hindko zuban

Hindko Mushaira planned to mark Defense Day

2006-10-10T15:01:28Z

Press Release

PESHAWAR: Gandhara Hindko Board, a literary, cultural and social welfare organization, has arranged a Hindko Mushaira (Poetry recital session) here on Tuesday (September 5) to mark the Defense of Pakistan Day that falls on September 6.

The literary sitting will be held in the central office of the board, situated at Kareemi Plaza, New Rampura Gate, Peshawar city at 7 pm.

A prominent Pushto poet, writer and Resident Director of Pakistan Academy of Letters, Dr Mohammad Azam Azam, will be the chief guest on the occasion while a noted Hindko poet and researcher, Sabir Hussain Imdad, will preside over the event.

The poets will pay tributes to those people of the soil who defended the frontiers when a war was imposed on the motherland on September 6, 1965.

It needs to be mentioned here that Gandhara Hindko Board holds special activities to commemorate important events in the history of the country. The September 5 Hindko Mushaira is being held as a part of permanent activities of the board.

Hindko poets revisit Independence Movement

2006-10-10T14:58:21Z

Open-air Mushaira attracts audience

By Aftab Ahmad

PESHAWAR: A literary, cultural and social welfare organization, Gandhara Hindko Board, arranged a grand open-air Hindko Mushaira (Poetry recital session) here on Monday (August 14) night to mark the Independence Day.

The poetic sitting started at 9:00 pm on the lawn of the Gor Gathri, a historic monument in the heart of the walled city of Peshawar, and continued till late night.

A prominent trader and former senior vice-president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Mr Sharafat Ali Mubarak, was the chief guest on the occasion while a senior Hindko folklorist from Hazara and first translator of the Holy Quran into Hindko, Mr Haider Zaman Haider, presided over the event. Peshawar District Nazim Haji Ghulam Ali attended the event as the guest of honour.

A total of 40 Hindko poets from different parts of the province, including Peshawar, Akora Khattak, Kohat and Hazara paid poeticized tributes to those Independence Movement leaders and workers who struggled hard under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to win freedom from the British 59 years back.

General Secretary of the Gandhara Hindko Board, Mohammad Ziauddin and Ahmad Nadeem Awan co-compered the programme that was watched and enjoyed by a considerable number of people. Women and children were conspicuous by their presence.

Addressing on this occasion, the district nazim saluted the Independence Movement leaders and workers. “ It is because of their struggle that now we are living a free life. Freedom is a blessing and we should protect it at all costs”, said the young Ali.

The district nazim said Hindko was an ancient and important language of the region that needed attention. “ The District Government will take all steps for the preservation and promotion of Hindko language and revive the glory of Peshawar,” he pledged while handing a cheque for Rs 100,000 to the Gandhara Hindko Board.

Mr Sharafat Ali Mubarak, Gandhara Hindko Board Vice-Chairman Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul, General Secretary Mohammad Ziauddin and Haider Zaman Haider also made brief speeches.

It may be mentioned here that holding of an open-air Hindko Mushaira on the Independence Day is a regular feature of the Gandhara Hindko Board activities. Two such poetry recital sessions were held at Chowk Yadgar in year 2003 and 2004 and one in Gor Gathri, last year.

Gandhara Hindko Board is a non-profit and non-governmental organization that has been working for the preservation and promotion of Hindko language and Hindkowan culture since 1993. It seeks respect for and due attention to all the languages of Gandhara --NWFP).

Demand to implement forthwith decision on Hindko Academy

2006-05-08T14:52:55Z

Grand Mushaira on university campus draws 220 students
By Aftab Ahmad

PESHAWAR: The government should implement forthwith its 1987 decision of setting up a Hindko Academy to facilitate organized research on the language.

This demand was made at a grand Hindko Mushaira (poetry recital) arranged by the Khyber Literary Society at the Agha Khan Auditorium of the Peshawar University campus. The two other resolutions called for introducing Hindko in journals being brought out by different departments of the University of Peshawar and include the language in the Peshawar University Campus Radio broadcast.

Earlier, the literary function started with recitation from the Holy Quran. Followed by a Naat, Mr Mudassar Ahmad, a student of the Department of Physics, presented the address of welcome. Professor Fazle Mabood was the chief guest on the occasion while Professor Dr Sabir Kalorvi, presided over the event. An eminent Hindko writer, poet, research scholar and the first translator of the Holy Quran into Hindko, Haider Zaman Haider from Abbottabad, was the guest of honour.

A total of 150 man students and 70 woman students, drawn from three varsities -- University of Peshawar, NWFP Engineering University and NWFP Agriculture University -- turned up at the event, first of its kind in the history of the University of Peshawar. The guest poets from Peshawar, Kohat, Abbottabad and Akora Khattak (Nowshera) also captivated the audience.

Mohammad Ziauddin, secretary for a literary, cultural and social welfare organization, Gandhara Hindko Board, dwelt at length on the history the Hindko language and the areas where it was spoken. He said Hindko was from the Dardic Group of languages and was spoken in Peshawar, Hazara, Kohat, Nowshera (NWFP), Potohar and regions of Azad Kashmir.

Of the working and achievements of the Gandhara Hindko Board, he said the board had outreach to all those areas where the language was spoken. “The board has to its credit 17 Hindko books on different genres of the Hindko literature, including a voluminous Hindko dictionary. The work on a comprehensive Hindko dictionary is in full swing and a London-based scholar of Hindko from Peshawar, Professor Dr Elahi Bakhsh Awan, is carrying out the Herculean task”, Zia said proudly, adding the board had a broad-minded approach to promotion of Hindko language by stressing respect for and due attention to all the languages and cultures native to Gandhara – NWFP.

He said the board had launched a Hindko literary magazine “Hindkowan” in year 2004 for wider dissemination of the work being done for the Hindko language and Hindkowan culture. Zia said the Hindko journal had produced and promoted a new breed of Hindko writers, apart from digging out and bringing into fine print the literary masterpieces by the classic Hindko poets.

”The work on the versified Hindko translation of the Holy Quran is in final shape. The organization has also produced a Hindko audio cassette containing 10 folk songs”, he said, adding the efforts being made for the promotion of Hindko language would get a great boost if the educated young lot joined hands with those already engaged in the task.

Gandhara Hindko Board Vice-Chairman Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul said a language was a living library of culture, which was neither unimportant, nor imperial, adding all languages deserved due respects and needed to be preserved and developed without any bias. He said the Hindkowan culture was rich in all aspects and had survived and strengthened despite no official patronage. He exhorted the students to take pride in their language and culture.

Professor Fazle Mabood urged the students to take part in co-curricular activities as it was a must for personal grooming. Happy with the holding of a Hindko Mushaira, the chief guest said such activities helped promote the Hindko language and the culture. He said the Peshawar University would organize programmes in future as well for the promotion of other languages of the province.

Professor Dr Sabir Kalorvi praised the work being done in the private sector for the preservation and promotion of the Hindko language. “It is heartening to note that an increasing number of literary and cultural bodies are coming forward to work for an officially-neglected language”, he said, making a strong call for establishment of a Hindko Academy to conduct structured research on the language. Dr Kalorvi commended the Khyber Literary Society President Qaiser Khan, Chief Organizer Anwer Aalim and administration of the University of Peshawar for arranging a grand Hindko Mushaira on the campus.

Toledo Blade: Wedding becomes a celebration of Peshawari culture

2006-04-24T14:05:27Z

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060424/COLUMNIST12/604240305

S. Amjad Hussain

A wedding invitation brought me to the Jackson Heights neighborhood of New York City, where one is surrounded by faces drawn from the far corners of the world. A walk through the bustling streets of this town in the borough of Queens transports one to the exotic bazaars and markets of faraway lands. Here one could spend a lifetime surrounded by comforting and soothing mementos of one's past and not know about the rest of New York. It is a kaleidoscope of colors, smells, and tongues that would tug on the heartstrings of any Americanized desi.

