Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppression'

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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:salam2:

Another way to degrade Pakistan as well as trying to make Pakistan weaker then before? :hmmm:

**Source-1: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against ‘language oppression’ | The Siasat Daily

Source-2: **Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against

**Source-3: **Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against ‘language oppression’ , AniNews.in

Pakistan’s Baloch, Sindhi and other minorities have decided to move the UNHCR against what they call “the language imperialism of Urdu in Pakistan”.

These groups and experts have pointed out that less than eight percent of Pakistanis speak Urdu and yet Urdu has been thrust upon the nation as a national language.

The continued use of Urdu as the language of instruction in government schools, even though it is spoken at home by less than eight per cent of the population, has also contributed to political tensions in Pakistan, claims a policy paper issued by the UN organisation recently to coincide with the observance of the ‘Mother Language Day.’

Senge H. Sering, the founder of the Washington D.C.-based Institute for Gilgit Baltistan Studies, told ANI, “I strongly condemn Pakistan’s policy of using Urdu as medium of instruction in schools of Gilgit Baltistan. United Nations’ UNESCO sees this as detrimental to the proper upbringing of children and hindering their educational development and well being. Instead, local languages should be used as medium of instruction in schools”.

He added, “Pakistan is committing cultural genocide in Gilgit-Baltistan. Balti, which is spoken in Baltistan, is part of the Tibetan language and on the verge of extinction since there is no government mechanism to support its revival”.

Lakhu Luhana, Chairman of the London-based World Sindhi Congress, said, "There is a “history of apartheid and criminal discrimination against Sindhi language that continues to date. Urdu is the mother tongue of less than one percent. Sindhi people have waged a historical struggle to save their language. There are two important things to note (1) Sindhi is a national language in India but not in its own land; and (2) In a way, February 21 which has been declared by UNESCO and celebrated as Mother Tongue Day is an judgement against Pakistan.”

Ashraf Sherjan, Baloch political activist based in Germany, said, “Yes, this is true. Urdu is the language used in Pakistani schools. In Balochistan also, they are using Urdu language books. Only in Sindh, they have a class to learn the Sindhi language and to read and write. It’s shameful to say that I am a Baloch. My language is Balochi, but sorry, I can’t read or write in Balochi because I was never allowed to learn my own language, it is forbidden.”

“Pakistan could take lessons from countries like Sweden and the United Kingdom, where both are teaching Balochi at the university level. Oman and Bahrain too are giving Balochi language classes to Baloch communities living there. It is lamentable that in my own country (Balochistan), teaching of Balochi language is banned,” he added.

Azizullah Bugti, a Baloch Republican Party leader based in Switzerland, told ANI, “The Urdu language is imposed on the Baloch in schools, but approximately 8.5 million Baloch don’t speak Urdu in their homes. They only speak Balochi and Brahvi.”

He said the day is not far when people from other parts of Pakistan would impose their language and culture on the indigenous people of Balochistan, “not soon, but after generations.”

The policy paper further reveals that post-independence governments in Pakistan adopted Urdu as the national language of instruction in schools. This caused alienation in a country home to six major linguistic groups and 58 smaller ones.

According to the UNESCO policy paper, both Pakistan and Bangladesh continue to face language-related political challenges.

It further opines that being taught in a language other than their own can also negatively impact a child’s learning, and adds that language can serve as a double edged sword in the sense that “while it strengthens an ethnic group’s social ties and sense of belonging, it can also become a basis for their marginalisation.” A review of 40 countries’ (ANI)

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

agar urdu se itna masla hai to kam az kam apni cultural zaban mei hee education de detay apnay in loagon ko, jinke liyay unhcr bhag rahay ho,

ya sirf urdu ke khilaf bas naray marnay hain aur loagon ki behteri koi nai kerni, na saf pani, na taleem or sehat, kuch nai bas sabse bara masla urdu hai in 3 provinces ka

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

I was not born into an urdu-speaking family myself but... what an idiots.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

Just nonsense thinking that local languages can weaken Pakistan
Only education can strengthen Pakistan
In any language , any way

You are already busy in operations in three provinces
What you can do more

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

This is absolutely not true. I have yet to come across a (Pakistani-born) Pakistani who did not speak or understand (at least broken) urdu.

