Mother languages.

THE world recently observed the International Mother Language Day (Feb 21) to celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity, and to promote multilingualism. The theme this year was, 'Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society'.

We must highlight the importance of a multilingual society, language plurality and reconciliation in the country. The state's unitary linguistic nationalism has marginalised all indigenous languages of Pakistan. There is an urgent need for the state to recognise linguistic plurality.

The narrative of 'lingua franca' used by the state to create hegemonic space for a single language is a myth. It should be done away with, making...