Seraikistan, a movement against Punjabi and Pushto
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Siraikistan (Urdu: سراییکستان ) is a region of southern Punjab (Pakistan), formerly State Bahawalpur until 1955, inhabited by Seraiki-speaking people. The Siraiki nationalist movement endeavors to separate the Siraiki-speaking region off as a new province to be known as Siraikistan. The Siraiki region is bordered by Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan provinces.
Siraiki is an old language or dialect mostly spoken in central Pakistan by approximately 15 million people[1]. It is an Indo-European language of the Indo-Iranian subfamily. Siraiki shows resemblance to both Sindhi and Punjabi languages. The geographic area where it is spoken is primarily located between the provinces of Sindh and the Punjab in Pakistan.
It is widely spoken and understood as a second language in northern and western Sindh down to the suburbs of Karachi and in the Kachhi plain of Balochistan. It is also known as Derawali in Derajat area.
The word Siraiki comes from the Sindhi word Siro for North, as Siraiki is spoken to the north of Sindh.
There are over 15 million Seraikis and they are 99% Muslims.
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Truth about Siraeki Language
The word sira in Siraiki language means secret path or clue. Origin of Siraiki language is not known. It is spoken all along River Indus right from Hamalyian mountains to Indian Ocean. It either travelled from south to north or from north to south. It is generally believed that Mohanjodaro and Harrapa people used Siraeki language.It is mother language of all neighboring languages spoken in east or west of the river such as Hindi, Hindko, Punjabi, Sindhi, Baluchi and Brohi. It is still used in Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Lakki, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan. Even Afghan tribes who settled down in these areas speak good Siraeki due to its simple grammar.On the left bank of the River Indus Sireaki language is spoken as a major language in Khairabad, Chakwal, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Muzafar Garh, Layya and Multan. Siraeki dominance in the region was broken by the Britishers who created many administrative units based on different non linguistical patterns. Siraeki culture was dominant even before the introduction of Hinduism in the region. In last fifty years Afghans have been unsuccessfully trying to replace this language by pashto. Dera Ismail Khan which is 98% Siraeki speaking is dubbed as Pushto speaking. Pakhtoonistan is actually a conspiracy against Siraeki people who resist it at all level. Like Moulana Fazal Rehman, Akram Durrani is a Pavinda from Afghanistan. In collaboration with Punjabis and Mohajirs they are trying to change the name of the province of NWFP to Pukhtoonistan. Abdul Ghafar Khan and his son Wali Khan tried to do so in the past but failed. What Punjabis and Pushtoons ignore is that Siraeki culture is more vibrant and powerful than Punjabi or Pashto languages and cultures and that it has the capacity to change the psyche' of invading forces. British Raj intentionally kept this language ignored. After partition the similar attitude was maintained by the new rulers against this language. Punjabi political pundits are selling out Siraeki areas to Afghans in NWFP and Baluchistan. Dera Ismail Khan district in 1883 streched from Voha in the south to Kohat and NWA in the north and
