ECOSF in collaboration with PNCA and ICF co-organized the Pakistan Mother Languages Literature Festival-2021

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ECO Science Foundation and Indus Cultural Forum (ICF) in Collaboration with Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) organized the 6th annual Pakistan Mother Languages Literature Festival 2021 (MLLF-2021) on February 21, 2021 to celebrate the linguistic and cultural diversity of Pakistan. A large number of intellectuals, poets, scholars, artists and general public participated in the festival. The objective of this festival was to provide a platform to intellectuals, writers and thinkers representing different languages to come together and present their work on various genres of art, literature, culture and education in mother languages of Pakistan. Eleven scholars were awarded lifetime achievement awards for their lifelong services for promoting languages and literature of Pakistan.

During the Opening Ceremony of the festival, Dr. Fouzia Saeed DG PNCA stressed that Pakistan has a rich cultural tradition and linguistic diversity of over 70 local languages. Dr. Saeed underscored the need for local communities to take an action to preserve their cultural tradition and saving these languages from extinction.

Later, Indus Cultural Forum chairperson Munawar Hassan highlighted the significance of this festival to pay tributes to living legends who had dedicated their lives to the promotion and protection of Pakistan’s mother languages.

Secretary Department of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Government of Sindh, Mr. Akbar Laghari affirmed that Government of Sindh continues to cooperate with other provinces and federal institutions to promote cultural integration.

Country Director of Friedrich Nauman Foundation (FNF), Ms. Birgit Lamm in her remarks recognized the scholarly work by local artists and intellectuals to promote Pakistan’s linguistic and cultural diversity by fostering critical thinking and learning through effective use of creative expression in mother languages.

Engr. Khalil Raza Scientific Officer ECOSF in his remarks highlighted scientific interventions to COVID-19. Mr. Raza underlined that it was due to remarkable potential of science and technology with which this pandemic has been brought under control. He called for the need of adequate investment in science and technology to strengthen national science capacities for effective response to global crisis such as this pandemic. Mr. Raza shared a number of scientific interventions by Pakistani institutions in fighting this pandemic. He further emphasized that humanity has to respect boundaries of nature by maintaining the biodiversity and environmental ecosystem to prevent any future pandemics.

Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro, President ECOSF contributed as a panelist in one of the sessions on Language and Science & Technology. During this session Prof. Soomro was joined by Mr. Tauseeq Haider as a moderator and Mr. Amar Fayaz, Technology Expert from Sindh as a panelist. Prof. Soomro emphasized that a mother language is crucial for a child as a medium of education, particularly in science education. Because at the time when children develop their mother tongue, there is a simultaneous development of many other essential skills such as critical thinking and literacy skills, he added. Prof. Soomro said that mother language actually builds up a child’s social, personal and cultural identity, therefore, the role of mother language for any child is extremely vital at an early stage.