Fatima_Kashaf_Reimaging Linguistic Diversity of Pakistani Languages

Interview with Kashaf

Assalam-o-Alaikum, today we have Kashaf with us to talk about Urdu language. Kashaf is currently studying in FC College and is currently doing her Bachelor's in Environmental Sciences and is in her 7th semester. Assalam-o-Alaikum Kashaf, how are you?

1

Walaikum-Salam, I am absolutely fine. How are you Fatima?

2

I am fine, thank you for asking. If you don't mind, can we start the interview?

1

Yes, of course.

2

So Kashaf, let's start with your childhood. Where did you grow up and where did you get your education?

1

So Fatima, I was born in Lahore, in a model town. And I was born in a purely Urdu family. I have a connection with that. But like there is a trend in Pakistan nowadays, my parents were already focused on sending me to an English medium school. So I started with City Grammar. I had my kindergarten and initial classes from City Grammar till my 4th and 5th class. After that we shifted to Okara. I studied in Okada from DPS, I entered from Punjab College and then I went to FC. Good to know.

2

When your education was going on, did you ever feel pressure to speak in any other language other than Urdu?

3

Yes, since childhood.

1

The first focus was that it was the age of English. So I had to learn English, focus on English. Our English grammar started with city grammar. And when I went to Okara, it was seen in a way that the English speaker is an efficient student. Like he will go far, he can do everything but the one who speaks Urdu or any other language he is an average student he didn't have much impact so since childhood my family and my teacher used to tell me to learn English and no one encouraged her and you can see that I mostly speak in English so it's the same pressure and pressure that we focus more on English and not on my own language you are absolutely right

2

the school you mentioned that English should be spoken I also felt the same in both school and college.

1

And from childhood, from second or third class, it starts that the child should learn English. Whereas, I think, till fifth or sixth class, you should focus on his initial language, his own language. He can learn better what he has learned at home. But if we put pressure on a small child to learn another language, then things become very difficult. Absolutely right.

2

On this note, please tell me how many languages can you speak?

1

I can speak three languages. Urdu, English and Punjabi.

5

Right.

2

How was your journey in FC College so far?

1

My journey in FC was very amazing. When I came here, my biggest fear was that it was an international institution, so there would be very efficient students here, and I was going to speak Urdu, whose English wasn't that good, and I could understand Punjabi. So I had a lot of fears and doubts about whether I would be able to adjust here or not. But when I came here and met teachers and my friends, they encouraged me a lot that I can grow here with my personality, my language, my culture. And it was my fate that I joined different societies here. Because of them, they took me to different events, we had some seminars. So today when I am going to graduate very soon, I can say that FC has changed my life.

2

That is a big statement.

3

Absolutely.

1

Because FCE has given us confidence that we can grow our culture, our tradition, our language and we will be as successful in front of the world as an English speaking child. So there is no discrimination here. We can grow and they can grow. It is a safe place for everyone.

2

You are absolutely right. When I came here for the first time in my first semester, I was pleasantly surprised that not only me, but people from different cultures have come here and they are getting acceptance. This is a big thing. So, what do you like the most about the Urdu language?

1

The most beautiful thing about Urdu is that it is very polite. I would say that it is very sweet. Urdu has a tone, a respect for speaking, a manner, a speed and a little pause in every conversation. I like the fact that Urdu has a manner. I don't want to target a particular language, but some languages are very emotional, some are very fast, some have a very slow tone. that their tone is very soft but I think Urdu has a lot of balance that in this everything is described with so much ease and calmness that the next person just relaxes a little

2

that okay, this is being spoken with a lot of love Right, your perspective about Urdu is very good, I must say So on this topic any poet or poet that you like a lot

1

in Urdu? He is a poet of the East. He has written a lot of poetry in Urdu. I have read his poetry since I was a child. I was in the 4th or 5th grade. Some of his poetry was in our Urdu books. But apart from that, I read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. It's amazing how he addresses the youngsters, how he describes different things in his words that even the most shy thing he says, it goes deep into the heart that oh my god, he said such a big thing So there is a poem that I would like to recite We fall in prostration, In the hands of our desires, If we fall only in the love of God, Then no desire would remain incomplete.