The wedding was between two prominent clans of Peshawar, the frontier town nestled in the shadow of the Khyber Pass in northwest Pakistan. Over the millennia wave after wave of foreigners, some invaders and others traders, came to the crossroads of Asia and adopted the culture and the language of the ancient city. The language, Hindko, had been spoken in those parts since the first century. One could see this in the gathering in New York, where diehard Peshawaris not only celebrated the union of two young people but also their language and their culture.

In the elegant New Huntington House in Huntington Station, N.Y., the guests mingled, talked, and found that many of them were born and raised within the tiny two square miles that was the walled city of Peshawar. While every city has its star-studded list of luminaries, Peshawar has had more than its share of such people.

The Indian matinee idol Yusaf Khan, aka Dilip Kumar, who dominated Indian films for more than 50 years, was born in the city in an alley called Meat Sellers Market. While at the pinnacle of his career in Mumbai he was always longing for the city of his birth. Prithivi Raj, also an Indian movie icon, and his sons would always pour a bag of Peshawar dirt in the foundations of their new homes.

There was Pitras Bukhari, an English professor turned diplomat, who could with ease and facility talk about Shakespeare or discuss the thorny issue of Kashmir. More often than not he presented his arguments at the United Nations, where he represented Pakistan in the early 1950s, in the most poetic language. There were many others as well who were born and raised in that city who excelled in such disparate fields as music, poetry, sports, religion, and politics. Ahmad Faraz, the greatest contemporary Urdu poet, grew up in Peshawar.

At the wedding I met one-time television producer Atiq Siddiqi, who has two advanced degrees in English and journalism from Columbia University and runs a motel in upstate New York. He is also a well-known columnist and writes for some of the leading Urdu language newspapers in this country. I also met Hayat Shah, a mountaineer par excellence, who had accompanied many expeditions to the Himalayas and the Karakorum Mountains in the 1950s. In 1956 he was stranded at 26,000 feet while attempting to reach the summit of K2. He spent the night in a bivouac and survived to tell the story. The irony is that Mr. Shah is blind in one eye due to a childhood accident and, despite the handicap, also excelled in tennis, soccer, and athletics.

And then there was poet-writer Irshad Siddiqi (no relation to the inn keeper) from New Mexico. He joined the U.S. Navy as a civilian officer and served in many facilities around the world. When his ship finally came into port at his retirement, he picked up the pen. In the short span of five years he has written two critically acclaimed novels and a score of other books. Today he is considered one of the leading Urdu fiction writers.

At our insistence Mr. Siddiqi recited one of his landmark poems about Peshawar and its gradually disappearing language and culture. Part lament, part nostalgia, the poem paints a vivid picture of a city that once was, and in many ways still is, part of our collective memory. The New York wedding was the reaffirmation of our roots and the celebration of our language and our culture.

(Dr. S. Amjad Hussain is a Toledo surgeon whose column appears every other week in The Blade.)

Gandhara Hindko Board remembers martyrs of 1930

2006-04-24T13:58:48Z

Conference held, rally staged & procession taken out

By Aftab Ahmad

PESHAWAR: Glowing tributes were paid here on Sunday to those sons of the soil who laid down their lives at Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Peshawar on April 23, 1930 during struggle for freedom.

A literary, cultural and social welfare organization, Gandhara Hindko Board, arranged “Shaheedan-e-Peshor Conference” at the Archives Hall, staged a rally in Qissa Khwani Bazaar and took out a procession to mark the occasion.

The Nazim of Town II Peshawar Mr Mohammad Sharif Was the chief guest on the occasion while a senior journalist, Sharif Farooq presided over the event.

The speakers highlighted the importance of the sacrifice offered in Peshawar on April 23, 1930. Those who expressed their views included Gandhara Hindko Board Chairman Professor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan, Vice-Chairman Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul, Secretary Mohammad Ziauddin, Khwaja Yawer Nasser (Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians), Hakim Abdul Waheed (Naib Amir of NWFP chapter of Jamaat-i-Islami), Haji Mohammad Haleem Jan, Professor Dr Anwaar Fazil Chishti, Sharafat Ali Mubarik (Pakistan Muslim League), Mohammad Sharif, Dr Mohammad Salahuddin and Shareef Farooq,

Professor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan said the history of the freedom movement was incomplete without mentioning the countless sacrifices rendered by the people of this part of the subcontinent. He saluted those people who laid down their lives in Qissa Khwani, Peshawar on April 23, 1930 while resisting the Colonial oppressive rule He called for highlighting the event as it was a turning point in the Independence Movement.

Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul said the brave Hindkowans of Peshawar, Kohat, Hazara, Pothwar and Kashmir regions struggled for Pakistan, but were always ignored by the successive governments after independence. Recalling the services of the Hindkowans to the province, he said a Hindkowan chief minister gave first university to Peshawar, but deplored that there was no Department for Hindko Studies in the same university and Hindko Academy or a Hindko Adabi Board at the official level which was an injustice to an ancient native language and its speakers.

Mohammad Ziauddin said Pakistan was achieved after tremendous sacrifices by the brave sons of Peshawar and other parts of the province. He said it was strange to note that while the Jalyianwala massacre was known to all and sundry, but people were intentionally kept unaware of the blood of the 400 people spilled in Peshawar on April 23, 1930. He said the today’s function was held to inform our present generation of the great sacrifices offered by our forefathers for the cause of freedom. Zia said apart from making efforts for the preservation and promotion of Hindko language and Hindkowan culture, the Gandhara Hindko Board considered it as its sacred duty to remember with reverence all those freedom fighters who struggled for Pakistan.

Hakeem Abdul Waheed said the people of Peshawar should relive the spirit that they had exhibited on April 23, 1930 and work with unity for the prosperity of this City and its inhabitants. He asked the youths to emulate their forefathers.

Haji Haleem Jan praised a former mayor of Peshawar Mr Saeed Ahmad Jan who erected monuments in early 1980s to honour the Qissa Khawani martyrs. He said majority of those martyred on April 23, 1930 were the people of Peshawar, and offered to produce documentary proof to substantiate his claim. He requested the audience to work for the promotion of the Hindko language and extend help to the Gandhara Hindko Board which was working towards that end.

At the end, three resolutions were passed that urged the government to include the Qissa Khwani firing case in the course of studies at schools, construct a grand monument in Peshawar in memory of those 400 people who embraced martyrdom on April 23, 1930 and facilitate research at the university level to dig more information on the firing incident.

Earlier, the programme started with recitation from the Holy Quran. Sikander Hyat Sikander and his team paid poeticized tributes to the martyrs of 1930. Fawad Jahanzeb and his mates recited a naat. Syed Iqbal Hussain Shah led prayers for the martyrs of April 23, 1930.

The office-bearers and workers of the Gandhara Hindko Board placed floral wreaths on the monuments erected in Qissa Khwani. Speeches were also made at the rally staged in Qissa Khawni bazaar. A procession was taken out that reached the Archives Hall after passing through various City bazaars.

Gandhara Hindko Board observes Mother Tongue Day

2006-02-22T15:37:44Z

Govt urged to patronize all languages of NWFP

By Aftab Ahmad

PESHAWAR: The government should patronize all the languages spoken in the NWFP and make arrangements for imparting primary education to children in their respective mother tongues.

This demand was made at a seminar arranged by the literary, cultural and social welfare organization, Gandhara Hindko Board, in collaboration with the Frontier Languages Institute at the Archives Hall to mark the International Mother Tongue Day (February 21) here on Tuesday.

A member of the NWFP Assembly from Swat and speaker of a lesser-known Gauwri language, Malik Ameerzada, was the chief guest on the occasion while an eminent Hindko writer, poet and research scholar, Khatir Ghaznavi (Pride of Performance) presided over the event.

Representatives from 19 different languages of the NWFP – Pushto, Hindko, Kohwar, Oshojo, Palula, Klasha, Goujri, Urmuri, Batairi, Domaki, Dumaili, Balti, Wakhi, Waneesi, Pahari, Sheena, Torwali, Gawri and Pashai -- turned up at the event to stresses importance of their respective languages in the light of Mother Tongue Day and urged the government to give proper attention to all the 24 languages native to NWFP, known in history as Gandhara.

