OKARA - The University of Okara’s Department of Urdu organised a seminar at the eve of International Mother Language Day in a bid to sensitize the students on the importance of mother languages and their underlying cultures. 

Addressing to the seminar, the In-Charge Department of Urdu, Dr. Sumaira Ijaz, said that mother languages establish and ensure cultural identity. “We should not only take pride in communicating in our mother languages but also respect and accommodate other languages as cultural diversity provide more opportunities of learning and broadening mental horizons”. 

The UO Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Zakria Zakar, in his special message at the eve, told, “The regional languages preserve cultures and cultural values which are useful for developing harmony, peace and prosperity in the country. The indigenous cultures, transmitted through local languages, empower the marginalized segments of a society and enable them to come into the mainstream”. 

According to the university spokesperson, there are currently more than 16,000 students at UO and they hail from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The UO administration encourages the cultural diversity and stresses on the equal respect for all cultures.