2

That is amazing and very deep. I never had the interest to read anything, but you recited this, so it feels very good to hear it, the couplet of Allama Iqbal.

4

Exactly.

2

You just spoke about Urdu, that it is a very shy language, a very balanced language. Do you think that Urdu has played an important role in making or imbuing your personality?

1

A lot. I think that whatever language a person speaks, it is his personality.

2

Absolutely.

1

Like I said, Urdu is a very soft language. If you know me from the first semester, my personality is very low. I have never done anything with a calm, proper plan, but slowly, with a lot of emotion. So I think I have learned from Urdu that I have to tolerate everything, with calm and ease. Otherwise, when I was stuck in a lot of things, like learning Punjabi, learning English, then I had a point that I was very emotional. I used to react to things immediately. If I couldn't understand anything, I used to put things aside and get up and go, like, what is happening to me? But as I connected more with my tongue, I started reading, I read poetry about it, I read stories about it, I understood that I am able to connect more with it. And because of that, if I am speaking to them with confidence in a slow tone without raising my voice or being emotional I feel that my personality is because of Urdu

2

This was an amazing input of yours that the tongue can have such an impact on personality I had not thought of that.

Do you think that Urdu has its real place in our society?

1

Fatima, this is a very extensive topic. I will summarize it in this way that Urdu is an army language. Because when people came from different places in South Asia, each part of their language was made into Urdu. So that everyone can easily communicate and there is no barrier because everyone speaks a different language so I think Urdu was a very big tool that connected all languages it didn't disconnect but it connected it was a fusion of everything that is Urdu but nowadays, I don't know why because of English people pay so much attention to English that they have such beautiful languages, which have English words, Sindhi, Hindi, Sanskrit, so many different languages. So, they have neglected it so much that, let me tell you, if a child, like I said earlier, is speaking Urdu, he is not considered so capable. That's right, that's right. But, the English he is speaking is very high-five, even if he doesn't have that much knowledge about it. So, Urdu is not being given that importance. And the second point I would like to make is that the trend nowadays is that you promote your local languages a lot, which is a very good thing and it should be like that. But they forget to promote it that Urdu is our national language. It has united the whole of Pakistan, if you know Urdu, you can connect with anyone. But they forgot to promote their own cultural languages, that they should not neglect Urdu, they should take Urdu with them. But they have neglected it so much that they think that speaking Urdu is a insult and their cultural languages are more important or above something. So, I think all languages should be equal. No one should be above English, or below Sindhi, or above Balochi. All languages should be equal, and everyone should be given equal importance. Urdu is a national language, our law is in Urdu, we speak Urdu to connect with everything, as a Pakistani. When we go abroad, we say that our national language is Urdu. So, in my opinion, we need to promote Urdu more. We need to make Urdu a part of our language. You were saying that we should not forget our national language

2

in order to promote our regional languages. I can understand your perspective and depth Now let's come to a lighter question. Sure. What was your favorite food in childhood? Something you wait to make and if you want you can share the recipe with us.

1

Now I have become a little choosy maybe because I came to the city But in childhood I was very simple And I like simple food Even now I don't like spicy food or sweet food. I like simple food. When I was a kid, I had a very simple habit. My favorite dish was “aloo anda”. Everyone used to ask me if I ate aloo anda. I used to say no, I eat it in the day, in the afternoon, or at night. It's my favorite. And I guess this is a Pakistani dish that is made in everyone's home. So it's a simple recipe. Just boil the potatoes, add eggs, and a little bit of spices. And what a great dish!

2

So like Urdu, you like balance in your food.

3

Absolutely.

2

Let's talk about culture, is there a custom that you would like to share with the FC community?

1

Like I said, Urdu is a very simple language. Similarly, our culture does not have anything to show off.

5

It is very simple.

