Fruits of languages, global citizenry and Alan Fakhir Bhittai Booli munjhi
During the decade of 2008-2018 whilst I was twice a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and once a Federal Cabinet Minister, I was privileged to have authored two important legislations. The first created Pakistan’s only Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) along the lines of the US Congress Research facilities; and the second was the Oscar documentary winning legislation on Acid Crime Control. Both were high impact legislations that continue to benefit Pakistan tremendously and I am humbled to have made my contributions to law making at the time. They have both been inspirations for subsequent international legislations, thus making Pakistan shine on the global front as well.
However, for today I want to discuss a legislation I attempted to pass a record three times and FAILED! I consider it an honour to have fought for it thrice and I remember saying at the time that I would keep submitting it back into parliament for as long as it took even if it took my whole life since it was a subject that brought my PEOPLE, my entire country, my entire nation, TOGETHER. It is a glimpse of my Sufi political thought process which connects with global universal citizenry as you will soon understand through this blog.
The legislation in question which I attempted to get passed was the ‘National Language Bill’, which aimed to see Pakistan’s major mother tongues/ often called regional languages being all declared as National Languages (not official but simply National). The rationale was fairly simple but far reaching. When languages are given the importance at equal footing in the entire country and all of them are considered not to belong to one region (thus being classified as merely regional), but to belong to the entire country as National, the people speaking those languages feel a part of the Country versus just being associated to their ethnic regions. The harmony created between regions and provinces strengthens the bonds within the federation creating a more functional peaceful society. This logic was explained with data and reasoning based on how many other countries had dealt with the subject (all well documented in my first book called ‘My diaries, 2012’) but it seemed that it escaped through the cracks of what should have been commonsense.
The idea was to create a stronger Pakistan by giving respect (versus denying respect) to all major regional languages and thus wanting their peoples to feel a part of the federation versus being limited in their identity to just their regions. The second objective was even more important. I wanted to cut the disconnect and lack of understanding between regions by exposing all regions to learning each other’s regional languages so they would be able to communicate better with each other in their languages.
It is common knowledge that speaking the same language creates a bond between peoples. It certainly generates more trust between different communities. An ingredient which is required when trying to build a stronger federation or trying to resolve world conflicts. The third objective was that it was common international knowledge and practice that children’s learning outputs were always better in their mother tongues and thus a promotion of them would ensure a more educated society. The list of objectives was long.
I also passionately believed then as I do now with age and wisdom, that in relationships (personal and professional) once a word is spoken it cannot be taken back. So, it better be the right word and not hurt but honour and bond diplomatically.
Anyway, returning to the National Language bill, since the Parliamentary Committee for Law rejected this bill I used the platform which was at my disposal at the time when my own party was in power, namely the Information Parliamentary Committee. The Resolution passed in that Information Committee I attach for you here; it is a beauty…
Resolution
A meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage was held on 13-03-2014 at 2:00 p.m in Committee Room # 7, in Parliament House, Islamabad under the Chair of MNA Marvi Memon.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the history and importance of Pakistan’s Mother Tongues, their National Language status, and their role in creating inter-provincial harmony along with reviewing a Concept Paper on the National Language Commission.
Over 35 speakers, Linguists, Experts and Academia had been invited from all over Pakistan for their valuable input on the subject. Balochi, Balti, Brushaski, Brahui, Hindko, Khowar, Kashmiri, Pahari, Pashto, Punjabi, Saraiki, Shina, Sindhi and other Mother Tongues were amply highlighted from participants representing the diverse areas of Pakistan.
