Will our future generations study Iqbal in English?

I was in Istanbul in 1994. My kind host Allama Hameed Tooran sent an engineering student Yousaf Axel to accompany me. He could speak English a little bit; I along with the young man, my wife and two daughters visited the popular and historic Topkapi Museum of Istanbul. This glorious museum is full of antiques, manuscripts and plaque. Old Turkish mode of writing resembles Arabic and Persian. I was already reading plaques written in Persian and Arabic, ancient Turkish manuscripts were also understandable for me. Yousaf was looking at these manuscripts with empty eyes, and towards me, astonishingly. I was revealing historical memories to him. He was unable to understand his own language. A current passed through my body, the founder of modern Turkey has detached this young man from his history and heritage. The architect of modern Turkey dressed Turkish language in borrowed alphabets of European languages, and with passage of time forth coming generations were detached from their original ancient writings of their own language although they could speak the same language. They have to get assistance from others to understand the teachings of Jalal-ud-Din Roomi. The architect of modern Turkey thought that with this Turkey can develop good relations with European world. On the other hand if Turkish people want to learn any European language they have to learn it from its origin. Here it is worth mentioning that even every European language has its own different alphabets in order to get membership of European Union. Turkey has even developed diplomatic and strategic relationship with Israel, other than this Turkey has taken many steps to please the members of European Union but even after a long span of time Turkey is not acceptable to them. Once an ex-chairman of European Union openly said that they cannot support this view that from a Christian platform any Muslim Nation could rise. Slowly and gradually we Pakistanis are going towards the Turkish sort of modernization. According to our constitution Urdu is our national language but since 1973 its implementation as an official language is still in a fix. The aim of founding National Language Authority was to prove necessary alternative terminologies which are required designed for the implementation of Urdu as an official language within fifteen years. The Authority has successfully completed its responsibility but the government is delaying further procedure for the implementation of Urdu as an official language without any genuine reason. English language has been imposed in such a way that even our media persons and intelligentsia commit pronunciation mistakes while using Urdu words of daily talk. Experiments have proved that no nation can prosper except implementing its national language as an official language and its medium of instruction. Here we can quote example of all developed countries in this regard including Russia, Germany, France, Indonesia, etc. With the frequent usage of mobile phones, web browsers and internet chatting messengers our young generation think in Urdu and explain their views in English language because they use English alphabets to explain their views in Urdu. Ex-army chief and dictator Pervaiz Musharraf also took various steps to impose English on our youth. Unfortunately present government is working on same lines. Here it is worth mentioning that writer is not against English or any other foreign language. Every language as a mode of expression is respectable. But imposition of a language on certain nation is not acceptable. This is a violation of one of the accepted human rights. It is also a matter of sorrowness that our judiciary has also yet not considered it a national issue. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chauhdry during judicial crisis started delivering his speeches in English at start but he felt he lie is not getting the immediate response from his audience then he realized that in order to communicate with common folk he must talk to them in their own language. We cannot expect any good thing from dictators but we can expect good deeds from our elected leadership whereas we see our elected President Asif Ali Zardari while addressing the combine session of parliament has spoken English, we can ask from him to whom you are communicating as we can better understand Urdu as compared to English. Also lie can speak Urdu well as compared to English. Remembering Allama Iqbal, our national poet, our inner self is asking from us that if this practice persists the upcoming generations would be unable to know his lessons. Also we will go far away from Quranic language and will be unaware from the teachings of Roomi, Saadi and Hafiz. If the prevailing situation continues at least we will be looking towards others to reach our own assets of literature and history. Is all this for making Western Nations happy who had denied giving membership of European Union to Turkey but accepted her as a NATO allies so that they can use Turkey for their military aims. It is thought provoking that lingual problem is not an issue of expression of ideas and views it is a universal human issue of securing our own customs, traditions and heritage. No matter to mention here is that the article in English is written to get access to those who read and understand only English.

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