1

If I talk about my family or the area where I live, it is so simple that we celebrate Eid with simplicity. We never do anything like, there should be new clothes, bangles, etc. We are simple. We wear clean and washed clothes. And the biggest difference of weddings is that there is a different wedding ritual for each culture. So, what I have seen and heard, although we live in Punjab, Punjabi weddings are extravagant, grand, and exciting. Whereas our marriages, the marriages of my family, were very simple. Like, there was only a nakau and the next day a wali. And the wali rituals were also done at home. Like, if there is a sehen, then we did it at home. And never did anyone do those extravagant things, like, there was no such thing. In fact, people take such good care of each other that no one is affected by the noise, that no one has any issue with it. And the best thing is that in our culture, if someone is getting married and has nothing to give, the people who come and give blessings, in vulgar words, they have such a choice of words that your heart just gets excited. I think it's a great thing to have a family. I think it's a great thing to have a family. I think it's a great thing to have a family. I think it's a great thing to have a family.

2

I think it's a great thing to have a family. I really like it. And I think that in weddings or any other event, the biggest thing is that people are sitting together. Exactly. There is a good conversation, tea is served. I think this is what matters the most. Exactly. And what you just said about the balance in Urdu, in food and this tradition, that is all connected. That is amazing. We were just talking, we talked a couple of times that here English is given more importance here. And obviously, prestige is also related to English. And English is also given more importance. People like to talk in English. Keeping all this in mind, how do you live with Urdu?

1

With Urdu, see, nowadays, we have a national language, but we still have to live with Urdu. because our society and society does not give us so much freedom that we can take it with us but we have to try to connect with Urdu and for this my go to place is the Foreman's Library because the library is a place where you have all the basics of everything so the basics of Urdu is in the library I go to the library and as I said I read poetry books, I have read a lot of novels, Urdu novels are so beautiful that they take you to a different world and you feel like the world is heaven.

2

I have never read a book, textbooks are also very difficult, so listening to you I got the inspiration that I should read a book.

1

And another thing I would like to say is that when you are in university and you are promoting different languages or trying to promote your language as much as possible then I feel that I should also talk about Urdu. So I sat with different councils and societies here and when I used to sit and talk I felt this way then and now I try to speak in Urdu wherever I go I try to connect with them in Urdu or tell them that Urdu is our national language no matter which part of Pakistan you are from you are from Balti, you are from Balochi, you are from Pashto, you are from Punjabi but we all connect with the same language which is Urdu This has kept me very closely connected to Urdu.

2

As I see people these days are more interested in English. So, hearing this from you, I am getting a lot of inspiration that I should also own Urdu. And, the way we have talked about all this, so what do you think, how can Urdu language and Urdu culture be preserved?

1

For that, let's see, some things are such that our society today is very inspired by movies and dramas. And in our dramas, I feel it is a pity that we leave our culture and adopt Western culture. So I think if we show our own language and that we are showing good love stories in English. So I guess we should end all these things and promote things in our own language. Because earlier books were the biggest tool. Books were written in different languages so that the language is safe. But our generation today is so much connected to social media. I think we should turn on the social media content and tweet in Urdu, post in Urdu so that there is a representation that yes, we are Urdu-speaking natives. And all our films, dramas, and documentaries should be in Urdu. Because this is the time, people watch this and this tells us what the culture of a country or any region what is their culture so we can promote our culture, language and culture through these things and there are many countries that have owned their language exactly, like you heard, Turkey changed its name to Turkey and in China you will find very few people who can speak English they are so focused on Chinese similarly in Japan, Japanese and in Germany, German so I guess we should also have a rule that if you want Pakistani nationality then at least you should know Urdu

2

absolutely and South Korea, if I watch a lot of Korean shows then I get inspired by them that very little they use English and their shows and their shows are watched all over the world this is the truth

1

so I don't think there is any harm in promoting Urdu and if we want to promote it globally then we can just add the subtitles

2

this is true, even India has done this many times so this is not difficult, I think we need to work hard now the difficult questions are over Now only a few questions for you Kashaf, how do you express your emotions in Urdu? For example, when you are angry, happy or sad, what words do you choose?

