Saraiki language in need of patronage

MULTAN: Saraiki is the fourth biggest language after Punjabi, Sindhi and Pashto languages across the country but it is not promoted properly and lacks any patronage form any quarters to make it a compulsory one at primary level, The News has learnt.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has declared February 21 as the World Mother Language Day but the Saraiki language owing to meager budget is far behind in promotion.

The Saraiki literature and books are not printed to a larger level. The body responsible for the promotion of Saraiki language is facing financial troubles. Researcher on lingual history traditions Basit Bathi said mother language is normally taken as first language or native language. He said mother language is that a child uses from birth and it leaves deep impacts on the mind of a child.

The Saraiki Adbi Board (SAB) is the only body under government patronage since its establishment in 1973 during the PPP government. The SAB is facing an acute shortage of funds in meeting their expenses to promote the language through publication of literature. A small budget to the tune of Rs 16, 500 has been allocated on monthly basis for publication of books, literature, poetry and salaries of two full time employees.

The rest of SAB members, including senior academicians, contribute their time free of cost and bear transportation expenses from their own pockets. The SAB office is established in a small shop.

Poet and Saraiki nationalist Ahmed Nawaz Soomro was of the view that at least Rs 1 million should be allocated per month to run SAB to promote the language and its literature by holding conferences and seminars.

The budget should be increased from one million to five million monthly in the next six months, he maintained. The latest census has counted the Saraiki language population as being largely spoken across the country with 10.53 percent compared to Urdu 7.57pc, Punjabi 44.15pc, Sindhi 14.1pc and Balochi 3.57pc. The census provides rural, urban comparison, mentioning rural population of 12.97pc speak Saraiki in comparison to Urdu that is 1.48pc, Punjabi 42.51pc, Sindhi 16.46pc, Pashto 18.6pc and Balochi 3.99pc.

However, in Urban areas 5.46pc of the population speaks Saraiki, 20.22pc Urdu, 47.56pc Punjabi, 9.20pc Sindhi, 9.94pc Pashto and 0.3pc Balochi. The census statistics have established that the Saraiki language is the second largest spoken in Punjab after Punjabi.

SAB secretary general Prof Amir Hafeez Taunsvi says the SAB receives Rs 100, 000 from Academy of Letters and Rs 100, 000 from the Punjab government annually. The SAB has engaged a sweeper and an office boy and pays Rs 4,000 shop rent per month. Prof Amir Hafeez Taunsvi said the Academy of Letters has increased its grants upto Rs 25,000.

Linguistic experts say Saraiki is considered one of the largest languages of South Punjab and it is also an ancient language of this region. The history of this ancient language dates back to almost 4,500 years in the Indus civilization.

Senior academician and author Prof Akram Mirani says mother tongue is the language that a child gets to hear after birth and helps give a definite shape to their feelings and thoughts. Learning in the mother language is also crucial for improving other critical thinking skills, second language learning, and literacy skills.

He says research indicates that having a strong mother language foundation leads to a much better understanding of the curriculum as well as a more positive attitude towards school, so it is vital that children maintain their first language when they begin schooling in a different language.