International Mother Languages Day was celebrated by University of Sindh's Institute of English Language and Literature at Shaikh Ayaz Auditorium of Arts Faculty Building, here on Thursday.
In his presidential remarks on the occasion, Vice Chancellor SU, Professor Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat said that Pakistan serves as a bouquet of beautiful languages, each serving as a radiant and fragrant flower forming wide variety of mother languages. These languages also act as cementing force to unify people belonging to various provincial, regional, ethnic and religious outfits into one unanimous national fabric of being proud Pakistanis.
Dr Burfat further said that all languages spoken by the people constituting social structure of Pakistan were beautiful in their own right. "Sindhi is also one of those striking mediums. It has its own charm, beauty, power and sweetness. Sindhi is also one of those lucky languages that possess fully-developed script," the VC explained.
The Vice Chancellor added that one should seek to learn as many languages as possible. He said language was one of those most influential tools which instantly connected a person with other communities binding them into life-long bond. He said, "While we as Sindhis love our mother language, we must also learn to respect all other languages across the world with equal degree of care, concern and affection".
The most attractive episode of the function was the documentary film meticulously researched, diligently prepared, ingeniously scripted and stunningly screened by CEO Sindh TV Network Dr Abdul Kareem Rajper entitled 'The Story of Indus Valley'.
Another outstanding, impressive and audience-alluring feature of the program were the skits presented by the students of Institute of English Language and Literature highlighting the eminence, appeal, importance and prominence of multiple mother languages.
Vice Chancellor, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Professor Dr Bikha Ram who was in attendance as a special guest said that Indus Valley civilization was one of the most ancient civilizations of the world and that Moen-Jo-Darro was an emblem of one of those grandiose cultural heritages. He added that people of Sindh loved Sindh and their country Pakistan beyond measure.
The day's Keynote Speaker and Director, Sindh Abhyas Academy, SZABIST Karachi Dr Ghazala Rehman Rafique said that languages survived and thrived by virtue of dual dynamics ie education and market. She rationalized her argument by stating that the languages that remained an integral part of education, ultimately gained convenient currency in the corporate and open market. She said there was a dire need to study the mother languages spoken in Pakistan by the given yardstick.