The work being done in Peshawar for the preservation and promotion of Hindko language and culture is a source of pride for all the Hindko-knowings and more co-ordination should be struck to yield maximum results.
Professor Dr Syed Amjad Hussain, a noted writer and heart surgeon from Peshawar living in Ohio, USA, said this while addressing as a chief guest at a literary function organised by the Gandhara Officers Club, a subsidiary of the literary, cultural and social welfare organisation, Gandhara Hindko Board here on Saturday night.
Elaborating on his point, the doctor, the author of six books on the Walled City of Peshawar, said that Hindko was an ancient and important language of Gandhara, but not proper attention was given to it in the past.
"Now it is heartening to note that the Gandhara Hindko Board is carrying out on purely self-help basis the work that was supposed to be done by the
government-run departments," said Amjad whose work, apart from other publications, also include a bulky 820-page book "Aalam Mein Intikhak
Peshawar" that is considered the cultural encyclopaedia of the Walled City.
He called for extending financial support to the organisations such as Gandhara Hindko Board that were striving for the preservation and promotion of Hindko language without any official support." This organisation is basically reviving the glorious past of the language and must be helped to carry forward the task," he exhorted the audience comprising mostly of the educated segments of the society.
Earlier, Dr Salahuddin, welcomed the participants and facilitated the introductory session of the event. Gandhara Hindko Board Secretary Mohammad
Ziaddin briefly described the aims and objectives of the board and its subsidiary. He said that the Gandhara Officers Club had been formed to network with the Hindko intelligentsia for identifying the hurdles in the way of preservation and promotion of Hindko and find out the solutions.
Gandhara Hindko Board Vice-Chairman Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul dwelt at length on the activities and achievements of the board and renewed the pledge to expedite the literary and cultural efforts being made towards that end." The board has accomplished without any official help what is expected of the government-funded organisations," said the philanthropist.
Chairman of Gandhara Hindko Board Professor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan, a laureate of the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, said languages were an asset to humanity and preached love." All the languages must be given due respect and proper attention. We are working for the Hindko language as it is the language that was neglected in the past and we are just trying to compensate for the apathy shown to this language in the past," said Zahoor who has 44 books to his credit.-PR