The committee members also passed a unanimous resolution to the effect:
The Information Broadcasting and Heritage Committee of the National Assembly resolves the following:
- We appreciate the importance in according Pakistan’s major mother tongues like Balochi, Balti, Brushaski, Brahui, Hindko, Khowar, Kashmiri, Pahari, Pashto, Punjabi, Saraiki, Shina, Sindhi the National language status. 2. We will not allow the linguicide in Pakistan of its rich mother tongues. 3. We understand that all mother tongues of Pakistan belong to all of Pakistan rather than just one particular area. 4. We agree that all mother tongues are rooted to Pakistan’s soil in entirety and thereby derive their National status. Their promotion and this national status will root out sense of deprivation, prejudices and create inter provincial harmony. 5. We agree that cultural and linguistic diversity is an asset for Pakistan which will promote education, learning and productivity. 6. We understand that this will improve inter-provincial harmony and create a national narrative much required for nation building in Pakistan. 7. We support the establishment of a National Language Commission which will ultimately decide which major mother tongues of Pakistan should be declared as National based on internationally accepted criteria. It will develop a language policy, fully researched, conduct language scientific survey and conduct language planning. 8. We appreciate the efforts of all those Pakistanis who have made contributions for this noble and nation building cause of National Language status, since inception of Pakistan. 9. We commit to seeing the legislation of the National Language Bill through the proper legislative routes in the tenure of this National Assembly at the earliest. 10. We commit to also protecting the endangered mother tongues of Pakistan through the National Language Commission.
The Committee decided that the Resolution will be sent to the Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights so that at time of review of “The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014”, it should assist the Standing Committee.
The Committee Members thanked the Experts for their valuable and enlightening input.
Now Ladies & Gentlemen, kindly, translate the above Resolution into all the languages of the world and you get the respect the UN gives to languages of all states/ nations to bring peoples of the world closer!
The matter on National Languages remains frozen since then in Pakistan. Few brave parliamentarians have tried but like me have not succeeded. And since I am currently not in Pakistan’s parliament but on an international platform, attempting to serve humanity beyond the Pakistani borders, I will leave the above issue in the capable hands of my former colleagues and hope Pakistan wins on languages.
In the meantime, the purpose of this blog was to share my views on international languages and how I have pursued them whilst I have been outside Pakistan. I personally feel that European schools are a great example of how speedily the integration of society happens when you teach languages to children at a young age. I remember as a 12 year old at the British School of Paris having to learn French, Latin and German. Whilst thankfully I retained the French, my German and Latin are history! My French has been my strength since those days, and I can now say that learning a language at that age is much easier than at the age of 50!
Now that I am in the international world, I decided to expand the scope of my languages from Sindhi, Urdu, English, French to two other languages I considered key to me being able to contribute more diplomatically on global governance causes. I chose to learn Spanish and Arabic as a small part of my various other academic engagements at SciencesPo Paris a few years back. The experience has been riveting. The Spanish has been an experience close to the Latin and the French. Whilst the Arabic has been a joy now that I am beginning to understand a language I could read since the age of 7 as a Muslim and having a heritage of an Arab Saudi/Syrian maternal grandmother.
The above experience has made a few things clear to me. The language which was so easy to pick up as a child is not so simple now. It takes longer to memorize at this age! Thus, make children learn more languages (compulsory at school as legislation), and don’t leave learning languages to our ripe ages if you wish to create global citizens! However, the marvel of how click clock the grammar works especially in Arabic is better appreciated whilst learning a language at a ripe age. When we learn a language as a child we cannot appreciate the intricacies of the logic as well. We pick up the language and take for granted many aspects of the learning.
A language’s grammar connects how people think, function. It defines who they are. It is their ‘patrimonie’, (I love this French word!), their heritage, their identity, their pride. It is a way for them of expressing themselves, laughing, sharing and crying together. Can there be anything more powerful than words, than the songs made from those words, than common hymns, anthems.
Every language has its own rhythm, its own beat, just like every people have their own heart beats. It is only logical to have a yearning to associate with all the beats so that humanity moves forward in one direction. So that there is less strife, more understanding, appreciation tolerance of each other’s words and world views.
Personally, on the experience with learning new languages, I look forward and am eager that my Spanish and Arabic are at the same level as my French one day. This race, this thirst, this quest for learning these languages faster is deeply rooted in the concept of the Language Bill objectives I referred to initially. When I work in areas of the world where, Spanish, and Arabic are more fluently spoken than just French & English, I feel my outputs would be far superior to someone who cannot connect at that basic grassroots level. I know I will be far more effective if I was speaking to people in their own mother tongues rather than languages alien to them. The trust that will be built as a result of knowing these languages will be priceless in the quality of outputs generated. As a result, I was a very eager student in class and was blessed with great teachers and colleagues who have really been very patient with me! I continue to self-tutor the Spanish and Arabic!