Those who spoke on the occasion included Malik Ameerzada, Irshad Ahmad Siddiqui, Abdussalam Noori, Prefessor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz), Shamsur Rehman Shams, Khwaja Yawer Naseer, Dr Salahuddin, Masoom Shah Masoom, Ismail Awan, Sabir Hussain Imadad, Sardar Azam and Mudassar Ahmad.

The Secretary for the Gandhara Hindko Board, Mohammad Ziauddin, and a researcher at the Frontier Languages Institute, Inamullah Torwal jointly conducted the progarmme which is held every year.

In his welcome address, Mohammad Ziauddin said that all the languages were an asset to humanity and deserved due respect and attention. “It is lamentable to note that smaller languages of NWFP have always faced official neglect by the successive governments. This injustice needs to be done away with by extending fair treatment to all the languages,” he added while requesting the different delegates present in the hall to work with dedication for their mother languages till the time the government realizes it duty and come forward to do the needful.

Mr Inamullah Torwal talked of the steps the United Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was taking for saving the endangered languages. He said this year theme of the UNESCO for the Mother Tongue Day was “Cyber space and language”. He disclosed that there were 6000 languages in the world, but only a handful had monopoly over the Internet (Cyber space), which, he believed, was leading to cultural tension and inequality. “This can be contained by making arrangements to make the lesser known languages accessible to Internet so that the works of scholars of these languages become accessible to a maximum number of people,” he argued.

The event was well-organized. The Archives Hall was decorated with placards inscribed with greetings in 19 languages of NWFP. The participants and organizers also held a walk to highlight the importance of the day. The presence of children with placards attracted the attention of all in the walk that started from the Archives Hall and ended at the Governor’s House.

It is worth mentioning here that the NWFP is a multilingual and multicultural province which is home to 24 languages. The Gandhara Hindko Board is an active body that has been working since 1993 for the preservation and promotion of Hindko which is the second main language of the province.

The board has to its credit 15 Hindko books on different genres of the Hindko literature, including a voluminous Hindko dictionary. It has a broad-minded approach to promotion of Hindko language by stressing respect for and due attention to all the languages and cultures native to Gandhara – NWFP.

With current membership standing at 462, the board has an outreach to all the areas where Hindko language is spoken – Peshawar, Hazara, Kohat, Nowshera (NWFP), Potohar (Northern Punjab) and Azad Kashmir.

The board has already launched a Hindko literary magazine “Hindkowan” in the year 2004 for wider dissemination of the work being done for the Hindko language and Hindkowan culture. The Hindko journal has produced and promoted a new breed of Hindko writers, apart from digging out and brining into fine print the literary masterpieces by the classic Hindko poets.

The work on the versified Hindko translation of the Holy Quran is in final shape. The organization has also produced a Hindko audio cassette containing 10 folk songs.

The board has revived the tradition of open-air Hindko mushairas (poetry reading session) which used to be a common feature of the Walled City of Peshawar in the early part of the 20th century.

a snapshot of the event: http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/2710/motherlanguageday7ja.jpg

Seminar to mark Mother Tongue Day on 21st

2006-02-20T16:46:35Z

By Aftab Ahmad

PESHAWAR: The Gandhara Hindko Board, a literary, cultural and social welfare organization, will hold a seminar on Tuesday (February 21) at 3 pm here in the Archives Hall to mark the International Mother Tongue Day.

To be organized in collaboration with the Frontier Languages Institute, representatives from different languages spoken in NWFP, including members of the provincial assembly will express their views on the cultural and social development of their peoples. Papers will also be read out on the occasion.

The participants and organizers will also hold a walk to highlight the importance of the day.

It is worth mentioning here that the NWFP is a multilingual and multicultural province which is home to 24 languages. The Gandhara Hindko Board is an active body that has been working for the preservation and promotion of Hindko which is the second main language of the province.

The board has to its credit 15 Hindko books on different genres of the Hindko literature, including a voluminous Hindko dictionary. It has a broad-minded approach to promotion of Hindko language by stressing respect for and due attention to all the languages and cultures native to Gandhara – NWFP.

With current membership standing at 462, the board has an outreach to all the areas where Hindko language is spoken – Peshawar, Hazara, Kohat, Nowshera (NWFP), Potohar (Northern Punjab) and Azad Kashmir.

The board has already launched a Hindko literary magazine “Hindkowan” in year 2004 for wider dissemination of the work being done for the Hindko language and Hindkowan culture. The Hindko journal has produced and promoted a new breed of Hindko writers, apart from digging out and brining into fine print the literary masterpieces by the classic Hindko poets.

The work on the versified Hindko translation of the Holy Quran is in final shape. The organization has also produced a Hindko audio cassette containing 10 folk songs.

The board has revived the tradition of open-air Hindko mushairas (poetry reading session) which used to be common feature of the Walled City of Peshawar in the early part of the 20th century.

Daily Jang: Time for Hindko

2006-01-03T15:16:46Z

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/dec2005-weekly/nos-18-12-2005/lit.htm#1

By Raza Rahman Khan

Hindko is one of the regional languages of the NWFP that could not develop in the manner it should have. The vicissitudes of time pushed the language into oblivion, until efforts were made a few years ago to revive the language and thus its literature. The problems with Hindko have been manifold and multifaceted. Languages thrive when literary work is done in them. Unfortunately, in Hindko in the last century or so, no great quantity, let alone quality, of literature has been produced. Ziauddin, who is secretary of the local literary organisation, Gandhara Hindko Board (GHB), informed me that there are only 100-150 books of Hindko available.

This situation of the Hindko language has alarming ramifications. Because of the lack of books, avid literary aficionados, or for that matter more casual Hindkovan readers, all have reason for turning away from the language.

Of late there have been some efforts by certain literary-cum-social circles to promote the language. In this regard Gandhara Hindko Board has published some 14 books. But there has been no great quantitative and qualitative improvement in Hindko literature of the kind that might be desired. Ziauddin says the reason for the paucity of Hindko literature has been the lack of official support and the ineffectiveness of the non-governmental literary and social organisations.

Nevertheless, events like international conferences on Hindko may prove important in sensitising the Hindkovans to the state of their language. Of late, GHB, taking the lead on this front organised the World Hindko Conference in Peshawar. Peshawar, being the city in which the largest number of Pakhtoons in the world live, has been hosting the World Pakhtu Conference every second year for quite some time now.

The greatest achievement of the Hindko Conference was that it gave the Hindko literati and intellectuals the opportunity to reflect on the ability of the language to survive in the global village, and the cultural imperialism that accompanies it.

The Conference came up with some very good resolutions for the promotion of the language. The establishment of a Hindko Academy in Peshawar University on the pattern of the Pashto Academy is indeed a well-considered demand, provided the institution manages to become a hub of Hindko literature and literary figures.

Hindko has been a household language of the Hindkovans, but otherwise it has never been a medium for community gatherings or cultural associations. For such occasions the Hindko speakers often opt for Urdu. "It was way back in the 1970s that Hindkovans started shying away from speaking their language, and thus inflicted a colossal loss on the language and its literature", says noted writer Zahoor Ahman Awan, who is also chairman of the Gandhara Hindko Board. Any language develops only if the day to day business of the people is conducted in it. For this neglect, the Hindkovans can blame no one but themselves. "Yes, the attitude of the Hindkovans towards their language has been the main stumbling block in its development", agrees Ziauddin.

Although Hindko is widely believed to be a derivative dialect of Punjabi that came to the Pakhtoon lands only after the Sikh occupation of the Frontier in the 1830's, Dr. Zahoor Ahmad Awan is of the view that the language is 5000 years old. Tracing the history of Peshawar, which is the main centre of Hindko language, Dr Awan contends that in a city which is so old, some language had to be spoken before the Sikhs, and that was no other than Hindko. "However, the problem is that we lost all literature which had been produced in the language."

