67th General Body Meeting of Balochi Academy Discusses Development of Balochi Language and Literature
The **67th General Body meeting** of the **Balochi Academy** was held on Sunday at the Academy’s complex. The meeting focused on reviewing the **annual performance** of the Academy, along with discussions on its financial and administrative activities, the publication of books, and other related matters.
During the session, **members** presented various **suggestions** for the promotion and development of **Balochi language and literature**. Chaired by **Heptan Omar**, the meeting provided an overview of the **literary activities, events, publications**, and **projects** carried out by the Academy over the past year.
The **annual report** presented by **General Secretary Irfan Jamaldini** highlighted the restoration of the Academy’s grant under the leadership of **Mir Sarfraz Khan Bugti**, the Chief Minister of Balochistan. The Academy members expressed their gratitude towards the **Balochistan government** for this support.
### Key Points Discussed:
1. **Digitalization of Balochi Language**
Irfan Jamaldini also mentioned that the Academy had initiated work on **Natural Language Processing (NLP)** for the Balochi language, in line with the demands of **digitalization** and **machine learning**. However, the project was temporarily halted due to cuts in funding. The work on this project has now been resumed, aiming to **standardize** and develop the Balochi language in accordance with modern technology.
2. **Encyclopedia Project**
The **Encyclopedia Project** on Balochi language and culture, which had been paused, has also restarted. This project is expected to provide a comprehensive **reference work** on Balochi literature, history, and culture.
3. **Teacher Appointments and Curriculum for Balochi Language**
The members raised concerns about the **lack of Balochi language teachers** in public schools and demanded the appointment of qualified **Balochi language teachers** in schools across Balochistan. The Academy further urged that vacant teaching positions for **Balochi language** in colleges be advertised under the **Public Service Commission**, and qualified candidates be appointed.
4. **Balochi Departments in Universities**
Academy members expressed their concern over the **proposal to close departments of Balochi language and literature** in Balochistan’s universities. They condemned this proposal and urged the **Balochistan government** to **strengthen** these departments by providing additional financial and human resources.
5. **Request for Additional Funding for Literary Projects**
The Academy members requested that both the **Balochistan government** and the **federal government** provide **additional funds** for the Academy’s **literary and research projects**, especially the **Balochi NLP project**, which requires significant financial investment.
6. **Allocation of Books to Schools and Libraries**
The Academy also urged the **Balochistan School Education Department** to allocate books published by national language and literature institutions to schools and college libraries. Furthermore, the **Culture Department** was urged to purchase books from these institutions for **public libraries**, ensuring that the youth of the province have access to these valuable resources.
### Future Directions:
The members instructed the **Executive Council** of the Academy to accelerate efforts for the **promotion of Balochi language and literature**, including the preparation of educational material for children, translation of foreign classic works into Balochi, translation of **Balochi literary and historical masterpieces** into English and other languages, research on the dialects and literary history of Balochi, and efforts to document and preserve **Balochistan’s history**.
The meeting concluded with a strong emphasis on the need for **collaboration** between the **Balochistan government** and **cultural institutions** to ensure the **flourishing** of Balochi language and culture for future generations.
