Fostering linguistic cohesion: Literati support proposal for KP languages academy

PESHAWAR: Literary circles have supported the proposal for establishing an academy for the promotion of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s all languages, especially endangered ones, and urged the provincial government to fund the scheme.

Gandhara Hindko Board, a Peshawar-based literary and cultural organization, has suggested to the KP government to set up and fund a representative academy for all native languages of the province titled “ Gandhara Hindko and KP Endangered Languages Academy Peshawar”.

Office-bearers said on Thursday that the board, which has been promoting Hindko language since 1993, has already won the KP government’s trust by successfully running the Gandhara Hindko Academy for seven years (2015–2022) in collaboration with the Higher Education Department under a public-private partnership.

They said the board has now suggested that the KP government establish an academy for the development of all languages of the province, with particular attention to those under threat of extinction.

“Numerous poets, writers, and researchers have endorsed the proposal, citing the board’s effective track record through the Gandhara Hindko Academy, which published literature in 11 Pakistani languages by partnering with the government,” said Muhammad Ziauddin, the general secretary of the board while speaking to the media at the sidelines of a literary moot in Hayatabad. He said the idea of an academy to work for several languages of KP had won appreciation and support.

“ I fully support the idea of “Gandhara Hindko and KP Endangered Languages Academy, Peshawar,” said a noted Urdu and Hindko writer, Prof Aurangzeb Hussam Hur, hoping that the proposed academy would protect and promote the endangered languages of KP.

Prof Dr Inayatullah Faizi, a distinguished writer and author from Chitral, said: “I am pleased to learn that the Hindko Board, building on the Hindko Academy experience, wants an academy for endangered languages. If the proposal is implemented, all languages will have the opportunity to flourish under one roof alongside Hindko. This will be a successful experiment. It will encourage speakers of diverse languages to contribute to the preservation and development of their heritage, promote literature and culture, and enhance linguistic unity. I suggest that, in addition to the KP government, the federal government and UNESCO should also be approached for funding.”

Inamullah, a Torwali-Kohistani lexicographer and linguist from Bahrain in Swat, is also among the supporters of the proposed academy.

“The idea of establishing a joint academy representing all language communities in KP is excellent. Collective and collaborative efforts—supported by government and scholarly bodies—are essential. As a native researcher and linguist of Torwali-Kohistani, I fully support this idea, as it can save endangered languages from extinction,” he said.

Asmatullah Dameli, a researcher of the Dameli language from Chitral, praised the Hindko Board for embracing Dameli and providing its speakers a platform at regional, national, and international conferences.

“The activists of Dameli are ready to collaborate with the board to realize the idea of an academy for languages. It’s a great initiative, and I hope it will be as successful as the Hindko Academy,” said Asmatullah, who has been working for the promotion of his language since 2003.

Rozi Khan Burki, an Urmuri language researcher, intellectual, and compiler of the Urmuri dictionary, also endorsed the proposal, stating that it would ensure equitable representation, preservation, and promotion of all endangered languages in KP.

“All available resources, whether public or private, should be mobilised, and coordinated efforts made to achieve the stated goals of this proposed all-languages academy,” said Burki, a retired civil servant.

Prof Dr Fakhrul Islam, a known academician and former director of the Pakistan Study Centre at the University of Peshawar, also expressed his support.

“The Hindko Board and Academy have done excellent work. I have had several opportunities to attend their literary events. I believe the proposed multilingual academy will foster linguistic cohesion in the province. I fully support the proposal,” he said.

Akhtar Naeem, a senior Hindko language writer from Mansehra, commended the board’s efforts to support several languages along with Hindko.

“I have been associated with the board for the last 12 years. Its Mansehra chapter has organized literary conferences in Hindko and Goujri. If implemented, the proposed academy will help preserve and develop cultures and languages currently under threat of extinction,” he stated.