1

So, Fatima, I am very less angry I can understand that when I talk to you I am mostly happy Or if I get angry Then I get used to being silent And I have learnt this habit from my mother. My mother, when her kids are annoying her, or when she gets angry, she would always do this, she would become silent immediately. She would not answer anything. We would immediately understand that it's time to step back. Now that mom is angry, we can't do anything. There are many moments in life when you get fed up I have learned to be silent And people are aware of your silence That now her mood is changing, she doesn't want to talk to me But if I am happy, I just praise myself I say, wow, what a thing! And wow is a word for enjoyment You are happy when you say Wah You like something when you say Wah You want to praise someone when you say Wah So I guess Wah is the word I like it a lot

2

I have never thought about Wah like this Which is amazing Now the last question Share your favourite song or Ghazal with us Share your favourite song or Ghazal with us

1

Sure I have read many ghazals but I would like to share one which is not only poetic but also has a romantic aspect and a lesson.

4

I will read it to you.

1

Should I read it? Yes, yes. The lips are silent, the eyes are down,

4

The love in the hearts is new.

1

The conversation is still formal, The love is still new. You will not get sleep now, We will not get peace now, The heart will beat more now, This desire is still new. So if you have been blessed and now have privilege, do not forgot your roots. I was misunderstanding until the half of it but then I think I did get the message of it. Do you want to elaborate on this a little?

2

Sure. So, the starting lines of the poem are what I like about it.

1

Because they are telling a very innocent love story. There is nothing extravagant or inappropriate in it. It is very simple. If you like anything in the first sight, anything, your heart beats faster. Which I guess, a child's heart beats faster when she sees her favourite dish or cartoon. This is what is said in this poem. The last two lines of this poem are for those who have new fame, new money and their mood changes. We can relate this to Urdu and English in the way that the upper class only when they speak English so we think like that and this has become a standard of our society that the person who speaks Urdu is lower class and he doesn't have much education so in this it is said that what has nature given you what have you started to think of yourself now there is no fame so we should never forget ourselves our culture and our background

2

We have to stick to our roots.

4

We have to stick to our roots.

2

1

Thank you so much Kashaf. It was a pleasure talking to you. Thank you so much Kashaf. It was a pleasure talking to you.

3

Thank you for inviting me.

Interview with Kashaf

Assalam-o-Alaikum, today we have Kashaf with us to talk about Urdu language. Kashaf is currently studying in FC College and is currently doing her Bachelor's in Environmental Sciences and is in her 7th semester. Assalam-o-Alaikum Kashaf, how are you?

1

Walaikum-Salam, I am absolutely fine. How are you Fatima?

2

I am fine, thank you for asking. If you don't mind, can we start the interview?

1

Yes, of course.

2

So Kashaf, let's start with your childhood. Where did you grow up and where did you get your education?

1

So Fatima, I was born in Lahore, in a model town. And I was born in a purely Urdu family. I have a connection with that. But like there is a trend in Pakistan nowadays, my parents were already focused on sending me to an English medium school. So I started with City Grammar. I had my kindergarten and initial classes from City Grammar till my 4th and 5th class. After that we shifted to Okara. I studied in Okada from DPS, I entered from Punjab College and then I went to FC. Good to know.

2

When your education was going on, did you ever feel pressure to speak in any other language other than Urdu?

3

Yes, since childhood.

1

The first focus was that it was the age of English. So I had to learn English, focus on English. Our English grammar started with city grammar. And when I went to Okara, it was seen in a way that the English speaker is an efficient student. Like he will go far, he can do everything but the one who speaks Urdu or any other language he is an average student he didn't have much impact so since childhood my family and my teacher used to tell me to learn English and no one encouraged her and you can see that I mostly speak in English so it's the same pressure and pressure that we focus more on English and not on my own language you are absolutely right

2

the school you mentioned that English should be spoken I also felt the same in both school and college.

1

And from childhood, from second or third class, it starts that the child should learn English. Whereas, I think, till fifth or sixth class, you should focus on his initial language, his own language. He can learn better what he has learned at home. But if we put pressure on a small child to learn another language, then things become very difficult. Absolutely right.

2

On this note, please tell me how many languages can you speak?

1

I can speak three languages. Urdu, English and Punjabi.

5

Right.