Dr Zahoor Awan is perhaps quite right in saying that "If a language has force, any kind of literature, whether political or purely literary, can dovetail into it, and can allure people to read it". But keeping in view the listless attitude of most Hindkovans, save some literary and social figures, an improvement in the quality and quantity of its literature seems the main option for its survival. It falls to the leading lights of Hindko culture and language movements, most of whom are wealthy businessmen of Peshawar, to contribute financially to these efforts.

Dr Awam and his GHB schema for the promotion of Hindko language has three levels: to create awareness among the Hindkovans about their language; to give them a platform for debate and dialogue; and to establish an academy for Hindko's promotion.

"The promotion of Hindko could be greatly served if highbrow literature from languages like Pashto, Urdu, Persian and English is translated into Hindko", said Dr Awan.

Against the backdrop of the media revolution and the contemporary trends of demassification, which bring with them media for specialised audiences with specific linguistic, cultural, ideological or infotainment interests, Hindko luminaries must try to get as much media space and time as possible. At this particular moment the establishment of a Hindko TV channel seems a far cry. The media could serve as appropriate conduits for the promotion of Hindko. Their shared experience could also eliminate the cultural differences between different pockets of Hindko speakers in areas like Peshawar, Hazara and Kohat, leading to the emergence of a standard Hindko dialect and written language.

The Bible in Hindko

2005-11-14T15:34:47Z

http://www.worldscriptures.org/pages/hindko.html

Part of the Bible was published for the first time in 1929.
The complete Bible has not been published.

Grand Hindko conference to boost language, culture promotion work

2005-11-09T16:52:03Z

Organizers say arrangements finalized for two-day event

By Aftab Ahmad

PESHAWAR: The holding of a two-day grand Hindko conference in Peshawar from November 19 to 20 will boost the work being done for the preservation and promotion of Hindko language and culture.

Gandhara Hindko Board Vice-chairman Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul stated this while addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club here on Wednesday.

Flanked by the board’s other office-bearers, including Secretary Mohammad Ziauddin, the noted cardiologist said the arrangements had been finalized for holding the conference in a befitting manner. “Almost 90 per cent of the foreign delegates have confirmed their participation to the moot,” he said, adding the scholars of other languages such as Sindhi, Balochi, Brahvi and Seraiki would also attend the program which was first of its kind in the contemporary history of the Hindko language.

He said papers would be read out on different aspects of the Hindko language and Hindkowan culture. “The participation of literati from different parts of the country and abroad will help coordinate the work being undertaken for the preservation and promotion of Hindko language and culture,” he hoped, saying a grand Hindko Mushaira (poetic reading session) would also be held in the historic Gor Gathri in the heart of the Peshawar City on the fist day of the conference.

Adnan disclosed that NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman, Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani, State Minister for Human Resource Development Dr Nasim Ashraf, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ms Anila Zab Tahirkheli and Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad were expected to grace the occasion.

Deploring the official neglect of Hindko, Adnan said: “Hindko is an important and ancient language of the region which is spoken not only in Peshawar, Kohat, Nowshera and Hazara areas of the NWFP, but also in Pothwar (Northern Punjab) and Kashmir regions. But it is a regrettable to note that successive governments paid no attention to this language, leaving its precious literary heritage to die down” bit by bit.

The Gandhara Hindko Board vice-chairman said Hindko was the second largely-spoken language of the province, but was deprived of official patronage. “There is no Hindko Academy, Department for Hindko Studies and Hindko Adabi Board in the official sector. The demand for a Hindko Academy was raised in 1962 which was accepted in 19987 when the Sixth Ahle Qalam Conference held in Islambad under the auspices of the Pakistan Acadmy of Letters passed a unaniomous resolution calling for setting up of a Hindko Academy, but the resolution has remained unimplemented to date.”

“A decision to set up the Department for Hindko Studies at the University of Peshawar was taken in 1997, but never materialized,” he said, adding a Hindko Adabi Board in the government sector was also anxiously awaited. Adnan pointed out that more than once academy, department for language studies and adabi boards were functioning in other province, but Hindko was getting a raw deal in this regard in the NWFP.

Disturbed at the official apathy to Hindko, he said, the literary-cum-cultural organization, Gandhara Hindko Board was launched way back in 1993 to work in organized way for giving a new life to Hindko language and culture.

Enumerating the achievements of the board, he said that the body had published 14 Hindko books on different genres of the literature that also included the first-ever Hindko dictionary. “We have recently produced an album of the Hindko folk songs and an audio cassette of the Hindko naats. Literary journal “Hindkowan” is published regularly while the literary sitting held every Tuesday to critically evaluate the literature being produced. The work on the versified translation of the Holy Quran is in the final stages”, he said, adding all this was made possible with the help of the Hindko lovers who gave time and financial resources to the board to accomplish the task.

Hindko Naatia Mushaira on Saturday

2005-10-29T13:15:31Z

Press Release

PESHAWAR: Literary-cum-cultural organization, Gandhara Hindko Board, will arrange an open-air Hindko Naatia Mushaira here on Saturday.

The poetic sitting will start at the Yakatoot Chowk at 8 pm after the Isha prayers where 40 poets from different districts of the province will express their reverence for the Holy prophet (PBUH).

An eminent religious figure of Peshawar, Syed Noorul Hassnain Gillani, popularly known as Sultan Agha will be the chief guest.

Mohammad Ziauddin, Ahmad Nadeem Awan and Zaffar Naveed Jani will conduct the program.

The participants will also offer special prayers for the October 8 quake victims.

It may be mentioned here that Hindko poetic sittings used to be a distinctive feature of the cultural life of Peshawar in early 1940s. The Yakatoot Chowk was a favorite place for such gatherings. The Gandhara Hindko Board which is working for the preservation and promotion of the Hindko language and Hindkowan culture since 1993, has revived this old tradition by regularly holding Naatia Mushairas every year in the heart of the Walled City of Peshawar.

Peshawar industrialists extend support to grand Hindko conference

2005-09-26T19:26:04Z

Special consultative meeting held at SCCI

By Aftab Ahmad

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar industrialists have extended financial support to the Gandhara Hindko Board, a literary-cum-cultural organization, for the two-day “Hindko Aalmi Conference” it plans to hold in Peshawar from November 19 to 20, this year.

A commitment to this effect was made at a special consultative meeting arranged here at the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) by the Gandhara Hindko Board to inform the business community on the measures taken so far by the board for the two-day conference and get suggestions from them in holding the mega event in the contemporary history of the Hindko language in a befitting manner.

An eminent Hindko writer, poet, research scholar and former director general of the Pakistan Academy of Letters and chairman of Urdu Department, University of Peshawar, Professor Khatir Ghaznavi (laureate of Pride of Performance Award) presided the event while outgoing Senior Vice-President of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sharafat Ali Mubarak, was the chief guest.

Speaking as a chief guest, Sharafat Ali Mubarak said Hindko was one of the two main languages of North-Western Frontier Province (NWFP) that needed proper attention of all. “ It is heartening to note that the literary-cum-cultural organizations such as Gandhara Hindko Board are now making endeavors for preservation and promotion this ancient but officially neglected language”, he said, adding the industrialists and traders would be next to none in backing the efforts for the Hindko promotion.

Earlier, Secretary for the Gandhara Hindko Board and convener for the Hindko Conference, Mohammad Ziauddin, gave a brief overview of the activities and achievements of the board for the Hindko language which was spoken not only Peshawar, Kohat, Nowshera, Hazara regions of NWFP, but also in Potohar and Kashmir.

Deploring the official indifference to Hindko language, Zia said the board was established way back in 1993 to preserve and promote Hindko language and Hindkowan culture as the government was doing nothing towards that end. “We have published 15 Hindko books on different genres of the Hindko literature, including a Hindko dictionary”, he said, adding attention was also being given to audio-visual material for promotion of the Hindko language. He said the board had produced a musical album of Hindko folk songs and an audio cassette of naats. “All this has been done on the self-help basis”, said the secretary while enumerating the achievements of the board.

