INTERNATIONAL MOTHER TONGUE DAY- A Tribute to the Greatness of Punjabi People

MAHTAB BASHIR
ISLAMABAD
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
03335363248

Language is the most powerful instrument of preserving and developing tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongue serves not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

Though an Islooite’s by birth, my Mother Tongue is neither Urdu nor English or any other but Punjabi. My parents hailing from Lahore & Gujranwala, made me a built-in Punjabi regardless to caste and creed and obviously transforming it.

According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, Punjabi is the most spoken language of Pakistan. It is spoken as first language by over 44.15% of Pakistanis. Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group in the country. Punjabis are dominant in key institutions such as business, agriculture, industry, government, army, navy, air force, and police, which is why about 70% of Pakistanis can understand or speak Punjabi.

Today (February 21) is the International Mother Language Day- a day that was proclaimed by UNESCO's General Conference in November 1999. The International Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

On 16 May 2007, by resolution 61/266, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism.

Marking this day, I would love to share few of Punjabi lines written by few of my all time favorite poets. This wont be a bad idea to give gratitude to all Punjabi people for their sacrifices, and services they rendered over the centuries to make Punajbi a language of International repute. I’m also indebted to all Punjabi mothers for their contribution in nurturing their children for the welfare of society and country!

Rabba Sachiya tu tay Akhiya si
Ja Oye Bandiya Jug Da Shah hain Toon
Sadian Naimtan terian Doltan Nain
Sada Naib tay Alijah hain Toon
Aes Larey Tay Tor Kud Puchiya Iy
Kee Iss Nimanay tey bitiyan nayn
Kadi Saar wi layi O Rab Sayin
Teray Shah Nal Jag ki Kitiyan nayn
Kithay Dhons Polis Sarkar di ay
Kithay Dhandli Patwar Di ay
Enwain Huddan ich Kalpay Jan meri
Jeewan Phahi ich Koonj Kurlaondi Ay
Changa Shah Bnaya ei Rab Sayian
Polay khandiyan War na Ayondi ay
Mainu Shahi nai Chahidi Rab meray
Main tay Izzat da tukkar mangna han
Menu Tahng nai, mehlan mnarian di
Main tay Jeewan di Nukkar Mangna han
Meri Mannain tay tairian main mannan
Teri Sohn Jay ik wi gal moran
Jey Ayeh nai Pujdi tan Rabba fair
Main Jawan tay RAB Koi Hor loraan
-FAIZ AHMED FAIZ
Mera Tay Bus aina e kujh ay
Hissa Apnay Aap dy which
Jinna Raat day sunan walay da
Paar ay paer di chaap dy which
-MUNIR NIAZI
Jay tu chad ky tur jana si
Pyaar di khed rachai kio si
Dy ky kaol jy phir jana si
Dil di baazi lai kio si

Menu jisda dar si channa
Orak o gal ho kay rai
Paanway hun may moyaan wargi
Jeenwan gi par teray lai
Khoray meray ronday dil tay
Tenu taras kadi aa jaway
Khoray kich meri yadaan di
Tenu aithay kich liaway.-AHMED RAHI

Charsi naal meil sharabi da, nahi ho sakda, nahi ho sakda
Koi Sunni yaar wahabi da, Nahi ho sakda, nahi ho sakda

Sao sabun bhaway wartan pay, kanwaan nay baglay nahi hona Tappar to laththa chabi da, nahi ho sakda, nahi ho sakda

Buriyan nay kaar bhalaai da- na karna aay, na honi aay
Bhaliyaan to kam kharaabi da, nahi ho sakda, nahi ho sakda

Gharian which koh mukanday nay, jo banday udham walay nay
Sustaan to pandh shataabi da- nahi ho sakda, naho ho sakda

O baal Obeira, rul janday, jinna diyan Maawan mar jawan
Maa warga saaya Bhabhi da- nahi ho sakda, nahi ho sakda.
-OBEIR ABUZARI

Ajj da Din wi awaien e langiyaa, koi wi kam na hoya
Purab wallon’ chariya Suraj, Pachchim aan khaloya
Naa milya may khalqat nu, na yaad Khuda nu keeta
Naa may parhi Namaz tay naa may Jaam Sharaab da peeta
Khushi naa gham- koi kol na aya, naa hasya, naa royaa
Ajj da Din wi awaien e langiyaa, koi wi kam na hoya-MUNIR NIAZI

MAHTAB BASHIR

ISLAMABAD

0333 5363 248

mahtabbashir@gmail.com

A PILL TO FALL IN OR OUT OF LOVE!

After the passion of Valentine’s Day, here is some sobering news for lovers. Pop a love pill, and you are on. And pop an anti-love pill, you are done - without any lingering emotions.

Scientists say it will soon be possible to fall in and out of love at whim - just like hopping into a bus and then getting off two stops later.

They say that since falling in love is merely a chemical reaction in the human brain, a love pill may be invented soon to trigger this chemical reaction to make people in love.

And then there could be an anti-love pill to make people fall out of love.

According to an American neuro-scientist, researchers may soon find the right kind of chemical mixture to help people fall in and out of love.

Larry Young of Atlanta 's Emory University School of Medicine told a television network at the weekend that researchers may soon be able to show that emotions such as love are directly triggered by biochemical events in the human brain.

He said his research into prairie voles - which are short-tailed, mouse-like animals found in the prairies (fertile plains) of the US and Canada - has shown that sexual bonding can be triggered and blocked by the addition or subtraction of certain chemicals to the brain.

“(The voles) are monogamous. That is, they form a life-long bond with a partner. We have been studying the chemistry behind that,'' he said.
But when Young injected the chemical (hormone) oxytocin into the brain of a female prairie vole, she quickly abandoned her monogamy and fell for the nearest male. But when the chemical hormone to her brain was stopped, her bonding with the new mate was over.

According to Young, “The hormone interacts with the reward and reinforcement system driven by the neurotransmitter dopamine - the same circuitry that drugs such as nicotine, cocaine and heroine act on in humans to produce euphoria and addiction.''

The happy news, said Young, is that his research has shown that ``there is an overlap between the brain areas involved in vole bonding and those associated with human love.

“What's more, the chemical oxytocin, which was observed to trigger bonding in voles, also changes human behaviour.

“People who inhale oxytocin become more trusting ... They engage in more eye contact ... (It) tunes them into the social world. Dopamine gives us a reward, so you feel good.''

Creating a cocktail of these two chemicals (oxytocin and dopamine) in the form of a love pill could create an attraction between two people, he said.

But if attraction could be chemically induced, he added, the opposite was also possible in the form of anti-love pills.

“You could block those chemicals when you're around this person. All drugs are just mimicking or blocking our own natural brain chemistry,'' Young said.

He said these chemical cocktails could help countless couples who spend huge amounts of money on marital therapy in future.

IANS