The future of the Sindhi tongue worries poet Arjan

The Central government should have created a Sindhi Board immediately after Partition which could have devised schemes for furthering the Sindhi language and culture, pointed out Shad. However, the cultural question took a backseat as the average Sindhi struggled for economic survival after Partition.

During his teaching career at Jai Hindi College, recalled Shad, Sindhi students had wanted to opt for the subject, but were unable to do so for lack of basic infrastructure. “If this is the situation in colleges, I am sure there are takers for Sindhi in schools as well. With over two lakh Sindhis in and around Mumbai, and over forty lakh in the country, it would be worth the goverment’s effort to introduce Sindhi in the curriculum.”

The younger generation is also alienated from the language as Sindhi literature, which dates back to the sixteenth century, is available only in the Arabic script. While most Sindhi litterateurs insist on using Arabic, Shad differs. “One would have certainly wanted the Arabic script to continue, as our best texts are written in it. But we might have to accept the use of Devnagari script for the sake of the younger generation of Sindhis,” he said.

Shad also appealed to Sindhi businessmen to take the lead in popularising Sindhi as an optional subject in schools. “Many Sindhis have earned colossal amounts and the philanthropists among them have founded hospitals, colleges and temples. They should take the initiative in setting up a trust which can fund the salaries of Sindhi teachers in English medium schools,” he said.

Later, while talking to Express Newsline, Shad came down heavily on “rich Sindhis” who have spared no thought for preserving their mother tongue. “This indifference is one of the factors which leads to a negative portrayal of the community. Sindhis have become synonymous with money-making, a fact underlined by Hindi films. While it is not proper to paint all Sindhis black, the community is unable to erase this impression,” he said.