Board Vice-Chairman Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul said the Hindko needed proper attention both from the government and Hindkowans. “There is no Hindko Academy, Department for Hindko Studies and Hindko Adabi Board at the official level in NWFP despite the fact that more than one academies, departments and boards for languages are working in other provinces of the country. We will have to struggle at our own till the time the government comes forward to give Hindko its rightful place”, said the prominent cardiologist of Peshawar.

Chairman of the board, Professor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan, hoped that “ Hindko Aalmi Conference” would prove to be a milestone in the efforts being undertaken for the preservation and promotion of Hindko language and culture as it would involve the expatriate Hindkowans in the literary and cultural work the board was doing for the language.

Dr Zahoor, the author of 40 books and publications, said the board had launched a series of consultative meetings to have suggestions for making the “Aalmi Hindko Conference” a memorable event. He said the networking with the expected local and foreign delegates had been increased and encouraging feedback was being received from them in the shape of proposals for different sessions of the conference. He asked the business community to back the Gandhara Hindko Board with all the means available to them.

The industrialists and traders responded positively as they committed on the spot 2 lakh rupees donation for the Hindko conference. Apart from Peshawar, the event was also attended by guests from Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Kohat, Nowshera and Akora Khattak. Conspicuous by their presence were Khalid Sultan Khwaja, Sufi Basheer Ahmad, Zia Sarhadi, Agro-economist Professor Dr Anwaar Fazil Chishti, Engineer Khwaja Masood Ahmad, Professor Ghulam Ahmad Shad , Engineer Fazl Hussain and Farooq Jan Babar.

It may be mentioned here that the Gandahara Hindko Board has announced to hold a two-day grand Hindko Conference in Peshawar from November 19 to 20 with the sole aim to include the expatriate Hindkowans in the work it has been doing for the Hindko language and culture since 1993.

The Executive Committee of the Gandhara Hindko Board has already elected Professor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan as Patron-in-chief of the Hindko Conference, Mohammad Ismail Awan as In-charge Protocol, Haji Mohammad Haleem Jan as Chief Organizer, Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul as Organizing Committee Chairman, and Mohammad Ziauddin as Convener for the “Hindko Aalmi Conference”.

Hindko Poetry at www.apnamansehra.com

2005-09-13T13:22:19Z

Some nuggets of Hindko poetry found on the web. Thanks to http://www.apnamansehra.com/poetry.asp

Poet: Syed Khalid Hussain Shah
Cover: http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/7941/syedlogo0lz.jpg
Poem: http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/7627/hindko68uh.gif
Poem: http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/2135/hindko58nn.gif
Poem: http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/3638/hindko48wx.gif
Poem: http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/9861/hindko31yx.gif
Poem: http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/1015/hindko29pk.gif
Poem: http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/1512/hindko15iv.gif

Poet: Niazat Ali Niaz
Cover: http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/4746/niazataliniaznayazlogo7wc.jpg
Poem: http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/3288/nayaz19oi.gif

Three Hindko books added to the list

2005-09-01T13:01:51Z

All three published by Gandhara Hindko Board, Peshawar.

Title: Peer Sain
Pages: 230
Editor: Mohammad Ziauddin (GHB secretary)
Description: Essays on Sain Ahmad Ali Peshori.
Front Cover: http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/9257/peersainfront3wx.jpg
Back Cover: http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/9195/peersainback5ch.jpg

Title: Gaani
Pages: 225
Editor: Sabeeh Ahmad (Executive commitee member of GHB and a lecturer in Urdu at Government College Peshawar)
Description: Selected poetry of both contemporary and classic Hindko poets
Front Cover: http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/8383/gaanifront1zp.jpg
Back Cover: http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/3083/gaaniback6wg.jpg

Title: Daffodil see Motiyay Tak
Pages: 185
Author: Malik Arshad Hussain
Description: Versified translation of 40 English classic poems into Hindko.
Cover: http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/7950/daffodilseemotiaytak3gg.jpg

A longer list can be viewed at http://www.livejournal.com/users/hindko/13805.html

Monthly Hindkowan launched

2005-08-31T20:59:44Z

Pledge made to preserve rich cultural heritage of Peshawar

By Aftab Ahmad

PESHAWAR: The preservation of the rich cultural heritage of Peshawar is a collective responsibility and the NWFP Cultural Department will make all-out efforts to do the needful.

This was stated by NWFP Cultural Secretary Amjad Nazeer while presiding over the launching ceremony of the Hindko-language monthly magazine by the Gandhara Hindko Board – Hindkowan - here at the City University Hall on Sunday.

Responding to the demand from the participants of the function for the government steps to preserve the cultural monuments of the Peshawar City, including Gor Gathri, City Wall and the gates of Peshawar, Amjad said the Cultural Department had initiated different projects for saving the cultural sites in City. Of the complaint against the digging of the sixth tuebewell within the historic Gor Gathri, he said his department had taken up the issue with the Town One administration of Nazim Haroon Bilour.

The cultural secretary deplored the rising Cultural Philistinism and blamed it on the materialistic approach of the people. “If the Qehwa Khanas are vanishing from the Qissa Khawani Bazaar, none else but we are responsible for that. We will have to be culturally-conscious and move for protecting our cultural values ourselves”, said Amjad.

He lauded the Gandhara Hindko Board for making efforts for preservation and promotion of the Hindko language and hailed the launching of the monthly Hindkowan.

Speaking as a chief guest, the Peshawar TV General Manager Mujahid Bin Syed Gillani, called for encouraging children to converse with parents in Hindko. He sought setting up of a Hindko Academy for conducting research and developing the Hindko language. He said the Hindkowan children were hesitant to speak Hindko because they saw that their language was not being taught at the school, college and university level. He said the introduction of Hindko as a subject at the educational institutions would shed the inferiority complex of our children and youths.

Mujahid lamented the dying cultural life of the Peshawar city, but hastened to add that the print and electronic media and the active literary and cultural organizations could fill the gap. He praised the Gandhara Hindko Board for its literary and cultural activities and vowed to improve the standards of the Hindko telecasts of the Peshawar TV.

Gandhara Hindko Board Chairman Professor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan (Tamgha-i-Imtiaz) uged the Hindkowan politicians to own Hindko and raise their voice in the elected assemblies for the cause of their mother language. Terming the launching of the Hindkowan a milestone, he said the monthly Hindko magazine would be the voice of all the Hindkowans living in Peshawar, Kohat, Hazara, Pothwar, Kashmir and even foreign countries.

Chief Organizer of the board, Haji Haleem Jan, exhorted the people to inculcate the love of Hindko in children. He said the Gandhara Hindko Board would soon publish the Hindko translation of the Holy Quran both in verse and prose. “The Holy Quran in Hindko will be made available in CDs as well. Hindko will be on the list of languages which have Divine message, and the language which has such an everlasting message can never die”, said Haleem with a sense of pride.

Gandhara Hindko Board Senior Vice-Chairman of Ismail Awan said in 1960s, there were a myriad of Hindko writers, but they had no platform to get their works published. He recalled that in 1962, an Urdu daily Anjaam set aside half page of the paper for Hindko under the editorship of Masood Anwer Shafqi. “Raza Hamdani, Farigh Bokhari, Mukhtar Ali Nayyer and Khatir Ghaznavi used to feed the Hindko page. This provided some space to the Hindko writers of the time to bring forward their writings. Had their been official patronage to the language then, the situation of Hindko would have been totally different now”, believed the Hindko writer

He called for revival of the Festival of Flags that used to be a big cultural event of the Peshawar way back in 1950s.He ended his speech on a beautiful Hindko couplet that called for bringing Peshawar back to its rich cultural life.

Gandhara Hindko Board Vice-Chairman Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul said those nations always progressed who endeared their mother languages. He admitted that the Hindkowans had made mistakes in the past by neglecting their language, but they were realizing the same now and toiling to regain the lost glory of Hindko.

He said there was no official patronage for Hindko, adding the Gandhara Hindko Board and other literary – cum-cultural bodies were carrying forward the Hindko promotion work on the self-help basis. He asked the Hindkowans to strengthen the hands of those who were preserving and promoting Hindko.

