Washington-based org holds panel discussion on Sindhi language

The Washington-based Sindhi Foundation held a live panel discussion on the importance of the Sindhi language, its linguistic and cultural diversities, last week.

The Sindhi Foundation organized the event on February 22, along with the Canadian Sindhi Association (CANSA).

"International Mother Language Day is a day to commemorate all mother languages. That includes first languages, immigrant languages, braille, and sign language too," said Mohammad Aminul Islam, president of The Mother Language Lovers of the World Society.

Saleem Raza Noor, explained the history behind International Mother Language Day, "Bengali people shed a light in 1952 on the issue that caused a bit of uproar and that was the first step to the conception of creating our own country, Bangladesh."

Shabbir Ahmed agreed on the importance of the Bengali Language Movement. "From a Bangladeshi perspective, we wanted Bengali to be recognized as one of the state languages."

Another Sindhi scholar, Mohan Gehani, mentioned in the panel, "Linguistic regions are defined by nature and geography of the land. People residing in that region are bound by and share the common culture and traditions. At the same time, it is a fact that the political boundaries and regions have frequently changed with the presence of time."

The theme for this year's International Mother Language Day was 'Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities'.

Apps and online learning platforms play a crucial role in mastering a language. As Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur said, "When you are deprived of your language, you are not able to learn and progress in a language which is not your own."

The panel discussion reached over 1.000 people. Speakers from all over the world were able to participate in the virtual meeting to acknowledge the importance of the mother language.

The panel concluded with Jamal Hassan's words. "If you take away language from a nation, people lose their identity forever."

The Sindhi Foundation is a non-profit that strives for social change and promotes freedom of thought and expression among Sindhi people. CANSA, The Canadian Sindhi Association, supports the preservation and growth of Indus valley civilization including the language, culture, music, literature, heritage, and the legitimate rights of the Sindhi people.

( With inputs from ANI )