Srinagar, Feb 20: National Conference (NC) President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday emphasised the importance of preserving the linguistic heritage of J&K.
Dr Abdullah in a statement said one’s mother tongue is a crucial aspect of culture and identity. He stressed the need to safeguard the linguistic diversity of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly by making the mother tongue the primary medium of instruction in schools, especially during the formative years.
Highlighting the significance of the Kashmiri language, the NC chief noted its rich history of classical and folk literature created by poets, sages, rhetoricians and linguists over thousands of years.
The former chief minister called for radical measures to protect and promote Kashmiri and other vernacular languages like Dogri, Pahari, Gojri, Punjabi and Shina. He stressed the need for a comprehensive strategy to ensure the survival of these languages, including prioritizing their inclusion in the education sector and providing special grants for scholars conducting research in vernacular languages.
The NC President urged parents to use their local mother tongues as a means of communication at home, emphasising that communicating in one’s mother tongue should be a source of pride for all residents of J&K. “It is time to take bold steps to preserve and promote the linguistic heritage of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
