DUSHANBE, July 22, 2009, Asia-Plus — Today, Tajiks are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the designation of Tajik as the state language.
Shavkat Saidov, a spokesman for the Dushanbe mayor, told Asia-plus today that festive events dedicated to State Language Day will be held in all parks of Dushanbe today evening.
The main cultural events, organized by the Ministry of Culture jointly with the Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting and Tajik Writers’ Union, will be held in Dushanbe’s Central park named after Abu Abdullo Roudaki today evening.
Ms. Ruqiya Qurbonova, Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Mehmon Bakhti, Chairman of Tajik Writers’ Union, as well as senior representatives from Dushanbe mayor’s office and other guests will attend the event in the Roudaki Park. A concert with participation of known Tajik artistes will be held in the park, the spokesman said, adding that scientific conference entitled “Language is the Wealth of Nation” will be held at the Dushanbe Public Lohouti Library.
We will recall that the first law designating Tajik as the state language was adopted on July 22, 1989. Last year, President Emomali Rahmon proposed designating 2008 the Year of the Tajik language and a new two-volume Tajik dictionary, together with grammars for the classical and modern literary languages, was published by September 2008.
The new state language bill was submitted for consideration to relevant ministries and organizations of the country last month. An appropriate president’s resolution sent to the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) says the new draft law has been worked out with regard to modern requirements of public management and with the purpose of raising national self-consciousness and patriotic feelings of the Tajik people.
The new draft law, consisting of seven chapters and 28 articles, defines the state language as an official working language of government bodies, judicial organs, armed forces of the country, law enforcement agencies and other organizations.
Under the bill, negotiations and correspondence with diplomatic and consular missions, regional and international organizations active in the country will be conducted in the state language and official working languages of these organizations. In case of necessity, use of other languages for correspondence and negotiations is not restricted. The state language bill obligates all citizens of Tajikistan to know the state language; however, the draft law does not regulate use of languages in personal contacts.
