Seventy languages

International Mother Language Day was marked on February 21 across the globe. The purpose of observing the day is to preserve and promote language diversity. Nelson Mandela once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his mind. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart”. There is no exaggeration in one’s claim that without the presence of a living mother language a culture cannot stand on its own. It is unfortunate that the mushrooming growth of private educational institutes in Pakistan have given rise to a false notion that English should be adopted as a medium of instructions. Different studies reveal that those children who are taught in their mother tongue during the early stages of academic years quickly and easily grasp the concepts.

At present, over 70 regional and mother tongues are spoken in Pakistan and some of them are at the verge of extinction. Through debates, essay-writing competitions and speech contests, the country’s indigenous languages can be preserved, protected and revived.

Muhammad Fayyaz

Mianwali