Regional Languages

Balochi Language

Background of the Balochi Language

Balochi is the language spoken in Balochistan, the largest of Pakistan’s provinces, though other languages, such as Persian and Brohi are also spoken in the province. There are two main kinds of Balochi, ‘Sulemanki’ and ‘Mekrani’.

The Balochi language was brought into Balochistan by tribes which migrated from North-West Iran. They were nomadic people who rarely settled in any one place for long periods of time. This explains why there has been little development in Balochi poetry and prose and why the language has been largely an oral one. The early Balochi poetry abounds in folk songs. Jam Darang is considered an important Balochi poet.

The first time Balochi language became known outside the region was in 1830 when the British traveler, W. Leech, reported in the ‘Journal of Asiatic Society’ about the existence of Balochi language and literature. Before partition, Balochi literature was beginning to decline. There were few books or magazines published in Balochi and even the Balochistan Gazetteer were published in English. However, after partition, there have been steps to promote the language.

Promotion of the Balochi Language since 1947

• Radio Pakistan Karachi began broadcasts in Balochi.

• The Quetta Television Station broadcasts in Balochi and has been producing marvelous dramas and shows to help and develop the language.

• Modern Balochi literature has shown rapid progress. There are many poets; most notable are Atta Shad and Ishaq Shamin, who have greatly contributed to this progress.

• Other writers, such as Gul Khan Nazir and Azad Jamal Din are also working to promote the Balochi language. They are making Balochi widely available to the interested people through their works, thus promoting it.

• The Balochi Literary Association was set up and there are now weekly and monthly magazines published in the language. Nan Kissan and Olassis being a few of them. Thus, this association promoted Balochi by encouraging different writers and helping in gaining more resources.

Punjabi Language

Background of the Punjabi Language

Punjabi is the language spoken in the Punjab, the most populous of Pakistan’s provinces, though it is also spoken in other areas, such as Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is an easily understood language which has been given various different names throughout history. For example, it has been referred to as ‘Masoodi’, ‘Al-Hindi’ and ‘Hindko’. It is thought that in 1080, Hafiz Barkhurdar was the first person to have used the term ‘Punjabi’ to describe the language.

Punjabi has a long history. Originally, it was written in Gurmukhi script, but during the latter years of the Mughals, Arabic script was used. The Punjabi language has been influenced by many other languages, such as Persian, Arabic, Hindi, Turkish and English. Several different Punjabi dialects exist and, in the Western Punjab, the language has also been influenced by Sindhi and Pushto.

The early Punjabi literature consists of folk tales. Among them ‘Heer-Ranjha’, ‘Sassi-Punnu’, ‘Sohni-Mahiwal’ are widely known. There has also been a long tradition of mystic literature extending from the twelfth century. Sufi poets, such as Baba Farid Ganjshakar and Sultan Bahu, wrote their famous work in Punjabi. Bullhe Shah composed stirring mystical lores and melodious kafis which are commonly sung to this day.

Promotion of the Punjabi Language since 1947

• At the beginning of the 20th century, novels, short stories and dramas were published in Punjabi.

• The Government has ensured its development by giving support to those institutions that are using it. Radio, TV and film promote classical and folk literature as a result.

• As the century progressed, books on a wide variety of academic subjects, such as Law, Medicine, History and Philosophy have been published in the language.

• Punjabi poetry came closer to the contemporary scene and new mediums like ghazal and nazm, including blank-verse, came into vogue.

• One of the new literary endeavors was the versified translations of the Holy Qur’an by Muhammad Ali Faiq.

• Ustad Daman, Sharif Kunjahi, Ahmad Rahi and Munir Niazi are the major exponents of a new wave of Punjabi writing and along with their many younger followers seem to be moving towards a quick change in the traditional patterns of Punjabi literature, both in content and form.

• Punjabi literature is now taught up to MA level at the University of Punjab. Thus, the students and scholars do research in different aspects of its literature, which helps to modernize the language.

Pushto Language

Background of the Pushto Language

Pushto is the language spoken by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in the northern areas of Balochistan. Like most languages, it has been heavily influenced by other languages, such as Arabic, Persian and Greek.