Our pathan brothers and sisters may occasionally get masculine (muzakkar) and feminine (muannas) nouns wrong but they do speak and understand urdu (even if not as perfect as others)

Already discussed at length in this thread
http://www.paklinks.com/gs/general/661318-urdu-national-langauge.html

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

Neither has that serring guy got any following nor world Sindhi congress. As far as I know Sindhi is already the medium of instruction in the province.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

Look at the traitors. How dare they demand education in their mother tongues. Three provinces were doing saazishen against Urdu, but now un ki dekha dekhi, Punjab has also started same demand.

Punjabi for Peace: Punjab demands education in mother language - Daily Pakistan Global

May God save Pakistan from all these traitors.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

In case the third province is KPK there. then no, Urdu is not an issue in Pakhtoonkha. Pashtuns have only recently kicked out an all nationalist party who used chant the same slogans of language and victim complex, and not only that, they swapped a nationalist Pashtun party for an 'outside' Punjab based non Pashtun party who prior to 2013, did not have a single prominent Pashtun leader. The community has really risen above the ethno-lingual blockade.

So clearly, this is a major testament of Pakhtoon community's flexibility and open-mindedness where real issues take precedent over ethnic-lingual pot stirring.

I hope the ever so proud Baloch and Sindhi delegates also tell the UN how they have 70% and 66% of children out of school respectively and for which they conveniently don't want to be outraged about.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

With the 18th Amendment, I fail to see how Sindhis and Balochis cannot make their languages the medium of instruction in their schools? Let's cut the crap and be honest about the hurdles so there can be a way of getting rid of them. Anyone knows the real issues? Is it Federal Government, Provisional Government, Supreme Court or what?

Most of the time, the language issue is just an easy way of seeking attention, consolidating your ethnic vote bank which effectively works as a major political blockade and ensures your one party. From Karachi to Kalat - it's the same issue.

My personal opinion is - just give them the language lollipop and rola mukao.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

^ WSC, the GB guy and others mentioned in the opening post are all exiles. As per 18th amendment health and education are provincial subjects, KPK and Sindh already have their languages as their medium of instruction. Other provinces are free to go ahead too if they wish. No issue.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

Of course these Baloch 'activists' self exiled in Europe and UK have no issues learning English or German, but when it comes to Pakistan, they harbour so much venom against Urdu.

If Urdu is such an imperial evil, then why do these feudal and waderas send their children to foreign private schools and Universities where they are taught everything in English?

With 18th amendment, these people have no excuse to not make any relevant changes to their education system - pass the Act, if it meets any hurdles from 'outside', then we can talk. Otherwise the whole argument is baseless.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

Yes 18th amendment is there and there is room for adapting mother tongues as medium of instructions, if provincial governments intends to do so. But questions arise:

Do Governments and their political interests will allow them to proceed in this direction? Punjab Government does not have any intent to do so, other governments cry for lack of funds.

Do we have general acceptability for those who demand their mother tongue as medium of instruction? Will we respect them without looking their exile status or listen to them without terming therm traitor and anti-Urdu?

Why demanding for mother tongue has been considered anti-Urdu?

Is Urdu that fragile that just mentioning that Urdu should be replaced with Balti in Gilgit Baltistan as medium of instruction, make Urdu endangered?

