Canadian parliamentarian to hold Sindhi Roundtable on Feb 27

Ottawa [Canada]: Canadian lawmaker Jeremy Patzer will host the ‘Sindhi Roundtable’ in the Canadian Parliament on February 27, the Sindhi Foundation said in an official statement, adding that the event is aimed at promoting the Sindhi language.

As per the statement, the event will be organised on International Mother Language Day during the parliament session between 11 am and 1 pm (local time).

“This year, Patzer will host an event in the Parliament of Canada. Although International Mother Language Day is celebrated on February 21st each year, since the Canadian Parliament session will start in the following week, the Members of Parliament and Sindhi Community scheduled February 27th for an open discussion to strengthen the relationship of Canada and the Sindhis in Sindh (in Pakistan), as well as the diaspora. Language is the foundation and most prominent part of any culture,” the statement read.

According to the United Nations, “Every two weeks, a language disappears, taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage. At least 43 per cent of the estimated 6,000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world”.

International Mother Language Day is observed every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
In the recent past, the Sindhi language has also been facing multiple challenges in its land of origin, Sindh, in Pakistan, and the diaspora.

Hence, the Sindhi Foundation persistently celebrates International Mother Language Day every year, the release informed, adding that other than language promotion, the event scheduled to be held on February 27 at the Canadian Parliament will help build strong relationships between Sindhis and Canadians.

“Time has come for the Canadian Consulate in Karachi and the High Commission in Islamabad to recognise the Sindhi language and provide services to Sindhis in their own native language,” Sufi Laghari, executive director of the Sindhi Foundation, was quoted as saying in the release.

“Time has come that the Canadian Consulate in Karachi and the High Commission in Islamabad must recognize the Sindhi language and provide services to Sindhis in their own native language,” Laghari added.

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in November 1999.

The idea to celebrate mother tongue was carried forward at the initiative of Bangladesh. And, the UN General Assembly welcomed the proclamation on the day of its resolution in 2002.