but also reflective of national aspirations and thoughts.

They added that unless primary education was imparted in mother tongue, children would continue to cram textual contents instead of imbibing the spirit of what was being taught to them.

Seminars, rallies across KP mark International Mother Language Day

Besides Peshawar, literary and cultural organisations in Swat, Malakand, Buner, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Charsadda, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Karak and tribal districts organised events to mark the importance of mother tongue.

They were of the view that Pashto curriculum from 1st grade to 12th grade was already evolved but it was yet to be implemented.

Concluding two-day KP languages conference at cultural hall adjacent to Nishtar Hall in Peshawar under the auspices of Gandhara Hindko Board and Hindko Academy, speakers stressed the need for preservation of all languages and cultures associated with them.

“KP is home to 23 different languages and more than a dozen are being spoken in Chiral alone. We need to save all those languages as the extinction would mean death of a cultural diversity,” they said.

Malgari Likwalan conducted an event on the significance of mother tongues at the district office of Awami National Party in which poets, writers, research scholars and intellectuals shared their views.

Qaumi Watan Party also organised an event in Peshawar that was attended by poets, intellectuals, journalists and writers.

They said that rulers should pay special attention to preservation of the mother languages to ensure better communication among all communities.

Meanwhile, a rally was arranged outside Peshawar Press Club by Khpalwak Pakhtunistan Ghorzang Tehreek wherein the participants demanded of the government to include Pashto in syllabus from primary to university level.

In Lakki Marwat, Pashto Adabi Paiwastoon organised a function at a private school in Naurang to mark the day.

Addressing the function, speakers said that government should take concrete steps for promotion of mother tongues in the country. They asked the government to support poets and writers.

In Bajaur, an association of local poets and writers, Bajaur Adabi Tolana, arranged a conference to mark the day.

Besides scores of poets and writers, political and social activists attended the conference in a large number.

Speakers on the occasion demanded of the government to declare Pashto as medium of instruction in educational institutions of the province.

Later, a walk was also held.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2021