The history of Pushto literature can be divided into three periods:

• The first period dates from around the second to the thirteenth century. The first Pushto poet of this period was Amir Khan Pehivan, though the most famous was Bayazid Ansari. His most famous work, Khair-ul-Bian, was probably the first book on Sufism in Pushto literature.

• The second period begins with the Mughal invasions of India in the early thirteenth century and lasted for about one hundred years. It was during this period that the quality of Pushto prose was at its peak. Also, during this time, Pushto poetry reflected the growth of nationalism and Pushto literature played an important part in asserting Pushto freedom. Perhaps, the greatest scholar in this period was Hazrat Mian Umar and other famous literary personalities of the period were Saadat Ali Khan and Amir Muhammad Ansari.

• The third period extends to the establishment of British rule and is also considered to be a golden period for Pushto literature, as so much high-quality writing was produced. Famous writers from this period include Akhud Dardeeza and Khushal Khan Khattak, as well as the Sufi poet, Rehman Baba.

Pushto literature played a very important part in creating opposition to British rule and in the movement for independence. Sahibzada Abdul Qayum worked tirelessly to increase the political awareness of the people of the North-West Frontier Province and it was his work which was the driving force behind setting up the Islamia College in Peshawar. Here, study in Pushto helped foster unity and the college became the center of the freedom movement in NWFP.

Promotion of the Pushto Language since 1947

• Within three years of independence, Peshawar University was established.

• An academy for the promotion of Pushto literature was set up in 1954. This academy was initially headed by Maulana Abdul Qadir and prepared a widely accepted Pushto dictionary.

• Since that time, post-graduate classes in Pushto literature have been established at university level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

• Pushto dramas, films, newspapers, journals, books and magazines have gained importance and helped Pushto language to promote.

• New writers and poets have also added to this contribution by producing classic poetry and stories.

• Pushto typewriter has also been prepared.

Sindhi Language

Background of the Sindhi Language

Compared with Urdu, Sindhi is an older language which is spoken in the province of Sindh, and documents show that as far back as the twelfth century, it was spoken in the same form as it is today.

Before the arrival of the Muslims, Sindhi was written in the ‘Marwari’ and ‘Arz Nagari’ ways of writing. When the Arabs settled in Sindh, their culture and literature had a major impact on Sindhi. Many Arab words were absorbed into the language and the language was written in the Arab script. When the Muslims first settled in Sindh in the eighth century, they found that the two languages were being spoken; Arabic was the language of administration, but Sindhi was the language spoken by most of the people. This remained the case until the subcontinent fell under the influence of Turkish tribes of Central Arabia, who brought their Persian language with them. Consequently, Sindhi has been greatly influenced by both the Arabic and Persian languages.

Sindhi has had a number of famous poets and writers who have played their part in the development of the language. Among the most famous of these are Makhdum Nuh of Hala and Qazi Qazan of Thatta. Sindhi literature was of a particularly high quality during the Somroo period during 1050-1300, though most scholars consider that it was at its peak between 1685 and 1783. The poetry of Sachal Sarmast and Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai is particularly famous.

The growth of the language was further aided by journals which began to appear in the nineteenth century. The first of these was ‘Ta'am Alkhashaf-o-Tauheed’.

Promotion of the Sindhi Language since 1947

In more modern times, steps have been taken to promote the Sindhi language:

• In 1948, the Sindhi Literary Board was set up and this has printed many books and magazines in Sindhi. Amongst important Sindhi authors are Pir Ali Muhammad Rashdi, Faqir Nabi Bux and G. Allana.

• Several important books have been written on Sindhi folk literature.

• In 1954, Bazm-e-Talib-ul-Muala was set up to promote Sindhi literature.

• A Sarmast academy has been established in the memory of Sachal Sarmast.

• A Sindhology department has been established at Sindh University Jamshoro where Sindhi is taught up to MA level.

• After the riots of 1972 the government guaranteed the special importance of the language.

• It is a compulsory language subject in the schools of Sindh as an alternative to Urdu. This promotes its importance among the students and fosters their interest in Sindhi as they are taught Sindhi Literature and Grammar.

