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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Federal govt urged to set up National Languages University

By Bureau report
February 13, 2017

Youth Assembly convened

PESHAWAR: The participants of a Youth Assembly convened here on Sunday demanded the federal government to set up a National Languages University to explore and strengthen the links among the native languages.

The demand was made through a resolution moved at the event. It said the proposed university would strengthen the bond of affinity among the languages, which would ultimately lead to the national unity and cohesion.

The Gandhara Hindko Board, a literary and cultural oganisation, had convened the assembly. The organisers said it was aimed at creating self-confidence in the young generation and help train them in better discharging duties for the good of the motherland in future.

The event was held at the Sain Ahmad Ali Auditorium of the Gandhara Hindko Academy which is run by the Gandhara Hindko Board under the public-private partnership. The auditorium has been named after the great Hindko language mystic poet, Sain Baba, who has a considerable following in Potohar region as well apart from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The session was convened as replica of the National Assembly proceedings. Ahmad Nadeem Awan, the board’s joint secretary, headed the event while Faridullah Qureshi was the coordinator.

Vice-Chairman of the board, Dr Salahuddin, General Secretary Muhammad Ziauddin, Gandhara Hindko Academy Director Dr Zaffar Iqbal, Sikander Hayat, Saeed Paaris, Anjum Siddiqui, Bashir Aamir, Tauqeer Ahmad, Samina Advocate and people from other walks of life attended the programme.

Youth were made members of the house. There were speaker, leaders of the house and opposition. Discussion was seen and resolutions moved as part of the assembly proceedings. A question-answer session was conducted as well.

A distinguished cultural activist, Dr Salahuddin, said the Youth Assembly was arranged to give an idea to the young generation of how the National Assembly proceedings are held and groom them accordingly. “We want to empower the youth through knowledge and build their confidence,” said Dr Salahuddin.

Enumerating the efforts the board has been making for the last 24 years, the cultural activist said development of language, literature and culture was the central part of all the activities of the board.

Dr Salahuddin urged parents to encourage kids to converse in the Hindko language. “The language and the associated culture will vanish if we discouraged our children to speak this language,” he argued, adding it would deprive us of our identity.

A noted Hindko writer, poet and research scholar, Muhammad Ziauddin, said the Youth Assembly was just a beginning and the next similar event would be arranged in the Nishtar Hall. He said those between 16 to 45 years of age could become the members of the Youth Assembly whose session would be made a regular feature of the board activities.

The literatus enlisted the achievements of the board since its launch in year 1993. He said Hindko was an ancient and important language and concerted efforts were being made now for its preservation and promotion after years of neglect.

To provide a light entertainment to the audience, a Hindko play was staged on the occasion along with folk music performance by singers from Hindko, Seraiki, Sindhi, and Kashmiri languages. Shayan Siddiqui won appreciation for his rendition.

There were informative Hindko kits by Noor Hussain Noori, Samina Sahar, Rubi Khan, Quratul Ain, Shahid Iqbal, Tahir Qureshi and Shah Meer which highlighted the achievements of the elders. Shields and certificates were distributed at the end of the function.