Language, Culture and Friendship.

Byline: Mazhar Alam

Generally, when people of different cultures or countries speak the same language, they feel close and it's easy to develop a relationship, but this is not always true. Indians and Pakistanis speak the same language, watch the same movies, listen to the same songs, their complexions are almost the same, they share more or less the same culture, the habits and cuisines are the same but yet they have fought several wars in less than seven decades. If so many similarities don't help make friends, what is the recipe of friendship between two countries? On the other side of the border, we have another neighbor "China". Pakistan and China don't have anything common.

Our cultures are different and so are languages, foods and political systems, our habits and even our complexions are different but still we are very close friends and good neighbors. "What makes Pakistan and China good friends" is an interesting topic for young researchers to explore. As a nation, Chinese are very wise and "wazadaar" people (who value social norms).

They are careful about relations and protocols of a relationship. They are farsighted and calculative. Unlike the US, China is using friendship and mutual interests to enlarge its social circle and strengthen its position on the world stage. The type of close relationship the people of Pakistan and China have can be taken to a new level by filling the cross-cultural communication gap. Language is the best bridge to bring the two people closer if equipped with understanding and respect. China took this initiative more than half a century ago in 1951 when Peking University established an Urdu language department.

Later more Urdu departments were established in Guangdong and Xian. China Pictorial, once an important link between China and the rest of the world and show case of China's socialism, day to day economic development and cultural activities, started its Urdu edition "Cheen Ba Tasveer"). The photos and the articles of "Cheen Ba Tasveer" always fascinated me. This was the magazine that made me travel to China and ultimately settle in Beijing twenty-seven years ago. I have had the honor of being its last copyeditor from 1996 to 2000. China Pictorial stopped the publication of its Urdu edition along with some other small languages in 2000 due to financial strain caused by the economic crises of mid 90s. But the progress of Urdu never stopped in China.

At present, nine universities and several other institutes are teaching Urdu. The demand for...