Balochi writers, poets, journalists and intellectuals have demanded from the newly formed government of Balochistan to include Balochi as a compulsory subject and to consider it as the medium of instruction in the educational institutions of the province.
In a meeting presided by famous Balochi poet Munir Momin, convened in Karachi on Saturday, they urged that it was the inalienable right of every people to be taught in their mother tongue. While referring to article 4(III) of the UN declaration on the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities adopted by the General Assembly on 18 December 1992, they said that it was the responsibility of a state to take appropriate measures so that, wherever possible, persons belonging to minorities may have adequate opportunities to learn
their mother tongue or to have instruction in their mother tongue.
They said that the research was very obvious about the importance of mother tongue education for children as it positively affects children's linguistic and academic development.
The meeting, attended by Naguman, Dr Imdad Baloch, Sajid Hussain, Ubaid Shad, Jamil Imam and Umar Usman among others, resolved that all literary, linguistic, social and political organisations would be coordinated and asked to launch an advocacy campaign to convince the government to meet their demand.
They also requested writers' associations and literacy institutions to cooperate with them for this cause. |