2

How was your journey in FC College so far?

1

My journey in FC was very amazing. When I came here, my biggest fear was that it was an international institution, so there would be very efficient students here, and I was going to speak Urdu, whose English wasn't that good, and I could understand Punjabi. So I had a lot of fears and doubts about whether I would be able to adjust here or not. But when I came here and met teachers and my friends, they encouraged me a lot that I can grow here with my personality, my language, my culture. And it was my fate that I joined different societies here. Because of them, they took me to different events, we had some seminars. So today when I am going to graduate very soon, I can say that FC has changed my life.

2

That is a big statement.

3

Absolutely.

1

Because FCE has given us confidence that we can grow our culture, our tradition, our language and we will be as successful in front of the world as an English speaking child. So there is no discrimination here. We can grow and they can grow. It is a safe place for everyone.

2

You are absolutely right. When I came here for the first time in my first semester, I was pleasantly surprised that not only me, but people from different cultures have come here and they are getting acceptance. This is a big thing. So, what do you like the most about the Urdu language?

1

The most beautiful thing about Urdu is that it is very polite. I would say that it is very sweet. Urdu has a tone, a respect for speaking, a manner, a speed and a little pause in every conversation. I like the fact that Urdu has a manner. I don't want to target a particular language, but some languages are very emotional, some are very fast, some have a very slow tone. that their tone is very soft but I think Urdu has a lot of balance that in this everything is described with so much ease and calmness that the next person just relaxes a little

2

that okay, this is being spoken with a lot of love Right, your perspective about Urdu is very good, I must say So on this topic any poet or poet that you like a lot

1

in Urdu? He is a poet of the East. He has written a lot of poetry in Urdu. I have read his poetry since I was a child. I was in the 4th or 5th grade. Some of his poetry was in our Urdu books. But apart from that, I read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. I have read his poetry in the library. It's amazing how he addresses the youngsters, how he describes different things in his words that even the most shy thing he says, it goes deep into the heart that oh my god, he said such a big thing So there is a poem that I would like to recite We fall in prostration, In the hands of our desires, If we fall only in the love of God, Then no desire would remain incomplete.

2

That is amazing and very deep. I never had the interest to read anything, but you recited this, so it feels very good to hear it, the couplet of Allama Iqbal.

4

Exactly.

2

You just spoke about Urdu, that it is a very shy language, a very balanced language. Do you think that Urdu has played an important role in making or imbuing your personality?

1

A lot. I think that whatever language a person speaks, it is his personality.

2

Absolutely.

1

Like I said, Urdu is a very soft language. If you know me from the first semester, my personality is very low. I have never done anything with a calm, proper plan, but slowly, with a lot of emotion. So I think I have learned from Urdu that I have to tolerate everything, with calm and ease. Otherwise, when I was stuck in a lot of things, like learning Punjabi, learning English, then I had a point that I was very emotional. I used to react to things immediately. If I couldn't understand anything, I used to put things aside and get up and go, like, what is happening to me? But as I connected more with my tongue, I started reading, I read poetry about it, I read stories about it, I understood that I am able to connect more with it. And because of that, if I am speaking to them with confidence in a slow tone without raising my voice or being emotional I feel that my personality is because of Urdu

2

This was an amazing input of yours that the tongue can have such an impact on personality I had not thought of that.

Do you think that Urdu has its real place in our society?

