QUETTA: On International Mother Language Day, the Balochi Labzanki Deewan held a function about the significance of regional languages in Balochistan.
QUETTA: On International Mother Language Day, the Balochi Labzanki Deewan held a function about the significance of regional languages in Balochistan.
Dr. Abdul Malik Balochistan, Balochistan’s former Chief Minister, Baloch, Pashtun, Punjabi, and Hazara linguists were also present on the stage.
Yar Jan Badini, who is a Baloch linguist and chairman of the Balochi Labzank Deewan, said they were holding such functions and gatherings for over last two decades for the promotion of regional and mother tongue languages. Despite it, he remarked, none has paid much attention toward the mother tongue languages despite the fact that these (languages) are own identity, and we are known by our languages.
“Balochi language is 5,000 years old, and Mehrgrah, which is our civilization and mother and king civilization of all civilizations in the region, is 11, 000 years old. Due to own negligence, these are at the verge of extinction,” he lamented. “Except Makran division of Balochistan, we hardly have writers who write in Balochi; therefore, the government of Pakistan needs to give national status to Balochi and other regional languages for development.”
On the occasion, Mr. Qaiser Jamali, the president of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Balochistan, also spoke. According to him, the UNESCO is committed to ‘protecting, preserving, and promoting’ of mother tongue languages in all over the world.
As for Balochistan, he said, they are giving utmost priority to regional languages, as well as to highlight the economic aspect of languages over here.
He also said there should be ‘diversity’ in a language and culture for its advancement.
Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, who was the chief guest, said whatever he could do for development of regional languages of Balochistan during his tenure, he did. For example, according to him, he legislated and commenced teaching of children in their mother tongue languages at schools. He also blamed the linguists that they could not do their part of the work, which is why the results are fruitless. However, he also confessed that he did all in hurry.
“During the 18th amendment, I wanted to give constitutional protection to all languages, which are to me all national, I could not give despite the fact that Pakistan is multilingual country,” Dr. Malik Baloch regretted. “Except the demand of giving constitutional protection to languages, our all other demands were accepted.”
Munir Ahmad Badini, former education secretary of Balochistan and renowned novelist, summed it up, “Our education system faces three major problems, which have been overlooked: Language, science and mathematics, and social science. When you teach children till grade five in their mother tongues, they can better express themselves and excel in other fields, too.”