Gandhara Hindko Board General Secretary Mohammad Ziauddin talked of the activities and achievements of the board since its functioning in 1993. He said it had held literary gatherings, published 11 books and had now launched its monthly magazine, Hindkowan. “A Hindko TV channel, Hindko newspaper and construction of a Hindko Cultural Complex formed the next plans of the board”, announced the vibrant struggler for Hindko.

An eminent columnist, Dr Salahuddin, said the Hindko language was making progress now as the young generation had joined the cause. He said the literature was always produced keeping in view some objectives, adding the Gandhara Hindko Board was doing exactly the same thing. He deplored the lack of support to Hindko by the Hindkowan politicians and cited it as one reason for the poor state of the language. However, he paid tributes to the people in the electronic and print media for working for the Hindko promotion.

Earlier, the function started with recitation from the Holy Quran by Abdul Wadud. Mohammad Shehzad recited a Hindko naat. Zaffar Naveed Jani and Sadiq Saba read out poetry to mark the launching of the Hindkowan.

A Hindko/English poet, Malik Arshad, conducted the proceedings of the programme that was attended by people from different sections of the society.

Open-air Hindko Mushaira held to mark Independence Day

2005-08-15T13:57:13Z

By Aftab Ahmad

PESHAWAR: A literary-cum cultural organization, the Gandhara Hindko Board, organized a grand open-air Hindko Mushaira (poetic sitting) at the historic Gor Khutree monument here on Sunday to mark the Independence Day.

The president of the Hindko Adabi Jirgah, Abbottabad, Haider Zaman Haider, was the chief guest while chief of the Hindko Writers Forum, Kohat, Mohammad Jan Aatif, was the guest of honour. An eminent poet of Hindko from Akora Khattak, Aziz Aijaz, presided the event that started at 9 pm and ended on 1:30am.

As many as 40 Hindko poets from different parts of the province, including Peshawar, Kohat, Akora Khattak, Abbottabad and Tarbella paid poeticized tributes to those who struggled hard under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to win freedom from the British 58 years back.

Mohammad Ziauddin and Ahmad Nadeem Awan co-compered the programme.

In his brief address, the Gandhara Hindko Board Chairman Professor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan, the author of 40 books and a recipient of the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, recalled and praised the struggle waged by the Muslims of the subcontinent under the great leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. “We have gathered in this historic place of Peshawar to revisit a movement that led to a separate homeland for us,” said Zahoor adding freedom was a blessing and we must respect it.

Turning to Hindko language and the Hindkowan culture, the board chairman said all the languages were an asset to humanity and deserved proper respect and attention. “Hindko is an officially-ignored language and needs to be preserved and promoted without any bias”, he added while announcing that the Gandhara Hindko Board would hold a two-day International Hindko Conference in Peshawar from November 19 to 20, this year to involve the expatriate Hindkowans in the Hindko preservation and promotion efforts being made by the board for the last 12 years.

Gandhara Hindko Board Vice-Chairman Assistant Professor Dr Adnan Gul said the people of Peshawar, Kohat, Hazara and Dera Ismail Khan had played a decisive role in the creation of the country, adding the Mushaira was an annual feature of the board to remember the struggle launched by our forefathers for Pakistan.

The noted cardiologist deplored the official apathy towards Hindko language and culture by the successive governments, but hastened to vow that if the government was reluctant to patronize our language, we would do it ourselves. He said the board had done for the Hindko in the last 12 years what officially-recognized and funded academies could not do in the corresponding years.

General Secretary of the board, Mohammad Ziauddin, said Pakistan was achieved after a long toil and we have assembled here to pay our regards to the Pakistan Movement leaders and workers.

“He demanded of the government to patronize all the unprivileged languages of NWFP, including Hindko. “ A Hindko Academy, Department for Hindko Studies at the University of Peshawar and Hindko Adabi Board are our demands which must be met with out any delay”, said the young proponent of Hindko.

Earlier, the program started with recitation from the Holy Quran by Sameeudin. Sardar Mohammad Niaz recited a Naat. Shahzad Majeed sang a Hindko national song.

An important aspect of the Mushaira was the presence of a considerable number of women and children in the audience at the historic monument which was the Governor’s House from 1838 AD to 1842 AD.

Independence Day Hindko Mushaira on 14th

2005-08-11T19:36:34Z

Press Release

PESHAWAR: The Gandhara Hindko Board will hold a grand open-air Hindko Mushaira at historic Gor Gathri monument here on Sunday, August 14, to mark the Independence Day.

An eminent Hindko poet from Akora Khattak, Nowshera, Aziz Aijaz, will preside the event which which will start in the evening after the Maghrib prayers. Poets from Peshawar, Hazara, Kohat and Nowshera will attend the program which is organized every year. The last year such poetic sitting was held at Chowk Yagar.

The Hindko poets drawn from different parts of the province will recall and laud the struggle waged by the Muslims of the Subcontinent under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah for winning freedom from the British. They will pay poeticized tributes to those whose relentless toil bore fruit 58 years back in the shape of Pakistan.

It may be mentioned here that the Gandhara Hindko Board is a literary-cum-cultural organization that has been working for the last 12 years for the preservation and promotion of the Hindko language which is spoken in Peshawar, Kohat, Hazara , Nowshera regions of NWFP, Pothwar area of northern Punjab and parts of Azad and Jammu Kashmir. It seeks respect for and due attention to all the 24 languages and cultures native to the NWFP.

Invitation Card for the mushaira: http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/8885/azadicard2sz.jpg

Hindko Publications

2005-08-10T17:56:35Z

An incomplete list of hindko publications that I compiled way back in 1995. This list will be updated as new information becomes available.

- Mohammad Asim

-------

`Surkhab', by Aftab Ahmad
Aabshaar, by Muzmir Tatari
Abiate Sain Ahmad Ali, by H M Idrees Saraaf
Adbiate Sarhad
Al Hadi, by SAW, by Abdul Rashid
Bujh meri bujharat, by Sultan Sakoon
Chaar baita, by Raza Hamdani
Chup da vaarha, by Z I Athar
Dastane Khwaja Bokhara, by Mazhar Mumtaz
Deevane Gha'il, by Elahi Bakhsh Awan
Dil day dukh hazaar, by Surraya Hur
Doli [Manuscript with Lala Bala], by Sheen Shaukat
Dukh sanjialay, by Asif Saqib, Yahya Khalid
Hayati saunrhay Nabi, by SAW di, by Abdul Rashid
Hik kanrhi barhi puranrhi, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Hindko afsaanay, by Aurangzeb Ghaznavi
Hindko chaar baitay day rango rang nadaray, by Haider Zaman
Hindko in Kohat and Peshawar [BSOAS* XLIII(3)], by Christopher Shackle
Hindko journalism, by Sheereen Khan
Hindko journalism on electronic media, by Adeel Saeed
Hindko nasar di kanrhi, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Hindko qa'ida, by Mujahid Akbar
Hindko qawaid, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Hindko rasmul-khat - hik behas, by Sabir H Imdad
Hindko Zuban -- Babae Hindko number, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Hindko Zuban -- Munashiaat number, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Hindko Zuban -- Na'at number, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Hindko Zuban -- Raza Hamdani number, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Hindko Zuban -- Sain number '91, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Hindko Zuban -- Sain number '92, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Hindko zuban aur adab ka tareekhi jaiza-I, by Sheen Shaukat
Hindko zuban tey is da ma'aakhaz, by Sabir H Imdad
Jashne azadi mubarakh, by Basir Naseem
Kal tay aj, by Naseeme Sahar
Kalyaan, by Z I Athar
Kanday kanday vadi, by Qudsia Qudsee
Kehnda Sain, by Afzal Pervez
Khazana, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Khoray such, by Sabir H Imdad
Kook, by Naseem Jan
Laikh, by Taj Saeed
Linguistic survey of India [Vol 8; Pt I], by Grierson
Mashaal, by Haider Zaman
Matlaan, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Maujzae Mohammadi, by SAW, by Imamud din
Mazloom Hussain, by RA, by Sabir H Imdad
Meena tay jaam, by Z I Athar
Mehndi walay hath, by Haider Zaman
Mela vaikhrhayn da, by Fayaz H Ashhar
Milaap, by Sabir H Imdad
Mithay dang, by Raza Hamdani
Monthly `Hindko Zuban', by Haroon Rashid
Mukhtar Ali Nayyar, by Nabeela Naseem
Mulakaan day haalaat, by Noor Ilahi
Navian raavaan, by Farigh Bokhari
Nikee jaee gal, by Hassaam Hur
O'lay khaab khialaan, by Asif Saqib
Paharhi lok rang, by Muzaffar A Muzaffar
Pardeysee jindrhee, by Imamud din
P'heeng, by Karimullah Qureshi
Phonology of verbal phrase in Hindko, by Elahi Bakhsh Awan
Phul tay kanday, by Parvaz Tarbelvi
Phulaan da haar, by Z I Athar
Pyar pulaikhay, by Yahya Khalid
Qadeem Hindko, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Risala haami, by Imamud din
Sain Ahmad Ali Pishawri, by Raza Hamdani
Sajray phul, by Haider Zaman, A Ghafoor Malik
Sanjh savail, by M Farid
Sarhad kay lok geet [Hindko portion], by Farigh Bokhari
Saudagar us bazaar da, by Haider Zaman
See harfi, by Malik Siraj Din
See harfi Barda, by Barda Pishori
Seeratun Nabi, by SAW, by Ghulam Hussain
Sehrul bayan [Hindko portion], by Bayazid Ansari
Taara veera, by Maqbool Ijaz
Tareekhe zubane Hindko, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Tareekhe zubano adabe Hindko, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
Tasveeran, by Surraya Hur
Tazkarae qadeem sho'arae Hindko, by Mukhtar Ali Nayyar
The verbal phrase and the verbal word in Hindko, by Elahi Bakhsh Awan
Tone in Hindko, by Elahi Bakhsh Awan
Ucha naa'n saunrhay Nabi, by SAW da, by Abdul Rashid
Udeekaan, by Aasee Rizvi
Uhanna di Injeel
Ulaaray, by Faqir H sahir
Ustad Agha M Josh, by Z I Athar

