‘Full of errors Khowar primer not acceptable’

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DROSH, May 27: Anjuman Taraqi-e-Khowar, Drosh, held its monthly meeting followed by a Mushaira on Sunday.

A large number of Khowar poets and other people attended the program. The meeting and Mushaira was presided over by Anisur Rehman Chughtai while senior member of the Anjuman and former vice-president Aminullah Amin was the chief guest. Former president of the Anjuman Drosh chapter Mohammad Saleem Kamil was also present on the occasion. Mohammad Rasul Beqarar did the compering of the event.

The meeting discussed the factors which led to the separation of the Anjuman’s Drosh chapter from the Anjuman Taraqi-e-Khowar Chitral. The members agreed that the association was established with an aim to promote the Khowar language and literature.

The initial demand of the Anjuman was that the Khowar language should be included in the syllabus at the primary level. In this regard, the Anjuman’s Drosh chapter remained in the forefront. The Anjuman, Drosh chapter, published a number of literary magazines to promote the language which included the monthly Ham Kalam and quarterly Bazme Khowar.

The main objective of bringing out these publications was to promote the language at the local and national level and force the authorities concerned to include the language in the syllabus. However, the participants of the meeting regretted that when the long-standing demand of including the Khowar language in the syllabus was met by the provincial government, the Khowar syllabus-drafting body demonstrated its total irresponsibility and without taking all the stakeholders and experts into confidence came up with a very poor primer of the language.

The current Khowar primer is full of errors and does not in any sense give the correct picture of the Khowar language spoken in the valley. As the Anjuman’s Drosh chapter had no role to play in the preparation of the primer and was not taken on board in its drafting, it has decided to work in coordination with others to force the syllabus drafting unit to prepare such a primer that could give a true picture of the Khowar language spoken by the people of Chitral and their culture and civilization.

The participants of the meeting also decided that in order to stop teaching of the current Khowar primer in schools, they would also move the court of law until the errors in it were rectified and the primer was made a true representative of the Khowar language and culture. Speaking on the occasion, chief guest Mohammad Saleem Kamil appreciated the work of the over 20 poets who took part in the Mushaira. He said it was the need of the hour for all literary personalities and organizations to forget their differences and work in unity for the promotion of Khowar language and culture.—Jahan Zeb Khan

1 Comment
  1. Nisar Ahmad Shah, Garam Chashma says

    Maulana Waheeduddin Khan is a famous Indian scholar, writer and peace activist. He has translated the holy Quran into English and written commentary on the holy book. Kitab-e-Zindgee and Raz-e-Hayat are the two wonderful and thought-provoking books written by the learned Maulana.
    In Raz-e-Hayat, John F. Kennedy has been quoted as telling a story about a French Marshall Lyautey:
    “The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, “In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!”
    Every initiative, invention and idea has to go through some evolutionary and developmental phases before reaching its maturity level, therefore, required time. To become a tree and to be fruitful it takes some time, even a century in some cases! The same is very true for Khowar syllabus.
    “Full of errors Khowar primer” is not enough reason to quit the Anjuman Taraqi-e-Khowar, and to criticize the benchmark initiative taken by this organization. Errors would have been there but rather quitting the Anjuman be a part of it! Play your positive role; identify the errors and improve the syllabus. Who know better than you:
    Pewasta reh shajar se, umeed e bahar rakh!
    Having said that, I honestly acknowledge the fact that the people of Drosh are among the most civilized, sociable and friendly people of Chitral. There is good and bad everywhere, but whenever I met a ‘Drosanu’, I found him warm, pleasant and lovable. They have a unique poetic and literary taste. The role of Anjuman’s Drosh chapter for the promotion of Khowar language is well deserved to be acknowledged and appreciated. Khowar poetry would never be complete without the mention of many a great poets hailing from Drosh. If Anjuman Taraqi-e-Khowar is like a garden, Drosh chapter is one of the most beautiful flowers of this garden.
    For the common good of Chitral in general, and particularly for the promotion of Khowar language, Anjuman Taraqi-e-Khowar should play a role of an elder brother and must take all the stakeholders in to confidence before taking any initiative. This could be a start from embracing the Anjuman’s Drosh chapter once again!
    Zindgee hoi ma veran aie ma hrdi ta sar achi,
    E biyabano muxa puluiru makano ghona…
    Kose hardio soren, soro chune uff no korom,
    Musarrat safo te phlash, sha’ero zubano ghona…
    Nisar Ahmad Shah
    Garam Chashma
    May 30, 2013

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