By Raza Kharal

Source: The Nation Lahore Edition, Islamabad Edition

No one can deny the role of the native language in the spread of education and information in a society. It is one's native language, or mother tongue, that nurtures the basic abilities of a child and helps him grow according to the norms and traditions of the society. It also brings with it the power to absorb the changes of time. The World Punjabi Congress, under the tutelage of Fakhar Zaman, an intellectual and Punjabi writer, is devoted to stressing the importance Punjabi language has.

The Congress has planned a massive campaign to promote Punjabi language, the world's 10th largest language, spoken by over 200 million people around the globe World Punjabi Conference now renamed as World Punjabi Congress was established in Lahore in 1984 by Punjabi writers, intellectuals and scholars. The objectives of this august body included the promotion of Punjabi language, literature and culture. It aimed at the renaissance of Punjab, thus leading to the resolution of crisis of identity with which Punjabis had been suffering for a very long period of time.

First International Punjabi Conference under the aegis of WPC was held in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1986, followed by another World Punjabi Conference in 1992. Both of the conferences were attended by hundreds 0f delegates from across the world. The 1986 and 1992 declarations emphasized the adoption of Punjabi as medium of instruction at the primary level and forcefully condemned the idea of language hegemony consistently advocated by the detractors of Pakistani languages.

It was also resolved in these moots that all languages spoken in Pakistan are the national languages of Pakistan and that Urdu is the link language.

The chauvinists who belittle the importance of Punjabi language and at times deride it, have either not recovered from nostalgia or they have got a false sense of linguistic superiority.

It is, therefore, the paramount duty of each patriotic Pakistani who is proud of the languages of the soil, to defeat the evil designs of manipulators and keep on struggling for the recognition of all Pakistani languages spoken through the length and breath of our beloved country.

World Punjabi Congress decided in July 2001 to hold next conference in London. Chairman of WPC, during his stay in London, set up an organizing committee and appointed eminent writer and intellectual, Amin Malik, as the president of WPC, UK chapter. Amin Malik and his hardworking colleagues like Ayub Aulia, T. Bhogal, Rani Malik, G.S. Sagoo, Ajit Singh, Shamsher etc have put in efforts and finalized arrangements for conference to be held on May 17-18-19, 2002. Conference will be attended by over 300 delegates from 25 countries of the World (Pakistan, India, UK, USA, Canada. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Poland, Holland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan. China, Uzbekistan and Turkey.) Invitations alongwith a detailed programme will be issued in January, 2002. Its main theory is Punjabi language, Literature, Culture and History in the 21st Century. A mushaira and a cultural programme are also included in the conference schedule.

WPC has decided to keep up the momentum of global Punjabi movement by holding eight conferences within the next four years or by 2005. Countries which will host International Punjabi moots include UK (May 2002), India (December 2002), Canada (May 2003), Malaysia (December 2003), Denmark (May 2004), USA (December 2004), Norway (May 2005). Holland, Singapore and Thailand will host the moots in the next phase. Pakistan will organize the culminating conference in December 2005 thus ending the first series and entering into the second phase.

Muhammad Aslam Ladhi is one of the few people gifted with a great flare for writing, and it is no wonder that his pen works even more when he intends to write on religion. His love for the religion of Islam is above board and similarly his love for saints is unquestionable.

This is writ large in his latest book with the title Noor Elahi Ke Pervaney. The book provides ample information about the saints and pious people. Notes on Haji Sher Muhammad Chawali, stated to be a companion of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), Hazrat Mian Sher Muhammad Sharaqpuri, Syed Miran Hussian Zanjani, Hazrat Mian Mir Qadri, Hazrat Shamas Tabrez, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Syed Muhammad Ismael Shah, Syed Chiragh Ali Shah, Abdul Ghafoor Babaji, Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Ali and a long list of saints with revealing facts about their spiritual powers, makes the book a must-read.

The publisher of the book Haq Publications also deserve a pat on the back for such work imbued with religous sentiments.