Govt urged to set up Seraiki Dept, Hindko Academy in KP
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A joint Seraiki-Hindko Conference arranged here has asked the government to set up a Department for Seraiki Studies at the Gomal University and Hindko Academy in Peshawar to work for the promotion of these two native languages.
The bilingual conference was organised by a Peshawar-based literary, cultural and social welfare organization, Gandhara Hindko Board at the Dera Ismail Khan District Council Hall in collaboration with Seraiki language and cultural activists.
Gandhara Hindko Board Chairman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi presided over the event. Dera Ismail Khan Division Commissioner Mushtaq Khan Jadoon was the chief guest of the programme, which was attended by 400 people, 100 of them women.
The day-long conference, financed by the Gandhara Hindko Board and convened by Dr Shahid Masood, comprised of four sessions. The first session had speeches from the Seraiki and Hindko writers. The Seraiki language activists, including Dr Shahid Masood, Aslam Awan, deputy convener of the moot, and others shed light on the significance of Seraiki language and culture.
They said Seraiki was an important language as it was spoken in all the provinces of the country. They demanded tangible steps from the government for its promotion. The Hindko writers and poets, including Mohammad Ziauddin, Dr Adnan Gul, Dr Salahuddin, Sheen Shaukat, Atif Haleem Jan, and others talked about various aspects of the Hindko language and culture.
They said Hindko writers and poets have always worked for the promotion of language and culture, adding now was the time for the government to come forward and give official backing to these efforts.
The second session was reserved for research-based papers. The literati from the two languages, numbering 15, read out papers on different aspects of the two languages. Three of the papers were by women writers. There were also participants from Bahawalpur apart from those from Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A noted Seraiki writer and academician, Professor Akhlaq Ahmad, and Aftab Ahmad co-conducted the session.
A Seraiki-Hindko Mushaira or poetry recital session was held in the third session of the conference. A total of 25 Seraiki and Hindko poets recited pieces of poetry in respective languages and won appreciation. Muhammad Ali Shah facilitated the session.
The fourth and final session of the conference was devoted to folk music of Seraiki and Hindko. The audience liked the folk songs and music presented by the local artistes. Members of Provincial Assembly, including Minister for Revenue, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, and Samiullah Khan Alizai, praised the organisers for arranging the activity that provided a platform to both Seraiki and Hindko writers to sit together and suggest ways for the promotion of mother languages. The legislators offered all cooperation in the language and culture promotion efforts.
Gandhara Hindko Board General Secretary and known writer, poet and researcher, Muhammad Ziauddin, said his organisation believed in respect for and due attention to all the languages of KP.
“That is why we have traveled all the way long from Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan to spotlight the importance of Seraiki language,” said Ziauddin, while enumerating the efforts of the board. He said the board had published 52 books so far on various genres of the Hindko language and was bringing out four journals regularly. Speaking as a chief guest, Dera Ismail Khan Commissioner, Mushtaq Khan Jadoon, said he was feeling happy to be at an event which is truly representing the soft image of the province.
Five resolutions were passed by the participants of the conference. The first called for setting up a Department for Seraiki Studies at the Gomal University in Dera Ismail Khan. The second urged the government to implement an earlier decision of setting up a Hindko Academy in the province. The third resolution demanded the KP government to constitute a representative body to work for promotion of all native languages and cultures.
The fourth asked the government to ensure teaching of mother languages at schools. The fifth resolution said the Seraiki population should be facilitated in getting access to higher education and share in jobs. The organizers had set up stalls on the venue that displayed Seraiki and Hindko books and journals.
The paintings drawn by two artists from Dera Ismail Khan, Mohammad Sharif and Shireen Gul, were also exhibited. The images highlighted the Seraiki culture. Shields and souvenirs were awarded to writer, poets, artistes and organisers at the concluding part of the conference. The commissioner hosted a dinner for the participants of the conference.
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