Decline of Urdu Language in Pakistan

Post date: Jul 07, 2010 7:49:21 PM

Any linguist or sociologist who wants to study the decline of Urdu language in Pakistan need not look any further than the electronic media.

I haven't had a chance of watching Pakistani Channels for quite some time, but my recent viewings of the prime-time TV have not only quite bemused me but also made me angry as to what do the producers think when they make such programs where the characters are using English expressions for most of the time. I am not aware of the ground realities, but the way it's going on the TV, very soon Pakistani TV will produce programmes in some Creole called Urglish. For any student of language change, language shift and a possible language death in progress, I can not imagine a better example.

And then there is National Language Authority of Pakistan, who, when not sleeping, follows the two thousands year old prescriptive model, producing such classic lexicons that are of some use to 18th/ 19th century Ghalib generation only. When I first used the English to Urdu dictionary, after finding the Urdu entry, I had to ask my father what did the corresponding strange sounding word in Urdu script mean? I know that among the inner city younger population Urdu language is changing and developing according to the needs of the generation, however it does not get any exposure in the media and is perhaps being treated as a vulgar vernacular. I / someone needs to do a proper study.