Literary, cultural journal of Kohistani languages published

PESHAWAR: The first issue of the “Watan Kohistan” has been published to promote the Kohistani languages and cultures associated with them.

The 105-page journal has several write-ups penned by researchers from the languages spoken in the Kohistan region.

Manzoor Kohistani, a Bahrain, Swat-based writer, is the editor and Talib Jan Abasindhi deputy editor of the magazine.

Muhammad Ziauddin, a noted writer, poet and research scholar of the Hindko language, is the managing editor.

The journal has been published by the Gandhara Hindko Board, a literary and cultural organisation.

Launched in the year 1993, the board works for the promotion of Hindko and other Pakistani languages. It also runs the Gandhara Hindko Academy under the public-private partnership.

Editor Manzoor Kohistani in the editorial of the maiden issue of the journal has praised the Gandhara Hindko Board for arranging first Kohistani Symposium in Behrain in Swat and later Kohistani Conference in the provincial metropolis.

He has hoped the journal will lead to the promotion of Kohistani languages, literature, cultures and the social development of the people as well in the long run. This issue of Watan Kohistan” has a total of 16 pieces to highlight various aspects of the Kohistani languages and cultures.

Muhammad Ziauddin has enumerated the steps taken by the Gandhara Hindko Board to facilitate the Kohistani languages activists by motivating them to sit together and agree on steps for serving and promoting own languages and cultures.

Talib Jan Abasindhi and Abdul Haq have talked of the role of a language in ensuring social stability. Both writers have also given international references to prove the points.

The write-ups by the language researchers Inamullah and Abdul Khaliq Hamdard are on the identity of the Kohistani community members and the ways for their progress. There are two writings by Fazlur Rehman Sadiq and Abdul Khaliq Hamdard. The former has dwelt at appellation “Kohistan” while the latter has highlighted the orthography of Shena language.

An 11-page piece by Gumnam Kohistani has been devoted to the tourism potential of the Dir Kohistan, including the scenic Kumrat Valley. It enlists the prominent tourist spots in the region and the languages spoken there.

MS Rashid has taken the historical view of the activities undertaken for the documentation of the Indus Kohistani language. The writer has named the local and foreign scholars who explored the Kohistani languages and cultures.

Noor Khan’s write-up is about the shared cultural values of Kohistan and the phonetic similarities of the languages.

Ziaur Rehman has touched the geographical importance of the areas forming the Kohistan region.

Engineer Juned Khan has focused on the issues faced by the people of the Kohistan region. He has proposed solutions as well. Mohammad Idrees Farooqi has written about the estimated population of the people living in Dir Kohistan, Swat Kohistan, Abasindh Kohistan (Lower Kohistan, Upper Kohistan & Kolai-Palas), Domel and Arandu areas in Chitral and other parts where Kohistani languages are spoken.