The language dilemma

The Supreme Court ruled in September this year that Urdu replace English as the official language

In many ways, we have turned into a state without a language. The language issue has divided people into different groups, setting up barriers in an already divided society. We need to find a means to use words to bring people together and build a more inclusive society. The Supreme Court ruling in September this year that Urdu replace English as the official language in government offices, parliament and official institutions is intended to help achieve this. However, introducing Urdu as the official language poses its own set of complications. Some of these came under discussion as Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid chaired the second meeting of the Cabinet Committee on the Enforcement of Urdu as the official language in Islamabad on November 16.

There are some obvious challenges at hand in making Urdu the official language. Undoubtedly there will be other difficulties too, which will surface when the use of Urdu actually begins. The minister has advised that simple, easy-to-understand words be used in all communications. We have become so accustomed to using English terms to replace their more formal and sometimes Persianised Urdu counterparts that a rigid adherence to the national language may not work, especially where parliamentary, legal or governmental jargon is involved.

The minister’s advice that commonly-used English terms be resorted to in such cases would seem to make good practical sense. This is, after all, the usual practice in news broadcasts and television talk shows too, and people are accustomed to it. We do not, after all, want to create exclusion again by using a language few can follow. This is of special significance in a country where Urdu, a language which ideally should be used to unite the country, constitutes the first language for only a minority with the regional languages suffering severe neglect. Their fate, too, needs review as we continue to assess our struggles with languages and the social dichotomies they create.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2015.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.