Mother tongue: Scholars claim Punjabi, Seraiki and Pahari are dialects of Hindko

Say Urdu has also borrowed many words from this 5,500-year-old language

HARIPUR: Hindko is 5,500 years old and Punjabi, Seraki and Pahari are its dialects while Urdu also borrowed many words from the language. This was shared by scholars on the second day of the two-day International Hindko Conference on Sunday. The Hazara Hindko Board organised the gathering with the support of Gandhara Hindko Board Peshawar.

As per the scholars, Hindko needs to be preserved and integrated into the education system.

A poet and scholar, Professor Dr Irshad Shakir, presented his paper on the origin of Hindko. He said, “It was the language of those living on [both] sides of Indus River much before Aryan migrations.” According to Shakir, it was once the main language of the subcontinent.

He rejected the belief that Hindko is a dialect of Punjabi. “Urdu originates from Hindko while Punjabi, Seraiki and Pahari are all dialects of this ancient language,” he added.

Writer and columnist Atique Siddique said the survival of Hindko could only be ensured when it is spoken frequently over a vast tract of land.

“When societies stop speaking their native languages, they fall victim to social unrest,” he said. “Communities who inherited Hindko from their forefathers must speak it without hesitation at homes and in daily life.”



Aftab Iqbal Bano, another scholar, highlighted the importance of language. She cited the examples of Japan, China and other leading countries, saying these countries had included their native languages in their school syllabi and were committed to preserving their own tongues.

She added it was equally important to reap benefits from international languages.

Jammu and Kashmir Art and Cultural Academy head, Mian Karimullah Qureshi, said dialect of Pahari that is being taught at Srinagar University was in fact a Hindko dialect. It was made part of the syllabus by the government of India in 1978.

He added the language was being taught to primary level students in the United Kingdom. Poet and author Professor Sufi Rasheed said there was a pressing need for research into the relationship between Hindko and Buddhist cultures. He criticised Radio Pakistan in Abbottabad for failing to promote the language.

Ajmal Nazir presented his research on local sports in Hazara, while Nazir Hussain Kaselvi presented his paper on the customs of Hazara. Farzana Iqbal spoke about her research on the role of women in the development of Hazara.

On the occasion, 11 Hindko language books of different writers and poets from Hazara, Peshawar and other parts of the province were released, while a Hindko mushaira and musical show were part of the two-day conference. Former provincial minister Qazi Muhammad Asad Khan also attended the conference.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th,  2016.