Mixing up / bringing other issues to avoid universally accepted rule 'Education should be in mother tongues' is an old ghissi pitti technique and terming people who demand their mother tongue as traitors is the disservice to the country.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

I find Pakhtoons to be more accepting of Urdu as Lingua Franca. Reason being - there are Pakhtoons everywhere in Pakistan. It's one of the most geographically mobile communities in Pakistan and I don't think there's any place or corner of Pakistan where you won't find the Pakhtoon diaspora, so these people know the importance of knowing a common third language to communicate with others. Their bread and butter - outside of KPK - rests on knowing the national Lingua Franca. Hence you find Pakhtoons always making the efforts to speak Urdu with non-Pashtun members no matter how difficult it is for them to speak accurately.

Since they are practically exposed to the importance of knowing the Lingua Franca is one of the reason why you don't see the same old language resentment and tantrums in KPK.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

These guys will not respond to your sanity and logic. When Bengali protested in 1948 against Urdu imposed on Bengali and threw jootay on to Quaid, ancestors of these people also termed Bengali as traitors and anti-Pakistani. Pakis are the nation who never become cohesive society because of such people and their injustice to minorities which included Quid himself. And I agree there will be no danger to Urdu either. Being Sindhi my medium of instruction was always Urdu and always did better than those whose mother tongue was Urdu. I still like the Urdu poetry. I know Urdu poets more than Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Sachal Sarmust, though I regret for lack of understanding of these great poets and their poetry.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

Oh please. Your Sindhi party is ruling Sindh for as long the living memory can remember - no bloody 'outsider' can dare get 100 votes in Sindh even if they are dripping in gold. So what is stopping Sindh ke aklotey thakeydaar from doing justice to Sindhi language? Enough of this drameybaazi.

I am sick and tired of Jiyalas shedding crocodile tears for Bengalis and distorting history to forward their language agenda - let's see if you have the guts to admit the electoral injustice committed against them which in fact brought the war!

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

Why the funds was not an issue when ppp controled fed for five years? What did they do in those five years which fed govt of today is keeping from progress?

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

I've heard about needing funds to build, rehabilitate and equip schools, but what kind of special funds are needed to make mother tongue medium of instruction? I am interested to find out.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

I don't think people have any issue per Se as to what language is used as a medium of instruction, education is no longer a federal concern. Let's leave other provinces out for a minute, isn't Sindhi already the medium of instruction in Sindhi schools? Gilgit baltistan is also free to introduce any language they want, by the way there are a lot of languages spoken in that area in different areas of the valley.

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

I am surprised about Sindhi! I grew up in karachi and Sindhi was/is a compulsory course. I have given exams of Sindhi language up to Metric. I know this because Sindhi was the only topic I had to resort to cheating / phara to pass :) Have things changed now ? I dont think so...

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Re: Baloch, Sindhi and Pakistani minorities to move UNHCR against 'language oppressio

There are merits in teaching in children in their mother tongues - it is generally beneficial. There is no denying.

But the problem is instead of making case of sound reasonings - the pro mother tongue lobby resorts to saying things like Urdu being 'imposed', Urdu being an imperial evil, Urdu being being a great mistake and cause of every trouble in the country, and with bit of crocodile tears on Bangladesh thrown into the mix. You are not doing Mother Languages any favour by targeting Urdu like that - it's nauseating and reeks of political agenda.

For a change, it would be nice to talk about advantages of teaching in mother tongues, than constantly dwelling on how Urdu language has led to so many disasters. Really this is not 1960s anymore, Urdu as a language is much more established and actively utilised as a Lingua Franca, people realise its importance, so the whole debate of needs a little facelift.

To be honest, Sindh is the only province with established medium for mother tongue, but with nearly 70% children out of school, huge illiteracy rate, urban rural divide, and ever so supressive socio-economic set up and the type of xenophobia that comes through the surface during election times, it does not make their case for mother tongue remotely desirable. For outsiders, there are very few positives to note from Sindh despite their pride in preserving the mother tongue.

Maybe it's time for a new province, be it Punjab or KPK, to take the lead and show that it is possible to make mother tongue the medium of instructions, and not be in a position where Sindh is in terms of human development and socio-political maturity. Like it or not, there's a need for a fresh new successful experiment to prove the point.