Pakistan and the language issue: Khaliq Junejo
THIS is with reference to letters of Shakeel Nizamani (Dec12) and A.G.Chaudhry (Dec 6) regarding the state and status of Urdu and ‘other languages’.
The language issue has been one of the most contentious issues in the political, legal and constitutional history of Pakistan since its inception. Particularly Bengalis and Sindhis have been very conscious, sensitive and proud about their languages. And they have enough reasons to be so as, according to noted linguist and historian Dr Tarique Rahman, when Urdu and Hindi were being promoted under the state patronage in the Indian subcontinent, the two languages that faced the onslaught successfully were Bengali and Sindhi.
There is no denying the fact that it was the language issue in East Bengal that ultimately led to the breakup of Pakistan. Recently demands for the recognition and promotion of Punjabi language have started becoming vociferous.
So it is time the all - important issue of language is addressed with due care and importance and the status of different languages be recognised in accordance with historical facts and universal standards.
The perception of Urdu being the national language and ‘others’ being regional languages needs to be changed. One may ask as which nation Urdu is the national language of? If the answer is Pakistani nation, then another important question comes to the mind: what happened to the idea of ‘Muslim nation’? If this is the country of Muslim nation, then Arabic, not Urdu, should be the national language. So it makes things very complex. The simple and factual position is that Pakistan is not a nation but a multi - national country consisting of Sindhi, Baloch, Pakhtoon, Punjabi and Seraiki nations. Hence the languages of these constituent units/nations (using the termnology of 1940 resolution) should be recognised as the national languages while Urdu may be considered as the lingua franca.
As far as Sindhi is concerned, many Sindhis feel offended when their language is called a’ regional language’. Isn’t it an irony that in India Sindhi is recognised as one of the national languages but in Pakistan, for whose creation the Sindh Assembly passed the resolution, it is relegated to the status of ‘regional language’ or ‘other language’?
On the question of romanising Sindhi, I agree with Mr. Nizamani’s view that Sindhi should continue to be written in Arabic script. But at the same time I would suggest that we should not close the doors for a healthy debate and the windows for new ideas.
However I vehemently disagree with Mr Nizamani that religion happens to be the lasting force behind the development of a language. Can anyone say that Bengalis are the Muslims of lesser degree despite the fact that their language is not written in the Arabic script?
Similar is the case with the Sindhi language. No one can say that the role of those Sindhis belonging to Hindu religion in the progress and promotion of Sindhi language is, in any case, inferior to that of any other Sindhi? In fact without the services of scholars like Dr Gurbakhshani and Bherumal Mehrchand Advani, the Sindhi language would not have been what it is today.
ABDUL KHALIQUE JUNEJO
Karachi Dawn letter 18 Decmber 2008
The language issue has been one of the most contentious issues in the political, legal and constitutional history of Pakistan since its inception. Particularly Bengalis and Sindhis have been very conscious, sensitive and proud about their languages. And they have enough reasons to be so as, according to noted linguist and historian Dr Tarique Rahman, when Urdu and Hindi were being promoted under the state patronage in the Indian subcontinent, the two languages that faced the onslaught successfully were Bengali and Sindhi.
There is no denying the fact that it was the language issue in East Bengal that ultimately led to the breakup of Pakistan. Recently demands for the recognition and promotion of Punjabi language have started becoming vociferous.
So it is time the all - important issue of language is addressed with due care and importance and the status of different languages be recognised in accordance with historical facts and universal standards.
The perception of Urdu being the national language and ‘others’ being regional languages needs to be changed. One may ask as which nation Urdu is the national language of? If the answer is Pakistani nation, then another important question comes to the mind: what happened to the idea of ‘Muslim nation’? If this is the country of Muslim nation, then Arabic, not Urdu, should be the national language. So it makes things very complex. The simple and factual position is that Pakistan is not a nation but a multi - national country consisting of Sindhi, Baloch, Pakhtoon, Punjabi and Seraiki nations. Hence the languages of these constituent units/nations (using the termnology of 1940 resolution) should be recognised as the national languages while Urdu may be considered as the lingua franca.
As far as Sindhi is concerned, many Sindhis feel offended when their language is called a’ regional language’. Isn’t it an irony that in India Sindhi is recognised as one of the national languages but in Pakistan, for whose creation the Sindh Assembly passed the resolution, it is relegated to the status of ‘regional language’ or ‘other language’?
On the question of romanising Sindhi, I agree with Mr. Nizamani’s view that Sindhi should continue to be written in Arabic script. But at the same time I would suggest that we should not close the doors for a healthy debate and the windows for new ideas.
However I vehemently disagree with Mr Nizamani that religion happens to be the lasting force behind the development of a language. Can anyone say that Bengalis are the Muslims of lesser degree despite the fact that their language is not written in the Arabic script?
Similar is the case with the Sindhi language. No one can say that the role of those Sindhis belonging to Hindu religion in the progress and promotion of Sindhi language is, in any case, inferior to that of any other Sindhi? In fact without the services of scholars like Dr Gurbakhshani and Bherumal Mehrchand Advani, the Sindhi language would not have been what it is today.
ABDUL KHALIQUE JUNEJO
Karachi Dawn letter 18 Decmber 2008