1

Fatima, this is a very extensive topic. I will summarize it in this way that Urdu is an army language. Because when people came from different places in South Asia, each part of their language was made into Urdu. So that everyone can easily communicate and there is no barrier because everyone speaks a different language so I think Urdu was a very big tool that connected all languages it didn't disconnect but it connected it was a fusion of everything that is Urdu but nowadays, I don't know why because of English people pay so much attention to English that they have such beautiful languages, which have English words, Sindhi, Hindi, Sanskrit, so many different languages. So, they have neglected it so much that, let me tell you, if a child, like I said earlier, is speaking Urdu, he is not considered so capable. That's right, that's right. But, the English he is speaking is very high-five, even if he doesn't have that much knowledge about it. So, Urdu is not being given that importance. And the second point I would like to make is that the trend nowadays is that you promote your local languages a lot, which is a very good thing and it should be like that. But they forget to promote it that Urdu is our national language. It has united the whole of Pakistan, if you know Urdu, you can connect with anyone. But they forgot to promote their own cultural languages, that they should not neglect Urdu, they should take Urdu with them. But they have neglected it so much that they think that speaking Urdu is a insult and their cultural languages are more important or above something. So, I think all languages should be equal. No one should be above English, or below Sindhi, or above Balochi. All languages should be equal, and everyone should be given equal importance. Urdu is a national language, our law is in Urdu, we speak Urdu to connect with everything, as a Pakistani. When we go abroad, we say that our national language is Urdu. So, in my opinion, we need to promote Urdu more. We need to make Urdu a part of our language. You were saying that we should not forget our national language

2

in order to promote our regional languages. I can understand your perspective and depth Now let's come to a lighter question. Sure. What was your favorite food in childhood? Something you wait to make and if you want you can share the recipe with us.

1

Now I have become a little choosy maybe because I came to the city But in childhood I was very simple And I like simple food Even now I don't like spicy food or sweet food. I like simple food. When I was a kid, I had a very simple habit. My favorite dish was “aloo anda”. Everyone used to ask me if I ate aloo anda. I used to say no, I eat it in the day, in the afternoon, or at night. It's my favorite. And I guess this is a Pakistani dish that is made in everyone's home. So it's a simple recipe. Just boil the potatoes, add eggs, and a little bit of spices. And what a great dish!

2

So like Urdu, you like balance in your food.

3

Absolutely.

2

Let's talk about culture, is there a custom that you would like to share with the FC community?

1

Like I said, Urdu is a very simple language. Similarly, our culture does not have anything to show off.

5

It is very simple.

1

If I talk about my family or the area where I live, it is so simple that we celebrate Eid with simplicity. We never do anything like, there should be new clothes, bangles, etc. We are simple. We wear clean and washed clothes. And the biggest difference of weddings is that there is a different wedding ritual for each culture. So, what I have seen and heard, although we live in Punjab, Punjabi weddings are extravagant, grand, and exciting. Whereas our marriages, the marriages of my family, were very simple. Like, there was only a nakau and the next day a wali. And the wali rituals were also done at home. Like, if there is a sehen, then we did it at home. And never did anyone do those extravagant things, like, there was no such thing. In fact, people take such good care of each other that no one is affected by the noise, that no one has any issue with it. And the best thing is that in our culture, if someone is getting married and has nothing to give, the people who come and give blessings, in vulgar words, they have such a choice of words that your heart just gets excited. I think it's a great thing to have a family. I think it's a great thing to have a family. I think it's a great thing to have a family. I think it's a great thing to have a family.

2

I think it's a great thing to have a family. I really like it. And I think that in weddings or any other event, the biggest thing is that people are sitting together. Exactly. There is a good conversation, tea is served. I think this is what matters the most. Exactly. And what you just said about the balance in Urdu, in food and this tradition, that is all connected. That is amazing. We were just talking, we talked a couple of times that here English is given more importance here. And obviously, prestige is also related to English. And English is also given more importance. People like to talk in English. Keeping all this in mind, how do you live with Urdu?

1

With Urdu, see, nowadays, we have a national language, but we still have to live with Urdu. because our society and society does not give us so much freedom that we can take it with us but we have to try to connect with Urdu and for this my go to place is the Foreman's Library because the library is a place where you have all the basics of everything so the basics of Urdu is in the library I go to the library and as I said I read poetry books, I have read a lot of novels, Urdu novels are so beautiful that they take you to a different world and you feel like the world is heaven.

2

I have never read a book, textbooks are also very difficult, so listening to you I got the inspiration that I should read a book.

1

And another thing I would like to say is that when you are in university and you are promoting different languages or trying to promote your language as much as possible then I feel that I should also talk about Urdu. So I sat with different councils and societies here and when I used to sit and talk I felt this way then and now I try to speak in Urdu wherever I go I try to connect with them in Urdu or tell them that Urdu is our national language no matter which part of Pakistan you are from you are from Balti, you are from Balochi, you are from Pashto, you are from Punjabi but we all connect with the same language which is Urdu This has kept me very closely connected to Urdu.