Additions to the list:

Peer Sain, by Mohammad Ziauddin
Gaani, by Sabeeh Ahmad
Daffodil see Motiyay Tak, by Malik Arshad Hussain

Hassam Hur's website

2005-08-10T11:26:45Z

A website mantained by Hassam Hur, Hindko poet and writer. Some personality profiles are edited and reproduced here.

http://hindko.8k.com/

Hassam Hur (Aurang Zeb)
(Peshawar)

Publications:
- Nikki Jai Gahl (Hindko short stories)
- Hasday wusday loak (Hindko sketch writtings)
- Haq Allah Hoo (Hindko novel)
- Hadeesan Pak Rasool Dian (Hindko translation of the Holy Prophet's (PBUH) quotes)
- Hindko Qaida (Hindko primary reader).
- Hur Da Iqbal (Hindko translation of Allama Iqbal's poetry)
- Haseenon Kay Khatoot (Urdu poetry)
- Sunehri Barf Ki Baidagh Chader (Urdu poetry)

Founder and ex-Chairman, Pakistan Markazi Hindko Adabi Board (registered), Peshawar

----------

Surrayya Hassam Hur (Mrs. Hur)
(Peshawar)

Publications:
- Tasveeran (Hindko poetry)
- Dil day Dukh Hazar (Hindko short stories)

----------

Professor Khatir Ghaznavi
(Peshawar)

Awarded Pride of Performance in 1999, by the Government of Pakistan
Born in Peshawar in November 1925

WORKS AND ACHIEVEMENTS.
Masters degree in urdu
Diplomas in Chinese and Malay languages
Honours in pushto
Certificates in museolgy and persian
Chairman, Urdu, Pakistan Studies Chair, Malaya University, Malaysia
Director, Academy of Letters, Pakistan
Chairman, Urdu department, Peshawar University
Chairman, Chinese department, Peshawar University

PUBLICATIONS.
- Constitution of China
- Koonjaan (Hindko poetry)
- Nodameeda
- Weathring heights
- Hindko zuban-o-adab
- Khushhal nama
- Mirza Mahmood sarhadi
- Sisila Anwar Ka
- Khab Der Khab
- Roop Rang
- Phool Aur Pather
- Da Rohi Mataloona
- Nanhi Munni Nazamain
- Dustar Naama
- Jadeed Nazamain
- Chattanain Aur Roman
- Sarhad Kay Roman
- Sarhad ki Romani Kahanian
- Khayaban-e-Urdu
- Jadeed Urdu adab
- Directory of Common Words in Bhase Malaysia and Pakistani languages.

Khatir has published in Hindko, Urdu, and Pushto.

LITERARY ORGANISATIONS.
Chairman, Pakistan Markazi Hindko Adabi Board (registered), Peshawar
Syndicate of writers.
Halqua-e-Arbab-e-Zoque
Hindko Perchole Peshawar
Abasin Aarts Council
Bazm-e-Ilm-o-Fun

----------

Mukhtar Ali Nayyar (Baba-i-Hindko)
(Peshawar)

Publications:
- Hindko nasar di kahanri
- Matlaan
- Hindko qawaid
- Tareekh zuban-o-adab-e-hindko
- Hindko loak kahanian

----------

Haider Zaman Haider
(Hazara)
- Sajre Phul (poetry)
- Saudagar Us Bazar Da (poetry)
- Hindko Cha'r Baitay Day Rango Rang Nadaray (research)

----------

Nasir Ali Syed
Hindko and Urdu poet and author

----------

An incomplete list of Hindko publications:

Navyaan Rahwan (Faragh Bukhari 1963)
deewan-e-ghayal (Dr Elahi Bakhsh 1963)
hindko nasar di kahanri(Mukhtar Ali Nayyar 1964)
Hindko Qawaid (Mukhtar Ali Nayyar)
Matlaan (Mukhtar Ali Nayyar)
hindko chaharbaitay day rango rang nandaray (Haider Zaman Haider)
sajray phul (Haider Zaman Haider, Abdul Ghafoor Malik)
Sodagar us Bazar da (Haider zaman Haider)
Nikki jai Gahl (Hassam Hur)
Hindko Afsanay (Aurangzeb Ghaznavi)
Husday wusday loak (Hassam Hur)
Hadeesan Pak Rasool Diyan (Hassam Hur)
Haq Allah Hoo (Hassam Hur)

Ethnologue entry

2005-08-09T23:16:26Z

http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=PK

Hindko, Southern - A language of Pakistan

Population
625,000 (1981 census).

Region
Attock District, Punjab Province, and into the southernmost portion of Hazara Division, NWFP; Kohat and Peshawar districts, NWFP. Rural and urban.

Dialects
Peshawar Hindko (Peshawari), Attock Hindko (Attock-Haripur Hindko), Kohat Hindko (Kohati), Rural Peshawar Hindko. The dialect in Dera Ismail Khan, sometimes called 'Hindko', is apparently closer to Siraiki.

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Northwestern zone, Lahnda

Language use
Most have some proficiency in Urdu, Pashto, Panjabi, or other languages. Urdu is known by educated speakers.

Language development
Perso-Arabic script. Radio programs. TV.

Comments
Plains, hills. Muslim (Sunni).

----------

Hindko, Northern - A language of Pakistan

Population
1,875,000 (1981 census).
Total Hindko in Pakistan 3,000,000 (1993).

Region
Hazara Division, Mansehra and Abbotabad districts, Indus and Kaghan valleys and valleys of Indus tributaries, NWFP. Rural and urban.
Alternate names Hazara Hindko, Hindki, Kaghani, Kagani

Dialects
Also related to Panjabi, Siraiki, and Pahari-Potwari; which have all been called 'Greater Panjabi', forming part of 'Lahnda'. Lexical similarities within Northern Hindko dialects are 82% to 92%, between Northern and Southern Hindko varieties 67% to 82%.

