ISLAMABAD, Feb 13 (APP):Pakistan Mother Languages Literature Festival, an annual three-day occasion to celebrate Pakistan’s linguistic and cultural diversity was organized by Indus Cultural Forum in collaboration with Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) here on Friday.
The festival has brought together over 140 writers, artists, poets, scholars, and language rights activists across the country, said a press release.
Speaking as Chief Guest, Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi stressed that all Pakistani languages are national language. Even if a language is spoken by one Pakistani, it is Pakistan’s national language.
He said all languages should be treated equally regardless of how many people speak, adding that we are committed to expand the scope of federal cultural institutions to all the provinces so foster dialogue and collaboration among various languages. He highlighted that this festival represents Pakistan’s real identity.
Dr. Ahmed Saad Nasser Al-Ahmed President, International Islamic University in his remarks said that IIU represented reinforces the linguistic diversity through this festival. “We believe languages and education are closely interconnected with the culture and saying that the languages carry rich tradition and culture rooted in centuries old civilization.”
Dr. Najeeba Arif, Chairperson of Pakistan Academy of Letters in her remarks said this festival brings real colors of spring to Pakistan across the country and gives new fervor to the cultural scene of Islamabad. Globalization has divided languages into class system by making some languages more powerful than others and compartmentalizing them into small and big languages. This oppression of languages is increasingly depriving us from our indigenous ways thinking and articulating. The language is in fact history of the humanity as it is responsible for nurturing wisdom and knowledge among the people.
She urged that no language is small or big but they are all equally important for continuing the heritage therefore we need to resist any effort to make these languages extinct, as this festival has demonstrated.
Dr. Christina Menegazzi, UNESCO’s international emphasized that the festival is testament to the power of languages to connect people. Protection of languages is essential in the era of digital transformation. Multilingual resources of languages should be used through Artificial Intelligence to protect languages. The digital innovation should not make the languages weaken but strengthen it. Promotion of indigenous languages is at the heart of UNESCO. Languages have strong connection with SDGs as the languages are critical resource of knowledge in indigenous languages.
Chairman of Indus Cultural Forum, Naseer Memon highlighted the Indus Cultural Forum said celebrating linguistic diversity is strong response to growing suffocation in the society.
Another highlight of the opening ceremony is recognition of 12 legends from different Pakistani languages with life time achievement award for their outstanding services for language, art and culture.
Federal Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi and other guests bestowed the awards to the legends included, Rai Muhammad Khan Nasir (Punjabi), Dr. Abdul Saboor Baloch (Balochi), Ayaz Gul (Sindhi), Ali Muhammad Farshi (Urdu), Tahira Ahsas Jattak (Brahui), Mumtaz Ghazni (Pahari), Mukhlis Wajdani (Gojri), Dr. Humayun Huma (Pushto), Ashiq Khan Buzdar (Siraiki), Muhammad Hanif (Hindko), Yasir Kiani (Pothohari) and Haji Mullah Adina Shah (Gawarbati).
Following two days will also be full of various literary and cultural attractions including book launches, multi-lingual mushaira, theatre performance and music concerts as well as dance performances.
The festival is free and open to all. The organizers encouraged residents of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and surrounding areas, especially youth to come dressed in their cultural attire along with families and friends and experience the unique colors of Pakistan’s linguistic diversity.