LANGUAGE%20and%20IDENTITY%20IN%20PAKISTAN

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LANGUAGE and IDENTITY IN PAKISTAN

• TARIQ RAHMAN Ph. D D. Litt (Sheffield)

DISTINGUISHED NATIONAL PROFESSOR EMERITUS,
Pakistan
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(No Transcript)
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Linguistic Map of Pakistan
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LANGUAGE-SPEAKERS IN 1951 LANGUAGE-SPEAKERS IN 1951
LANGUAGE PERCENTAGE OF SPEAKERS
BENGALI 55.6 PER CENT
PUNJABI 29.0 PER CENT
URDU 7.3 PER CENT
SINDHI 5.9 PER CENT
PASHTO 4.9 PER CENT
BALOCHI 1.5 PER CENT
MOTHER-TONGUE SPEAKERS ONLY. OUT OF THESE 1.1 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION LIVED IN EAST BENGAL. MOTHER-TONGUE SPEAKERS ONLY. OUT OF THESE 1.1 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION LIVED IN EAST BENGAL.
SOURCE CENSUS 1951 TABLE 7 A SPEECH SOURCE CENSUS 1951 TABLE 7 A SPEECH
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Language Percentage of Speakers Number of Speakers
Punjabi 44.15 66,225,000
Pashto 15.42 23,130,000
Sindhi 14.10 21,150,000
Siraiki 10.53 15,795,000
Urdu 7.57 11,355,000
Balochi 3.57 5,355,000
Others 4.66 6,990,000
Source Census 2001 Table 2.7. The population is assumed to be 150 million in 2003 as it was 132, 352,000 in 1998 and the growth rate is 2.69 per cent. Source Census 2001 Table 2.7. The population is assumed to be 150 million in 2003 as it was 132, 352,000 in 1998 and the growth rate is 2.69 per cent. Source Census 2001 Table 2.7. The population is assumed to be 150 million in 2003 as it was 132, 352,000 in 1998 and the growth rate is 2.69 per cent.
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TYPES OF IDENTITIES

• POLITICAL
• GENDER
• CLASS
• RELIGIOUS

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LANGUAGE PLANNING
ALL KINDS OF LPSTATUS PLANNING, CORPUS PLANNING,
ACQUISITION PLANNINGHAVE POLITICAL AIMS AMONG
OTHERS. THE STATUS OF A LANGUAGE (WILL IT BE A
NATIONAL LANGUAGE? AN OFFICIAL ONE? ETC) IS
DECIDED BY THE RULING ELITE IN ITS PERCEIVED
INTEREST QUESTIONS OF WHAT SCRIPT TO WRITE IT
IN, WHAT WORDS TO USE, WHAT NEW TERMS TO DEVISE
REFER TO QUESTIONS OF IDENTITY (CORPUS) AND
PLANNING TO SPREAD THE USE OF A LANGUAGE
(ACQUISITION) THROUGH THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND
THE MEDIA ALSO REFERS TO THE PERCEIVED INTERESTS
OF THE ELITE (COOPER 1989 31-33)
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THEORETICAL CONCEPTS

• POWER?
• DOMAINS OF POWER (GOVERNMENT, ADMINISTRATION,
  JUDICIARY, MILITARY, KNOWLEDGE INDUSTRY
  (EDUCATION RESEARCH), MEDIA, COMMERCE,
  ENTERTAINMENT ETC.
• IDENTITY
• PRIMORDIALISM
• INSTRUMENTALISM
• RATIONAL/EXTRA-RATIONAL MOTIVATION.
• LANGUAGE AS A SYMBOL/TOOL FOR POLITICAL CONFLICT
  (A) ETHNIC (HORIZONTAL) (B) CLASS (VERTICAL) AND
  IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION.

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ETHNIC CONFLICT
THE BENGALI LANGUAGE MOVEMENT

• TAMUDDUN MAJLIS AND THE DEMAND FOR BANGLA.
• THE 1948 BENGALI MOVEMENT (BHASHA ONDOLAN).
• THE 1951 BHASHA ONDOLAN AND EKUSHE
• THE TWO-ECONOMY THEORY.
• THE CREATION OF BANGLADESH.