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Northwestern zone, Lahnda
Language use Second languages are Urdu for the educated, with varied proficiency, and Pashto or Panjabi. For most speakers proficiency is low.

Language development
Literacy rate in second language: below 20%. Perso-Arabic script. Poetry. Radio programs. TV. NT: 1991.

Comments
Plains, hills. Muslim (Sunni).

Hindko Bazaar - a website

2005-08-09T22:48:25Z

An awesome website, with a nice audioclip and downloadable books.

http://asia.geocities.com/hindkoproject/

Welcome to the Hindko Bazaar

This website is dedicated to the promotion and documentation of the Hindko language. Hindko is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in northern Pakistan by about 5 million people. It is the old language of the historic city of Peshawar. To this very day, the melodic sounds of Hindko can still be heard in the narrow streets and alleys of the colorful Hindko bazaar in the old city.

Hindko is recognized even by speakers of its neighboring languages as a sweet language, well suited to reciting poetry, singing love songs, or chatting among friends. From Peshawar to Abbottabad to Muzzafarabad, Hindko is a thriving, vital language used in every aspect of life by those who call it their mother-tongue. As you step inside the Hindko bazaar, whether you are a visitor or a resident, you are welcome.

Hindko - A Profile

2005-08-09T22:36:54Z

http://www.opf.org.pk/almanac/L/languages.htm

HINDKO

The term Hindko is often used to refer to the speakers of the Hindko language, but in popular usage it may designate the language as well. The NWFP Imperial Gazetteer (1905) regularly refers to the language as Hindku.

More than one interpretation has been offered for the term Hindko. Some associate it with India, others with the Hindu people, and still others with the Indus River, which is of course the etymological source of all these terms. Long before independence Grierson, in the Linguistic Survey of India, employed the term Hindko to mean "the language of Hindus" (viii, 1:34) Linguists classify the language into the Indic subgroup of Indo-European languages and consider it to be one of the Iranian languages of the area.

An estimated 2.4 per cent of the total population of Pakistan speak Hindko as their mother tongue, with more rural than urban households reporting Hindko as their household language. The speakers of Hindko live primarily in five districts: Mansehra, Abbottabad, Peshawar, and Kohat in NWFP, and Attock in Punjab. Addleton states that "Hindko is the most significant linguistic minority in the NWFP, represented in nearly one-fifth of the province's total households." In Abbottabad District 92 per cent of households reported speaking Hindko, in Mansehra District 47 per cent, in Peshawar District 7 per cent, and in Kohat District 10 per cent (1986).

Testing of inherent intelligibility among Hindko dialects through the use of recorded tests has shown that there is a northern (Hazara) dialect group and a southern group. The southern dialects are more widely understood throughout the dialect network than are the northern dialects. The dialects of rural Peshawar and Talagang are the most widely understood of the dialects tested. The dialect of Balakot is the least widely understood.

In most Hindko-speaking areas, speakers of Pashto live in the same or neighbouring communities (although this is less true in Abbottabad and Kaghan Valley than elsewhere). In the mixed areas, many people speak both languages. The relationship between Hindko and Pashto is not one of stable bilingualism. In the northeast, Hindko is the dominant language both in terms of domain of usage and in terms of the number of speakers, whereas in the southwest, Pashto seems to be advancing in those same areas. However, over the past forty years, the position of Pashto speakers appears to have strengthened in the Hindko-speaking areas.

Profile: Akhunzada Mukhtar Ali Nayyar

2005-08-09T22:25:14Z

http://www.peshawar1.com/htmls/personalities/mukhtar.html

Akhunzada Mukhtar Ali Nayyar

Place OF BIRTH: Peshawar

Professional Career:
My contribution to Urdu and Hindko Journalism are many. I performed in different capacities in different newspaper Publishing form different part of pre-devided sub-continent and Pakistan. These contain diversified subject matter ranging from editorial to critical essays. And all of them have been appreciated my different quarters concerned. My contributions in this filed (Journalism) have spread over 40 years. Some of the papers I have worked for are mentioned below.

Daily Imroze Lahore.
Daily Anjam and Daily Shahbaz Peshawar.
Daily Tameer RawalPindi.
Daily Hayt Peshawar.
Daily Surkhab(Hindko)Peshawar.
Daily nusrat Peshawar.
Daily Nawa-e Khyber Shahkaar Liiahatab (India).
Monthly Beesween saddi Dehli (India).
Monthly sanam Karachi.
Monthly Qand Mardan.
Monthly Arzhang and Monthly jareeda Peshawar.
Monthly Hindko Zatan Peshawar.
Radio Magazine Ashang Karachi.
Frunightly Al Mazhar Peshawar.
Fortnightly Safeene Peshawar and weekly Chuncha Peshawar.
Safeene Peshawar and weekly Ghunsha Peshawar.
At Present I am Chief Editor of "Hindko Zaban".

Achievements in Life:-
A part form all journalistic and aducationalistic activities, my main point of concern and interest has always been that of reacarch. In this rel my interest has been Hinko language, its different aspect etc. Written work comprises.
1) Tarcekh-e-Zaban-e-Hindko.
2) Hindko Qawaid.
3) Maatlan.
4) Hindko Nassar Dee Kahanri.
5) Tareekh-e-Roize -e- Hussain.

Dawn: Hindko board activities praised

2005-08-09T21:59:18Z

http://www.dawn.com/2005/07/19/nat30.htm

By Our Correspondent

PESHAWAR, July 18: Writers have appreciated the role of the Gandhara Hindko Board in promoting literary and cultural activities in Peshawar over the past many years. Enumerating the achievements of the board at a function, Hindko writers and poets said the board had successfully held 350 literary sittings over the past eight years.

Board general secretary Mohammad Ziauddin said the objective of holding literary sittings was to critically analyze the Hindko literature being produced under different genres, find out new writers/poets and bring to the fore the work of seniors.

He said the first such sitting was held at Gulbahar on July 16, 1997 under eminent Hindko poet, writer and research scholar Mukhtar Ali Nayyar.

Other office-bearers of the board said the literary sittings had helped promote Hindko language. A total of 32 poets read out their verses at the function.

Hindko Board marks holding of 350 literary sittings

2005-08-09T20:03:52Z

Press Release

PESHAWAR: The Gandhara Hindko Board, a literary-cum-cultural organization of Peshawar, has successfully held 350 literary sittings in the last 8 years.

This was stated by Mohammad Ziauddin, Secretary for the board, while speaking at a function held here to mark the occasion.

A noted Hindko poet and writer, Sabir Hussain Imdad, presided the event, held in the vicinity of historic Gor Gathri at the residence of Joint Secretary, Ahmad Nadeem Awan.

Zia said a series of literary sittings was launched way back in 1997 under the title of “Gandhara Hindko Adabi Akath. “The objectives were to critically analyze the Hindko literature being produced under different genres; find out new writers/poets and bring to the fore the work of the senior literati. The first such sitting was held at Gulbahar No.2 on July 16, 1997 that was presided by an eminent Hindko poet, writer and research scholar Mukhtar Ali Nayyar (Tamgha-I-Imtiaz),” he added.

The board secretary said the sittings were held regularly on every Tuesday evening at different venues. “It introduced young Hindko writers and poets whose work got polished by the critical evaluation from the senior writers”, he pointed out while enumerating the achievements of the entire exercise.

Zia said minutes of every sitting were duly prepared; presented in the next one and got approved from the participants that made it a streamlined and disciplined activity. “Now the proceedings of the sittings are also being published in the Hindko-language magazine “Hindkowan”, he explained.

The board office-bearer said that the literary sittings had strengthened the task of Hindko language promotion for which the convener of the sitting, Sabir Hussain Imdad, Joint Secretary, Ahmad Nadeem Awan and all the members of the Gandhara Hindko Board needed to be acknowledged.

A total of 32 poets, including a woman literatus, Rani Sabeeh, attended the function and read out their newly composed Hindko verses.