Speakers call for promoting native language to achieve glory

Islamabad: Speakers at a seminar held here on Wednesday at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) called for promoting native language and culture for keeping intact national identity so as to achieve ultimate glory.

The language and literature play vital role in constructing knowledge and identity as well as hegemonising the minds and hearts of the people, they said while deliberating upon the topic of ‘Colonial educational system-literature and national identity’. The speakers included eminent scholar Dr. Masood Ashraf Raja from USA and Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui.

The event, arranged by the University’s Department of Pakistani Languages was attended by the Faculty members and students of the local Universities. The noted that the colonial power perpetuated their rule by promoting their language. The western forces adopted discursive approach instead of coercive approach for subjugating the people of sub-continent.

They said, a language also serves as identity marker both at individual and nation levels. Imperialist forces had been using language for persuasion of their illegal rule and hegemony. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui said language is a vibrant phenomenon, which is linked with power and politics. He was of the view that education, culture, language and literature are the best tools to uphold national glory. For any nation, native language should be its pride, and it should get dominated in every of life.

Stating that education, language has also been used by colonial powers to control ‘others’, he said the people at the helm of the affairs should adopt a discursive approach for molding the minds of the people on positive lines.

Dr. Masood Ashraf Raja from Texas University spoke in detail about the discursive methods and power tactics used by the colonial powers for promoting hegemony. During that British rule, the people were forced to accept the imported education system that destroyed the local identity and native social values.