Daily Times

Panelists from Pakistan and abroad underscored the need for technological development in Seraiki at a webinar marking the launch of the Taj Langah Siraiki Digital Archive. The archive is initiated by Dr Nukhbah Taj Langah (Chairperson Pakistan Seraiki Party) and is supported by an organizing team led by Mehr Husain (author-publisher).

The webinar consisted of four major sessions, and under one such session, titled ‘Century Challenges for the Saraiki Language’, moderated by Ms Husain with panelists Dr Shiraz Dasti (university professor) and Nawab Hassan Hussein Qureshi (digital media consultant), focused on a key question: Why is the Seraiki region the most backward area in terms of technological development, training and digital opportunities that can open new avenues for youth, women, and future generations.

The second session focused on ‘The Loss and Revival of Seraiki Language’ moderated by an emerging researcher, Akhtar Mirza (teacher at FC University) based on the discussions by Hamid Hasan Rind (writer and teacher at Cardiff, Wales), Yatin Batra (scholar from University of Delhi, India) and Sumaya Makhdoom (researcher and visiting lecturer at FC College) who shed light on the history of Seraiki language, the measures that can save it from countering its endangered status and its revival through alternative approaches, such as translation of literary texts to extend their public sphere.

‘The Impact of Governance in the Seraiki region’ was discussed by a panel moderated by moderator Waqas Mirza (PhD candidate at the Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany) and included the panelist Hasnain Haider Langah (public policy professional. The focus of the panel was on the governance issues in the Seraiki region that impacts its underdevelopment. The aim was also to reflect on how these issues impact the representation of the history of this region.

The final session on ‘Seraiki language as a cultural symbol’ highlighted the overview of rich Seraiki literary and creative inputs and their critical appreciation in the context of the challenges that this language and identity faces. Moderator Dr Langah and panelists Abdul Basit Bhatti (Seraiki writer) and Dr Shahzeb Khan (Punjab University professor) spoke and responded to the quires by the audience. A special guest on the panel was Professor Anjali Gera Roy (Institute of Information Technology, Kharagpur, India) who thanked Dr Langah for returning Seraiki language to her through this engaging forum focused primarily on language, culture and identity. She shared her research on Seriaki community in India and discussed how the idea of a collective Seraiki identity lacks in the people in India.