SWAT: The local artists mesmerised the participants of a musical concert by playing melodious tunes of Gawri language on sitar.

The concert was organised by Gawri Community Development Programme (GCDP) in collaboration with Forum for Language Initiatives (FLI) Islamabad in scenic Kalam valley here the other day.

The event was held to highlight the importance of mother tongue and entertain the local people. A large number of people from the Gawri community participated in the event. Renowned local musicians Mir Afzal and Jehangir Khan played tunes of Gawri language on sitar and entertained the audience.

The organisers of the event said that all the languages of the country were important and respectable. “However, children can learn easily in their mother language. It is the constitutional rights of everyone in the country to include his language in the curriculum,” said GCDP representative Shamshi Khan.

He said that GCDP was running six schools where medium of instruction was Gawri language. He added that the examination results of those schools were officially appreciated.

Shamshi Khan said that provincial government approved inclusion of Gawri and Torwali languages in the curriculum. However, the decision should be practically implemented, he said. “These languages must be included in the curriculum by the education boards immediately,” he added.

The members of Gawri community said that they enjoyed the musical night and the songs in their mother language. “We realise that mother language is highly important for better conceptual understanding,” said Hayat Mohammad Kalami.

He said that members of Gawri and Torwali community demanded of the government to declare their languages as medium of instruction in government and private schools in their area.

The language activists said that it was the resolution of Unesco that all the students had the right to get education in their respective mother tongues. However, the government was not seriously implementing the decision, they added.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2021