Talk of Saraikistan is in fashion these days, but all such talks are limited to carving out a Saraki Province from Punjab only.
The Coalition Parties in Government, i.e. Pakistan Peoples Party, Mutahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) are calling for new provinces to be carved out from Punjab.
However, for their kind information, many different Dialects of Punjabi are spoken, some of which include Majhi, Malvi, Pothohari, Saraiki, Thlochi, Changvi, Hindko, Shahpuri, Riasti, Dhani, Pahari, Jangli, Ghebi, Darhab, Doabi, Jafri, Derewali and Sindhi Saraiki.
Importantly the major Punjabi Dialects of Southern Punjab are also spoken in neighboring regions of other provinces. Such as Derewali is spoken in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Bannu Districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhuwa. Jafri is spoken in Musakhel District of Baluchistan, alongside Barkhan and Dera Bugti Districts where Derewali is spoken.
While Sindhi Saraiki another Dialect of Sariaki (Punjabi), which has a few features of the Sindhi Language, is widely spoken in Kashmore, Jacobabad and Ghotki Districts of Sindh. Also, about forty percent (40%) population of Interior Sindh speak Sindhi Saraiki.
While Sindhi Saraiki another Dialect of Sariaki (Punjabi), which has a few features of the Sindhi Language, is widely spoken in Kashmore, Jacobabad and Ghotki Districts of Sindh. Also, about forty percent (40%) population of Interior Sindh speak Sindhi Saraiki.
The Mutahida Qaumi Movement, backed by its partners, has submitted a Bill to the National Assembly calling for Punjab’s division on linguistic basis. What they don’t understand, perhaps, is that Saraiki is just a Dialect of Punjabi and not a different language at all. And the pure Sariaki is spoken in parts of Multan Division only.
Therefore, if it is desired to create a province based on the major Punjabi Dialects of Southern Punjab, then its boundaries must be spread across Khyber-Pakhtunkhuwa, Baluchistan and Sindh as well.
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Update 4th May: The National Assembly adopted the resolution for the formation of South Punjab, a new Province.
Update 9th May: The Punjab Assembly has adopted resolutions of the creation of South Punjab and Bahawalpur Provinces.
Update 9th May: The Punjab Assembly has adopted resolutions of the creation of South Punjab and Bahawalpur Provinces.
Should or should not, Saraiki province be created? This subject is a hot potato these days with people opposing and supporting the idea. This article is an attempt to address the issue.
ReplyDeleteIn any historical perspective,heritage,culture,ethnic & linguistic background must be ascertained through the lay of the land,the people and the language spoken.Dialects do undergo slight changes with passage of time,with the imposition of alien languages.However the shell,the basic grammar and the element of our mother Lhandha, a term awarded to our Sindhi by the linguists,has remained the same,as is evident,and will be explained subsequently.
We, the old residents of IVC {Indus Valley Civilization} have been in fold of Islam,if seen,as in whole,since about 800 years or so.Like the pride of a race leads to the invention of a royal progeny,similarly the pride of present Muslim tribe in IVC though much older then Islam,and its inception has the perpetual inducement to escape from the admission of an idolatrous ancestry.The major reason why most claim an Arab ancestry.
The conversion to islam resulted in a disavowing and erasing of the descent from a pagan past,and thus we lost our script,as well the glory.As these records tied the old tribes to the now idolatrous religion,hence they adopted the perso-arabic script,and the tilt to Arab ancestry.The language of men of letters was firstly Arabic,later came the Persian.All old records perished in the change.
Before entering the Islamic fold we had been equally staunch Buddhist.But by then Buddhism was in its dying throes,and had lost its force as the way of life. It had even by then absorbed the serpent worship,which existed till late in our northern areas,and now claimed the Buddha as a God !
Whereas, Buddha himself never claimed Divinity himself,nor did the subsequent patriarchs ,who lasted for the next 1000 years or so.
In the post Islamic period the new indifferent muslim population,recently converted,and alien Arab rulers,as well the zealous new Iranian converts who spearheaded the Arab record making,keeping our past enimity alive,with them bundled Buddhism,Jainism and the new faith of Brahmanism,in one scope or head of idolatrous religion,and so never took interest in our past records,or studied our script.This lapse permitted the ever vigilant Brahman,to claim our past as his,so started the,new record making of the history in reverse,which continues,and stories of Vedic scriptures etc.
Language lives on, it remains a living and growing form, as long as children learn it from their mothers it lasts, thus survive the old languages, and await their revival, at one time or the other as one sees. Hence the old term" Mah-Dar-e-Zaban" mother is the door to the tongue. Political or social reasons may establish a particular form of speech in a dominant position, as we see in the case of recent influx of Urdu & English. Introduced in our courts between 1850-54 by the British, superseding the Persian & Arabic. The oblique objective was to break the old indigenous, educational system, Maktab, Madressah, Ausaf & the Dar ul Al'lum.
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