THIS is apropos of a news item which said that Chinese newspapers, books and websites would no longer be allowed to use English words and phrases in order to save the 'purity' of the Chinese language (Dec 23).

While making an announcement to this effect, China's publishing body said the increasing use of English words and even abbreviations was a means of 'abusing the language'.

If seen in the context of Pakistan and Urdu, a section of our media, both print and electronic, would be found not only abusing but mutilating the national language. Although in today's age of globalisation such an approach appears to be conservative, if not prejudicial, the restriction by the Chinese authorities seems to be holding grounds.

There has been a consensus amongst linguists that every language has an inbuilt mechanism of its expansion and absorption of words from other languages. Nonetheless, they say that it should be allowed under a natural and evolutionary process.

The Urdu language is said to be a mixture or amalgamation of various languages with relatively dominant role of Hindi, Arabic and Persian.

Urdu does have in its vocabulary large numbers of words from some other Languages, including English, because the long British rule on the subcontinent was bound to influence Urdu and other vernacular languages.

It is heartening to note that Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television still continue to maintain the level of standardised Urdu in their respective broadcasts. But most private TV channels and FM radios have been doing injustice with the national language by unnecessarily mixing English words and phrases under certain complexes.

It would not be an exaggerated statement that some talkers on the FM radios do not mix English into Urdu but, in fact, they do the vice versa.

Watch talk shows or interviews on TV channels, you would find there 10 to 25 per cent English words and phrases.

Perhaps the participants like to give the impression that they are highly educated and belong to some elite class.

This, to me, is not only injustice with Urdu but a mockery with the national language. Is this not tantamount to 'abusing the language' as the Chinese announcement was quoted as saying?

In my humble opinion, no ban could be imposed on a natural and evolutionary entry of words and phrases of other languages, but, a wilful distortion of the language could be stopped.

All those who matter in the business should be advised to desist from using English words for which the substitutes or synonyms are readily available in Urdu.

MEHNAZ SIDDIQUI Islamabad