The constitution of Pakistan recognises the national status of Urdu, but all elected and non-elected governments have sincerely tried to avoid its implementation. Undoubtedly, Urdu is our national language which binds all the federating units of the country. Nowadays, Urdu has started replacing Punjabi in domestic workers, business, trade, industry and is growing popular in semi-urban and rural population as well. The pass percentage of Urdu is very high at all levels of examinations.
Though English is favourite with people in power yet more students fail in it than in Urdu. The level of speaking and writing English is dismal. Unfortunately, daily use forms, applications, information and other petty needs of people are all presented in the Queen’s English. No one can deny the importance of English in higher education and research but for Pakistan’s sake Urdu must be fully introduced up to matriculation and implemented in public and private sectors.
DR S ANWAAR A BUGVI
Lahore
Mr. Bugvi is being non-critical in his assertion of making Urdu the national language. When we look at the history of how Urdu came into Pakistan, we will realize that it is not an indigenous language but with with Mohajirs from UP-MP area of India. As a bureaucratic class the Mohajirs even though a minority in Pakistan took the reigns of government power, while Punjabis the dominant linguistic group in the country became the bulwark of the armed forces. Forcing Urdu as a national language and discrimination of Bengali resulted in East Pakistan breaking away in 1971 to become Bangladesh. The linguistic situation in Pakistan is complex with most powerful elites sending their children to private English schools, those who lack skills with English opt for Urdu, while Punjabi the language of the majority has faced high degree of discrimination and social shame, so much so that some Punjabi elites are uncomfortable speaking their mother tongue in public. Even with active policy of discrimination, Punjabi has survived because of the vitality of the culture associated with it expressed in Qissas, songs, Sufi thought and through an undercurrent of resistance by some Punjabis who love their language against all odds. That resistance was most evident in Punjabi movies being among most popular films in Pakistan along with popularity of Punjabi music.
Urdu as a language has been imposed on the Pakistani population as a colonial inheritance. The majority Pakistanis speak Punjabi (40 to 50%) but that language has been scorned by the power elites. In fact, speaking your mother tongue, Punjabi, is now associated with being "anparh-gawaar" in some elitist circles. I think we need to overcome the discrimination against the Punjabi language and make it the medium of instruction at the elementary level in Punjab. By knowledge of the mother tongue, we can then move to developing proficiency in Urdu and other languages. Otherwise we will create discrimination, barriers and continue to oppress and marginalize a section of the Pakistani population.
If Pakistan is to become a true democracy and I am unfortunately not very hopeful of this, then the common language of the people needs to receive recognition within each province. The mother tongue of the people should be the medium of education of children at an early stage. Otherwise Pakistan will continue to promote a divide between elites and common people, which is unhealthy for a fledgling democracy such as Pakistan. Most importantly, Pakistan needs to get past a rigid view of imposing only one language with official status across Pakistan and accept the diversity that is the reality of our nation. This includes respect for Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushtu, Balochi in addition to Urdu and English. Diversity is increasingly considered a strength in a globalized and interconnected world.
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