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[KABUL, 21 November 2007] - A plan to dramatically increase Pashto-language schools in Kabul, Afghanistanās predominantly Dari speaking capital, is revealing deep rifts in Afghan society. National unity has always been a difficult concept in Afghanistan, a country with a bewildering array of ethnic and tribal groups, and language often ignites controversy. While some politicians applauded the Education Ministryās initiative, it has prompted a strong backlash from others. During a roundtable discussion on television channel Tolo TV, Najibullah Kabuli, a Member of Parliament, went as far as calling the initiative a ācrimeā, and accused Education Minister Hanif Atmar of seeking to build barriers among schoolchildren. Education Ministry spokesman Zahoor Afghan defended the proposal, pointing to Article 43 of the Afghan constitution which requires the State to provide classes in local languages in the areas where they are spoken. āThe real criminals are those who robbed and killed people and then forced their way into parliament using the power of the gun,ā he told IWPR, adding that Pashtun parents in Kabul were asking for opportunities for their children to study in their mother tongue. Another Kabul parliamentarian, Malalai Shinwari, supported the proposal. āThis is the childrenās right, and I hope the government will give them this right,ā she said. āA child can learn better in his or her own language than in any other.ā Aqel Khan, 10, attends Rahman Babahi High School, said he couldnāt agree more. Before transferring to a Pashto-language school, he went classes given solely in Dari. āWhen lectures were given in Dari, I couldnāt understand them,ā he said. āHere I can learn and remember things easily, as I am studying in my native language.ā Shinwari accused opponents of the plan of acting out of political motives. āThey are fanatically opposed to Pashto and want to impose their own language on others,ā she claimedā¦ At an October 31 press conference, Education Minister Atmar told reporters that providing classes in different languages is not new to Afghanistan. āThis issue has not resulted in disunity over the past 70 years, so why would it do so now?ā he asked. Dari and Pashto the most widespread languages in Afghanistan, with Dari spoken predominantly in the north, and Pashto in the south. Kabul parliamentary Fawzia Nasiryar pointed out that many other languages are spoken throughout Afghanistan,Ā such asĀ Uzbek and Turkmen. If Kabulās Pashtuns have access to education in their language, other linguistic minorities should be granted the same right, she arguedā¦ There are about 200,000 Pashtun students in the city, according to Ministry statistics. Of those, only 20,000 actually study in Pashto. Five out of Kabulās 175 schools are Pashto-only, while nineĀ provide classes in both Pashto and Dari. Herat parliamentarian Ahmad Behzad applauded the initiative. āBoth Dari and Pashto are our formal languages,ā he pointed out. āPeople from all over Afghanistan live in the capital. Some pupils are unable to study in Dari, yet education in oneās native language is one of the pillars of the constitution.ā Read the full article here [Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting] Further information
Association: Institute for War and Peace Reporting