Hazara Hindko Academy founded to promote language

Activists say it is the duty of academia, local poets to their ‘mother tongue’

HARIPUR: In an effort to promote Hindko, considered one of the oldest spoken languages in the world, poets, intellectuals and academics from Hazara Division unanimously have formed the Hazara Hindko Academy (HHA). HHA will work towards the preservation and promotion of Hindko. If they secure funds, they will start courses on the language.

The group, hailing from different parts of Hazara and the province, met at the residence of Rashid Khan Qureshi, a Hindko poet, on Monday and discussed at length how to promote Hindko.

Professor Waheed Qureshi, the central information secretary for Anjuman-e-Taraqqi Pasand Musanifeen, said even though Hindko has a past spanning over thousands of years—over 5,000 years to be precise—it remains ignored both by the government and Hindkowan community. “There used to be a number of Hindko poets and prose writers, but the lack of encouragement from the government is making the language disappear,” he said.

The influence of other languages has forced Hindkowan families to avoid speaking in Hindko with their children and in social settings, Waheed added.

Fida Hussain Afsar Minhas, the provincial vice president for Anjuman-e-Taraqqi Pasand Musanifeen, said local poets, journalists and members of academia owe it to their “mother tongue” to promote the Hazara dialect of Hindko, and preserve its culture and literary work.

Nazeer Hussain Kasailvi, a famous Hindko poet, said politicians from Hazara and those at higher posts in their fields need to contribute and preserve the language. “The lack of preservation is why the language is becoming extinct,” he said.

Also present on this occasion, Ziauddin, general secretary for Gandhara Hindko Board (GHB), said constructing skyscrapers is not a sign of development in a society.

“Promoting local languages and folk culture is the only parameter with which development in a society can be gauged,” Ziauddin added. He commended GHB for its efforts and said, “The provincial government has approved forming Hindko Academy in Peshawar and allocated Rs70 million in its current Annual Development Plan.”

Famous poets Professor Yahya Khalid, Professor Bashir Soz, Nasir Daud, and Dr Tariq Khan were among those who spoke to the participants
at the meeting.

4th international Hindko conference

Ziauddin said GHB would extend its support to HHA, but stressed Hazara universities, intellectuals, journalists, researchers and poets need to make efforts.

On behalf of GHB, Ziauddin announced financial support for the fourth International Hindko Conference, scheduled for March 2016 to be held in Haripur.

Sharing the tentative programme of the two-day-long International Hindko conference, the convener of the conference Rashid Khan Qureshi, said on the first day, Hindko poetry and prose work will be exhibited for the participants while on the second day, a mushaira will be held in Hindko. A show depicting the Hindko culture would also be a part of this event.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2016.