In a recent speech, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto unwittingly mispronounced a common phrase, which went viral on social media and garnered a lot of criticism from different political parties. However, this was just a slip of the tongue, which can happen with anyone — even with those that are counted as educated and learned. In the past, several political figures have struggled with the pronunciation of Urdu terms and phrases during public speeches. Therefore, Bilawal’s slip should have been treated as a common mistake, and not as something to make fun of.
This latest event has reopened the debate on the little importance given to Urdu, our national language. However, political figures alone cannot be blamed for the worsening state of Urdu. Even though Urdu is compulsory in nearly all curriculums being taught across the country, after finishing school most students take little interest in reading or learning Urdu. They fail to enunciate words properly and merge Urdu terms with other languages. Even students who have a degree in Urdu — or even a doctorate — fail to gain employment as most organisations prefer proficiency in English. If anything, this reveals our colonialist ideology that has contaminated our values and mindset. We still look down upon people that cannot speak English and disregard Urdu.
Most developed countries today have prioritised their mother tongues to empower local culture and people. They take pride in their national identity and language. We must learn from these countries and accord our national language the same respect. We must save our language from decaying and undertake initiatives to promote Urdu. Educational institutes can play an important role by introducing Urdu literature in curriculums and holding cultural events.
SIRAJ AHMED
ISLAMABAD