On a more international level, I have noticed that in developed countries, especially in Europe, it is commonplace for people to speak more than two languages if they wish to succeed beyond their borders. Knowing more languages has generated better political and economic gains for developed states. Therefore, whilst I know this practice of language learning is common in EU, we are not so far behind in the East, especially due to our historic practice of having many court languages few centuries back.
I hope that one day a Gilgiti child speaks Sindhi and a Sindhi child speaks Shina so that the distance of the Indus Sindhu River between them is reduced. Finally, whilst all languages are sweet, it is only normal that the emotional attachment with a mother tongue cannot be compared to any other experience.
The UN has 6 official languages. My conversance with atleast 4 of them at either 2 basic (Arabic and Spanish) and two at mother tongue level (French and English) does put me into the category of what my political Sufi mentor political leader advised. “Connect with all of humanity beyond borders for peace. Be a universal citizen so that strife reduces.”
I quote a verse from Bhittai in Sindhi…
سائيم سدائين ڪرين مٿي سنڌ سڪار
دوست مٺا دلدار عالم سڀ آباد ڪرين۔۔شاھ
It roughly translates as “Whilst the Sufi saint Bhittai wishes Sindh to prosper he wishes all of mankind to prosper equally.” That is the Sufi thought process instilled in my mission and political upbringing. Humanity is borderless. Universalism means being global citizens.
The SOTF is possible with global governance for which we must embrace communication which creates bonds. I have noticed that I dream and think in multiple languages. Sometimes a word comes to me better in one rather than the other. Every language has a vocabulary so rich that some words are better expressed in certain languages.
My conclusion is simple. We live in world where we are trying to establish universal citizens with universal values of humanity for the sake of peace, prosperity and civilization. Where we need to use words carefully so they don’t create strife but create accord and where they bond. Where we use words to join versus divide or humiliate.
On a lighter note, my soundcloud playlist has English, French, Sindhi, Urdu, Spanish and Arabic songs primarily because I believe in the message of global governance through a global identity and enjoy the sounds of music in all.
I end with a song in my mother tongue by Alan Fakhir inspired by my Sufi political leader Bhittai ‘Boli Munjhi- https://youtu.be/_DgVyVSZdyY
Its essence is ‘keep my language in safe custody so that it lives and doesn’t die’. Which brings me to my other point that languages if not passed from one generation to the next will become extinct. Indigenous languages more so.
And most importantly it is from Sur Marui. I attach the app for language lovers:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1670535788 – It is a huge work of art so I give in few lines what is chapters worth many verses:
The Sufi Saint Bhittai explained Islam through the struggle of 7 WOMEN heroines in the famous SHAH JO RISALO (a book revered by all Sindhis). One of these ‘sourmis’ or heroines was Marui (Marvi). She was a beautiful chaste village girl kidnapped/imprisoned in the palace of the king of the region Umer Soomro. She resisted being Queen and gave away the worldly benefits to go serve her people instead; since her love for humanity and serving was bigger than her lust for worldly treasures.
This song by Alan Fakhir from Sur Marui of Bhittai, says a bit of the same. The song is deeper than just that for those who can understand it. It says the following, “I am neither a khan (Queen) nor a Khati (a maid), I am a niyareen of my people. My language is of my people. I belong to all my people. I must serve my people.”
Languages create origins, a sense of belonging; not to be taken for granted since so many have been made homeless due to wars for no fault of theirs. And they have lost sense of their identities causing lifelong trauma. Those who have an identity or who amalgamate into host country culture can adopt universal identities easily, are more tolerant less judgmental, because they are not lost for identity. I am not lost. I belong to Bhittai. My mission is to serve humanity. My passport of birth is Pakistani (my pride and joy) and my secondary if ever will need to belong to all nations not one; not limited to a state boundary. I am clear. My Sufi saint is clear- Go serve humanity. Don’t limit yourself.
Bottomline, the summit of the future needs to move away from just translating all the languages so we work or function better. Though I have great respect for UN translators having seen multilateral conferences function smoothly as a result of them. They walk a tight rope because one word wrongly translated can cause end of negotiations.
However, we need to create global citizens of the future generations by creating a language of humanity, where each child is familiar with the history, heroes, values, folksongs of other countries so that they are not alien to this universal child, who is the future universal leader. So, that the future generations look for commonalities and not differences, so that immigration is not a nightmare but a melting pot. Be proud of your racine. But be prouder of your universal humanity racine!