Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch announced to include mother languages of Balochistan including Brahui language in the educational curriculum from March this year. Speaking at the concluding session of two-day International Conference on Brahui language and Culture at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), he said for this purpose, all the arrangement have been completed including publication of curriculum books in the mother languages of Balochistan.
The conference was organized by Brahui Academy Pakistan with the support of AIOU, Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) and Sughar Empowerment Society. A number of foreign scholars from USA, France, UK, Mexico, Iraq and other parts of world participated in the conference and presented their papers on Brahui language, its origins, history and current status.
Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said that Balochistan is proud of its ancient indigenous Brahui language and his government would take every step for the promotion of Brahui language. He said that Brahui language with millions of speakers, readers and writers can never be endangered language. He appreciated the efforts of Brahui Academy in the promotion of Brahui language including holding international conference on Brahui language and culture.
He announced special grant of Rs two million for Brahui Academy and assured that the issue of providing government plot for the construction of the office of Brahui Academy would be resolved very soon. On the concluding day of the conference more than thirty foreign and national scholars read their papers on different aspects of Brahui language. All the speakers were in consensus that Brahui language is one of the ancient languages of world and mother language of the family of Dravidian languages of Indus civilisation.
While speaking on this occasion, Dr Allex Zeto from USA said that Brahui language has powerful literature and a great community of speakers therefore, it can never be a dyeing language. He said that according to his research the children who are educated in their mother languages in the schools usually perform well in all the subjects including Mathematics and Science.
Dr Daniel Zapico from Mexico in his address said that right to mother language is one of the key component of human rights and the delaying techniques by the federal and provincial government in imparting education to the children in their mother languages including Brahui language is violation of human rights.
The other scholars who also presented their paper on this occasion included Dr M. Sallahuddin Mengal Chairman Brahui Academy , Dr Allah Bux Shakir, Professor Naumatullah Soomro, Dr Tajuddin Tajwar, Professor Ghulam Dastageer Sabir, Professor Fareed Brohi, Dr Seemi Naghmana Tahir, Haji Abdul Latif Bangulzai, Professor Rauf Rafiqui, Dr, Zulfiqar Kalhoro, Noor Ahmed Pirkani and others.
While unanimously passing a number of resolutions the participants of the international conference demanded that all the indigenous languages of Pakistan including Brahui language should be declared as national languages of Pakistan and especially efforts should be made for their promotion.