By Dr Ali Akbar M. Dhakan, Karachi, Sindh

We Sindhis have sacrificed a lot as we have lost many political leaders since independence of our country Pakistan like the father of nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Liaqat Ali Khan, G. M. Syed, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Mohotarma Benazir Bhutto and many other political parties workers. We have therefore got attachment and sincerity, love and affection with all our country leaders and workers. Similarly the same attachment we have with our own language or mother tongue. Every language has its own importance and status in every country. We feel pride if we speak Punjabi in Punjab, Pushto in Pakhtunkhawah, Siraiki in Multan areas, Balochi & Sindhi in Balochistan and Sindhi in our own Sindh. But we being Sindhi speaking in Sindh have not been so careful to save our own language even in our own Sindh not only outsiders have neglected but even our own Sindhi speaking people in Sindh have neglected speaking Sindhi language in right dialect and pronunciation. We senior citizen Sindhis born before the creation of Pakistan, speak sindhi somewhat in its proper dialect but sorry to express with greater grief and sadness that even we being elders of our families have never given attention towards our younger generations and future children to speak in proper pronunciation and status according to our Sindhi alphabet as the new born children particularly born in big cities of Sindh like Karachi, Hyderabad and other big towns, I have not learnt the right dialect of the Sindhi language because of being spoken generally Urdu and English in the elite families of Sindhis. It is not common in these homes where the mothers of our children are non-Sindhis and do not speak Sindhi language, they do not try to let their children speak in Sindhi. Most of our elite Sindhi families themselves do not allow their children to talk in their own language and therefore they avoid speaking their own language.

So, it is the position and attitude of our own Sindhis who have proved to be the enemies or careless towards their language which is called as Mother Tongue and the paradise is under the foot of mother. It can be termed that he who neglects mother tongue, he is devoid of mothers paradise and honour. He can be termed as not real son of the soil but son of alians. I must point out that the children of all Sindhis born in Karachi or other big cities of Sindh, get education in other languages, therefore they are not in a position to write in Sindhi. Even they cannot express the typical letters of Sindhi language in right dialect and sound. They speak Sindhi language wrong gramatically and their sound of speaking does not match with their own mother tongue Sindhi.

In order to save Sindhi Language for Future generations, our three institutions i.e Sindhi language Authority, The Sindhi Adabi Board and Sindhiology in Sindh University should spread their wings and start persuasion campaign of saving Sindhi language not only in Sindh/Pakistan but through out the world by arranging conferences, workshops and seminars for chalking out programs to find out ways and means for all the Sindhi families and persons individually and guide them how Sindhi language can be preserved , protected, guarded and saved from the coming upheavals. For this purpose, it is suggested that all the above three organisations of Sindhi subject and language should have cordial and continual coordination and discuss this matter in frequent gatherings and plan for the protection of the Sindhi language. Mean while, I put forward my following suggestions being a well-wisher of all Sindhis.

(i)A folding plastic chart of Sindhi alphabet with pictures of every letter may be published just as printed by Mr. Sajjad Siddique Coordinator Sidnhi language SANNA and designed by Naveed and Nusrat Khowaja Email address: ShaneSindh@hotmail.com.Every house in Sindh may be provided this chart at very low cost or free of cost.

(ii)A campaign may be started to persuade all Sindhis to take care of their children in speaking Sindhi language grammatically correct.

(iii)Necessary charts of all tenses may be published for understanding grammer of Sindhi language and distributed to all Sindhi families.

(vi)At primary level, Sindh education department should check and probe the teaching of Sindhi Language by primary teachers in their schools in cities and villages carefully. Sindh Education Minster may be approached for this purpose. It is not the duty of the minister and departmental officials to make tours on pajeros and big vehicles and sit in air-conditioned offices but they should be more vigilant to check that the Sindhi language is taught according to rules and regulations in cities and small villages. Teachers may be given more incentives for this national duties and services in order to save their own language in the province and other places .

(v)All the above concerned departments organise regular meetings to persuade Sindhi people to take themselves care of their own language.

(vi)For meeting necessary expenditures, a Sindhi Language Guarding Fund may be created through out the province of Sindh and also the country and all over the world.

Received via email – drdhakansindheconomist@hotmail.com

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