Regional Languages

Why have Regional Languages been promoted by the Pakistan government since 1947?

Spoken by a Large Number of People:

Regional languages were promoted because they were spoken by a large number of people. Punjabi is the most widely spoken language of the 72 languages. Similarly, Pushto and Sindhi are respectively the second and third most widely spoken languages. Urdu, the national language, however, takes the fifth place in this case. Government also believed that the promotion will be helpful in national unity and integrity because promotion of language and culture gives a sense of pride among people.

Removing Disparity from Urdu:

Urdu was declared as the national language. Promotion of regional language was necessary so that people of different provinces may not feel that Urdu was being imposed on them and their own language was being ignored. Compared with Urdu, Sindhi is an older language and dates as far back as the 12th century. Similarly, Punjabi also had a long history and it is thought that in 1080, Hafiz Barkhurdar was the first person to have used the term ‘Punjabi’ to describe the language.

Literature and Work Undertaken by Authors should be kept alive:

It was also felt that the literature and work undertaken by authors in such areas as Sindh should be kept alive. Before the arrival of the Muslims, Sindhi was written in the Marwari and Arz Nagari ways of writing. When the Arabs settled in Sindh, their culture and literature had a major impact on Sindhi. Many Arabic words were absorbed into the language and it was written in the Arabic script. Sindhi has had a number of poets and writers who have played their part in the development of the language. So, the government set up bodies to promote it such as the Sindhi Literary Board in 1948.

Important Role in the History of the Region:

Many languages have played an important role in the history of the region, e.g. Pushto literature had an important role in creating opposition to British rule and the movement for independence. Sahibzada Abdul Qayum worked tirelessly to increase the political awareness of the people of the North-West Frontier Province and it was his work which was the driving force behind setting up the Islamia College in Peshawar. Here, study in Pushto helped foster unity and the college became the centre of the freedom movement in NWFP.

Balochi Literature was in Decline:

The Balochi language had little development before 1947 and its literature was in decline. It was brought into Balochistan by tribes which migrated from North-West Iran. They were nomadic people who rarely settled in any one place for long periods of time. This explains why there has been little development in Balochi poetry and prose and why the language has been largely an oral one. There were few books or magazines published in Balochi and even the Balochistan Gazetteer were published in English. Therefore, Balochi was promoted to bring it in line with other languages.

Preserve for the Future Generations:

It is the responsibility of all political powers to transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, writing systems and literatures. Language is the most important element of life for preserving everything of historical importance e.g. local culture, art, traditions, poetry, stories, music, letters, theatrical performances, ceremonies, special events, rituals and family values. Promotion of regional languages is therefore important for preserving such vital components of local life.

Protect their Wisdom of Knowledge:

Our Native languages have been in oral use since centuries followed by development of written texts. These languages contain generations of wisdom e.g. child rearing skills, curing illnesses, acquiring food and settling disputes. If a language is lost, much of the knowledge it contains will also be lost. Therefore, the government must implement successful programs to promote local languages and protect them from disappearing.

Importance within the Community:

Mother tongue provides identity to its speakers. It transmits family values from generation to generation. People have strong attachment with their native languages. Survival of its speech communities is linked with their languages. It is therefore the collective responsibility of involved authorities to protect the people whose languages are becoming endangered.

Move Away from English Language Invasion:

Coming to the modern era, private schools concentrate on English language and western curriculum resulting in the erosion of language and culture. Native languages are vulnerable to “English language invasion.” We are confronted with the problem of language shift. Under such circumstances it is incumbent on the government to revive and preserve our regional languages in all atmospheres of life with special emphasis in academic frameworks and public offices.

Use in Media and Schools:

Many people love to watch dramas, talk shows and other TV programs in their native languages. They like to hear local music. A number of local TV broadcasts on agricultural methods, livestock rearing, poultry farming and fish farming are highly appreciated in the rural areas. TV and radio programs in local languages play a pivotal role in skill-building of the nation. Being most easily understood, sometimes teachers can use native languages for instructions in the classrooms.