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<header><h1>Call for making policy to protect mother languages</h1> <div class="gmail-postmeta"> <div class="gmail-meta-date"> February 18, 2018 </div> <div class="gmail-share-post"> SHARE : <a class="gmail-custom-soc gmail-icon-text" rel="nofollow"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-facebook"></i></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/share?url=https://nation.com.pk/18-Feb-2018/call-for-making-policy-to-protect-mother-languages" target="_blank" class="gmail-custom-soc gmail-icon-text"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-google-plus"></i></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/share?url=https://nation.com.pk/18-Feb-2018/call-for-making-policy-to-protect-mother-languages" target="_blank" class="gmail-custom-soc gmail-icon-text"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-twitter"></i></a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://nation.com.pk/18-Feb-2018/call-for-making-policy-to-protect-mother-languages&title=Call for making policy to protect mother languages" target="_blank" title="Call for making policy to protect mother languages"><i class="gmail-fa gmail-fa-linkedin"></i></a> <div class="gmail-fb-save gmail-fb_iframe_widget"><span style="vertical-align:bottom;width:150px;height:28px"></span></div> </div> </div> </header> <article> <div class="gmail-banner8 gmail-header-banner"> <div id="gmail-div-gpt-ad-1414124712057-6" style="padding-top:5px"> <div id="gmail-google_ads_iframe_/1002138/Nation_AP_BTF_728x90_0__container__" style="border-color:currentcolor;border-style:none;border-width:0pt;display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px"></div></div> </div> <div class="gmail-post-authorthumb"> <a href="https://nation.com.pk/Reporter/our-staff-reporter"> <div style="height:110px;background:rgba(0,0,0,0) url("https://nation.com.pk/assets/thenation/images/no-image-author-small.jpg") repeat scroll 0% 0%" class="gmail-img_bckg"></div> </a> <h5><a href="https://nation.com.pk/Reporter/our-staff-reporter">Our Staff Reporter</a></h5> <div> <div> </div> </div> <div id="gmail-floater"> <div id="gmail-sharebar" class="gmail-fixed"> <div style="padding:10px 0px 10px 15px"> <div class="gmail-fb-like gmail-fb_iframe_widget"><span style="vertical-align:bottom;width:52px;height:64px"></span></div> </div> <div style="padding:5px 0px 10px 13px"> </div> <div style="padding:5px 0px 10px 13px"> <span size="tall"></span> </div> <div style="padding:5px 0px 10px 10px"> <span style="line-height:1;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block;text-align:center" class="gmail-IN-widget"><span style="padding:0px;margin:0px;text-indent:0px;display:inline-block;vertical-align:baseline;font-size:1px"><span id="gmail-li_ui_li_gen_1519052486799_0"><a id="gmail-li_ui_li_gen_1519052486799_0-link"><span id="gmail-li_ui_li_gen_1519052486799_0-logo">in</span><span id="gmail-li_ui_li_gen_1519052486799_0-title"><span id="gmail-li_ui_li_gen_1519052486799_0-mark"></span><span id="gmail-li_ui_li_gen_1519052486799_0-title-text">Share</span></span></a></span></span></span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gmail-post-content"> <p style="text-align:justify"></p><p style="text-align:justify">Islamabad - Speakers at the 3rd <a href="https://nation.com.pk/tag/mother"> </a><a href="https://nation.com.pk/tag/mother">Mother</a> Languages Literature Festival stressed the need to formulate a national <a href="https://nation.com.pk/tag/policy">policy</a> for integration, protection and promotion of all <a href="https://nation.com.pk/tag/mother">mother</a> languages of Pakistan and declare the <a href="https://nation.com.pk/tag/mother">mother</a> languages as the National Languages alongside Urdu.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">The
panelists urged the parliamentarians to draft comprehensive legislation
for mainstreaming the distinct regional culture, documentation of
endangered languages.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Indus Cultural
Forum (ICF)-a voluntary organisation of literary and cultural
activists- joined hands with Lok Virsa and Strengthening Participatory
Organisation (SPO) in 2016 to arrange first of its kind and unique
festival. This year festival is sponsored by Sindh government’s
Department of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Foundation Open Society
Institute (FOSI), Lok Virsa and Heinrich Boll Stiftung (HBS).</p> <p style="text-align:justify">In
her keynote address to the inaugural session, renowned Sindhi and Urdu
fiction writer, playwright and activist Noorul Hada Shah said that
culture is a source of human integration, social harmony and peace in
the society that “we direly need during these defining circumstances.”</p> <p style="text-align:justify">She said the call for promotion of <a href="https://nation.com.pk/tag/mother">mother</a>
languages will not harm the federation rather bring societies close to
each other. “Languages are source of expression only, they lead to
ultimate language, the language of love and co-existence. We should
never consider diversity as conflict.”</p> <p style="text-align:justify">ICF
Chairman Niaz Nadeem shared the background and detailed programme of
the two-day festival and highlighted that like every year, over 100
writers, poets and artists representing up to 20 languages are
participating in the sessions. There will be over 20 sessions in
addition to opening and closing ceremonies as well as musical evenings
on both days. “We are also marking the 70th anniversary of Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and there will be dedicated session
to pay tribute to Asma Jehangir. Over 20 new books of <a href="https://nation.com.pk/tag/mother">mother</a> languages on fiction poetry and history will also be inaugurated at the festival.”</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Acting
Country Director of Heinrich Böll Stiftung Pakistan Jacqueline Wilk
said she loved Pakistani culture, especially as student of the
anthropology, “I have always been fascinated by the cultural and
linguistic diversity of Pakistan. This rich heritage is a strength of
Pakistan as a society at large and a distinguished feature of its past
and present. However many people I met across the country are not aware
of this diversity and the different shades of what it can mean to be a
“Pakistani”. I am therefore glad and very excited about this excellent
initiative of <a href="https://nation.com.pk/tag/mother"> </a><a href="https://nation.com.pk/tag/mother">Mother</a>
Languages Literature Festival to be held here in Islamabad to
celebrate the plurality of Pakistan”. She said the Heinrich Böll
Stiftung is proud to be partnering with such a dedicated and committed
group of volunteers like the Indus Cultural Forum and are looking
forward to an excellent event.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Dr
Saba Gul Khattak, proposed for establishment of Pakistan Cultural Fund
for fund generation to be utilized for promotion and preservation of
culture in Pakistan. She insisted for local resourcing for
culture-related funds, and the governments should play their role as
well. She said culture guarantees human rights, and education in <a href="https://nation.com.pk/tag/mother">mother</a>
language confirms proper learning for kids. ECO Science Foundation
(ECOSF) and Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) have sponsored two fun
filled days for youth and children to promote science culture. Society
for Alternate Media and Research (SAMAR) have also supported in the
organization of different aspects of the festival.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">On
this occasion, book stalls, showcasing books from different Pakistani
languages, will also be established to provide easy access to literature
in these languages. A great number of people from all over the country
and abroad are expected to attend the Festival. The participants in the
opening session paid tribute to Asma Jahangir, noted human rights
activist who recently died, and observed one-minute silence.</p></div></article>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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