2

As I see people these days are more interested in English. So, hearing this from you, I am getting a lot of inspiration that I should also own Urdu. And, the way we have talked about all this, so what do you think, how can Urdu language and Urdu culture be preserved?

1

For that, let's see, some things are such that our society today is very inspired by movies and dramas. And in our dramas, I feel it is a pity that we leave our culture and adopt Western culture. So I think if we show our own language and that we are showing good love stories in English. So I guess we should end all these things and promote things in our own language. Because earlier books were the biggest tool. Books were written in different languages so that the language is safe. But our generation today is so much connected to social media. I think we should turn on the social media content and tweet in Urdu, post in Urdu so that there is a representation that yes, we are Urdu-speaking natives. And all our films, dramas, and documentaries should be in Urdu. Because this is the time, people watch this and this tells us what the culture of a country or any region what is their culture so we can promote our culture, language and culture through these things and there are many countries that have owned their language exactly, like you heard, Turkey changed its name to Turkey and in China you will find very few people who can speak English they are so focused on Chinese similarly in Japan, Japanese and in Germany, German so I guess we should also have a rule that if you want Pakistani nationality then at least you should know Urdu

2

absolutely and South Korea, if I watch a lot of Korean shows then I get inspired by them that very little they use English and their shows and their shows are watched all over the world this is the truth

1

so I don't think there is any harm in promoting Urdu and if we want to promote it globally then we can just add the subtitles

2

this is true, even India has done this many times so this is not difficult, I think we need to work hard now the difficult questions are over Now only a few questions for you Kashaf, how do you express your emotions in Urdu? For example, when you are angry, happy or sad, what words do you choose?

1

So, Fatima, I am very less angry I can understand that when I talk to you I am mostly happy Or if I get angry Then I get used to being silent And I have learnt this habit from my mother. My mother, when her kids are annoying her, or when she gets angry, she would always do this, she would become silent immediately. She would not answer anything. We would immediately understand that it's time to step back. Now that mom is angry, we can't do anything. There are many moments in life when you get fed up I have learned to be silent And people are aware of your silence That now her mood is changing, she doesn't want to talk to me But if I am happy, I just praise myself I say, wow, what a thing! And wow is a word for enjoyment You are happy when you say Wah You like something when you say Wah You want to praise someone when you say Wah So I guess Wah is the word I like it a lot

2

I have never thought about Wah like this Which is amazing Now the last question Share your favourite song or Ghazal with us Share your favourite song or Ghazal with us

1

Sure I have read many ghazals but I would like to share one which is not only poetic but also has a romantic aspect and a lesson.

4

I will read it to you.

1

Should I read it? Yes, yes. The lips are silent, the eyes are down,

4

The love in the hearts is new.

1

The conversation is still formal, The love is still new. You will not get sleep now, We will not get peace now, The heart will beat more now, This desire is still new. So if you have been blessed and now have privilege, do not forgot your roots. I was misunderstanding until the half of it but then I think I did get the message of it. Do you want to elaborate on this a little?

2

Sure. So, the starting lines of the poem are what I like about it.

1

Because they are telling a very innocent love story. There is nothing extravagant or inappropriate in it. It is very simple. If you like anything in the first sight, anything, your heart beats faster. Which I guess, a child's heart beats faster when she sees her favourite dish or cartoon. This is what is said in this poem. The last two lines of this poem are for those who have new fame, new money and their mood changes. We can relate this to Urdu and English in the way that the upper class only when they speak English so we think like that and this has become a standard of our society that the person who speaks Urdu is lower class and he doesn't have much education so in this it is said that what has nature given you what have you started to think of yourself now there is no fame so we should never forget ourselves our culture and our background

2

We have to stick to our roots.

4

We have to stick to our roots.

2

1

Thank you so much Kashaf. It was a pleasure talking to you. Thank you so much Kashaf. It was a pleasure talking to you.

3

Thank you for inviting me.