Islamabad - Indus Cultural Forum in collaboration with Lok Virsa and Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) is arranging a two-day Pakistan Mother Languages Literature Festival.
The festival is planned to coincide with the International Mother Languages Day on February 21. More than 150 writers will participate in the event, which will start on February 20, as speakers and moderators.
This was announced by the founders of the festival Niaz Nadeem, Coordinator Indus Cultural Forum, Executive Director Lok Virsa Dr Fozia Saeed and Chief Executive SPO Naseer Memon during a press briefing at Lok Virsa yesterday.
Niaz Nadeem while briefing about the objectives of the festival said that the festival is being arranged to promote Pakistan’s linguistic and cultural diversity as an instrument of social harmony, peace and tolerance. The purpose is also to encourage reading culture in mother languages. The festival will be an occasion to showcase a wide range of literary works in these languages.
He also briefed about the various attractions of the festival, which include an opening and closing ceremony, mother languages mushaira, multi-lingual music evening, simultaneous discussions and showing of various literary genres, launching of books in mother languages, screening of documentaries, films and multilingual book festival. Separate exhibition of original books in these languages and their translated versions in Urdu and English have been arranged. It includes activities to introduce young children to the potential of these languages.
Fouzia Saeed in her remarks noted that Pakistanis speak over 70 languages and according to UNESCO, over 25 of these languages are endangered. “We are trying to bring these languages on national landscape and show their beauty to our young generation,” she said. She said the festival will encourage writers and readers to promote these languages.
Naseer Memon said that the two-day festival is aimed at mainstreaming the potential of literature and art in these languages which is as diverse as Pakistani society itself. “These languages represent centuries old traditions of intellectual journey through writings in a number of forms and genres of literature ranging from strong poetry traditions to fiction and non-fiction prose,” he said. Literature in these languages from ancient to contemporary times offers a whole new perspective on Pakistani life, society and culture.