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ETHNIC CONFLICT
THE SINDHI LANGUAGE MOVEMENT

• HINDUS IN SINDH BEFORE 1947
• MOHAJIRS IN URBAN SINDH
• THE GRIEVANCES OF SINDHIS
• THE 1971 SINDHI-URDU CONTROVERSY
• THE 1972 SINDHI-URDU CONTROVERSY
• SINDHI IDENTITY AND SINDHI

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ETHNIC CONFLICT
THE PASHTO LANGUAGE MOVEMENT

• PASHTO AS A SYMBOL OF PASHTUN IDENTITY
• KHAN GHAFFAR AND PASHTO
• THE DEMAND FOR PASHTUNISTAN/ PAKHTUNKHWA
• THE CONTAINMENT OF THE PASHTO MOVEMENT
• PASHTO AS A SYMBOL OF PASHTUN IDENTITY.

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ETHNIC CONFLICT
BALOCHI/BRAHVI LANGUAGE MOVEMENTS

• BALOCHISTAN AS AN ETHNICALLY DIVIDED PROVINCE.
• THE DARKHANI SCHOOL.
• BALOCHI/BRAHVI LANGUAGE MOVEMENT IN
  KARACHI/QUETTA.
• BALOCHI IN IRAN.
• THE MILITANT CHALLENGE TO THE CENTRE.
• THE POTENTIAL FOR UNREST.

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ETHNIC CONFLICT
THE SIRAIKI MOVEMENT

• DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THE VARIETIES OF THE LANGUAGE
  OF SOUTHERN PUNJAB.
• THE BAHAWALPUR SUBA MAHAZ.
• THE MULTAN CONFERENCE AND THE NAME OF SIRAIKI.
• THE SIRAIKI GRIEVANCES.

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ETHNIC IDENTITY
THE PUNJABI LANGUAGE MOVEMENT

• WHY PUNJABI WAS NOT RECOGNIZED AS THE VERNACULAR
  LANGUAGE OF THE PUNJAB.
• THE BRITISH, HINDU AND MUSLIM INDIFFERENCE
  TOWARDS PUNJABI (CONTEMPT? CULTURE-SHAME?
  ALIENATION? POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY?)
• PUNJABI AS A SIKH LANGUAGE.
• STATE SUSPICION OF PUNJABI.
• EFFORTS BY SUPPORTERS OF PUNJABI.

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CLASS CONFLICT
LANGUAGE AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS

• LANGUAGE AS A MARKER OF CLASS.
• CULTURAL CAPITAL IN LANGUAGE.
• THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AND CLASS-BASED
  EDUCATION.
• MADRASSAS
• VERNACULAR MEDIUM
• ENGLISH-MEDIUM
• EDUCATION APARTHEID AND WORLD VIEW.
• THE POTENTIAL FOR VIOLENCE.

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Words as Constructors of Gender

• Gender discrimination (manlinessmardangi
  immodestybesharmi honourizzat).
• Male normativity
• a. Banda kya Kare? What can a man do?
• b. Plural for respect/ verb is gendered as
  male ( tusi ae so you (M) come (M).
• Hiding of females
• a. ghar wale (people of the house).
• b. family (wife).
• c. bachchi (girl-child).

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Words as Constructors of Class
TERM USED MEANING IMPLICATIONS
PARHE LIKHE LOG EDUCATED PEOPLE URBAN, PROFESSIONAL MIDDLE CLASS AND ABOVE
ACCHA KHANDAN GOOD FAMILY WEALTHY PEOPLE
SHARIF LOG DECENT PEOPLE UPPER AND MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE
PEECHE SE RAEES RICH SINCE MANY GENERATIONS WEALTHY--MOST PROBABLY FROM INCOME FROM LAND.
KHATE PEETE THOSE WHO HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT AND DRINK AFFLUENT
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Words as Constructors of Religious Identity

1. Daheria (Worldly, temporal but it implies
   godless, atheist).
2. La deen (without religion. It is used for secular
   people and worldview).
3. Secular (is becoming a term of social
   condensation close to (1) and (2) in Pakistan.