Hindi now latest rage in Pakistan
ANI[ FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2005 09:51:28 AM ]
LAHORE: Pakistan's Punjab University is all set to begin a Masters degree course in Hindi literature from this academic session onwards, as more and more people in the country want to learn India's national language.
"We are looking for one or two people in Islamabad having a PhD in Hindi and aim to start MA classes from the upcoming session in September 2005," said Professor Dr Muhammad Akram Chaudhry, a Dean at the Punjab University.
Shabnam Riaz, the only lecturer in the University's Hindi Department, said while previously it was only the older people who were interested in learning Hindi, now the youths were getting attracted to the language.
"Judges, journalists, government officials, teachers, youth and people from different walks of life are joining the department," she said.
She said some people were still prejudiced against learning Hindi. "Biases are still there as people see Hindi as the language of the 'enemy'," she said. "The bias was gradually reducing."
The University has been trying to start the course since two years, but it could not do so due to lack of qualified staff.
The University has been trying to start the course since two years, but it could not do so due to lack of qualified staff.
The University, with a total of 14 students enrolled in the Hindi Department, has a staff of only three. Shabnam, an Indian who did her MA in Hindi from Patiala before getting married in Pakistan, said that she along with some students of the Hindi Department have urged the Pakistan government to allow importing Hindi publications, library books, journals, especially Hindi newspapers from India.