KARACHI: In what was meant to be a session to discuss the kinship between Urdu and other Pakistani languages, the guest speakers seemed more inclined to deviate from the theme and blame English for spoiling the national language.
Despite the city being at a virtual stop due to a political rally, the Seventh International Urdu Conference managed to gather a sizable Urdu literature-loving crowd, who were glad to see the presence of laureates.
The stage was graced by eminent writers, including Amar Jalil, Mazharul Haq, Imdad Husseini, Mehtab Akbar Rashidi and Syed Mazhar Jamil, with Dr Ayub Shaikh moderating the session. Guest speakers such as Dr Nazir Tabassum, Dr Kumeil Qazalbash and Zehra Sadaf were also invited to share their thoughts. The session walked the audience through the importance of language in upholding identity. The speakers cited the examples of Japan and Iran, countries that kept hold of their languages even under difficult circumstances and that still prefer their own language on every platform.
The most significant gesture during the session was the mention of different languages spoken across the country as 'Pakistani languages', rather than the over-used term of 'regional languages.'
As the guest writers were mostly those who had made contributions to the Sindhi language, it was Sindhi that took over the debate. While Dr Tabassum and Dr Qazalbash attempted to dilute this and shift the focus to a broader level, it hardly helped.
"It is through Urdu that a Pathan is able to communicate with a Sindhi - something that would otherwise have been impossible," said Dr Tabassum, highlighting the dots that connect Urdu with the other languages spoken across Pakistan.
On the other hand, renowned writer Husseini recalled his visit to Mumbai, saying, "When Dilip Kumar welcomed me there, he greeted me in Sindhi with 'sayein dado suttho aaye'. If he could do this, why can't we?"
He was not the only one to make such a complaint. "There are many notable Sindhi writers who have contributed to Urdu, but Sindhi literature has not benefited much from the writers of other languages," said another speaker.
Meanwhile, Amar Jalil praised Urdu for being a miracle language. "Linguistic harmony can be achieved by promoting marriages between people belonging to different linguistic backgrounds," he suggested. He added that the All-India Muslim League had earned Urdu a bad name, using it as a weapon. "Language has no religion; it shouldn't be annexed to any religion or belief."
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2014.
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