Srinagar, February 21: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President and Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Dr Farooq Abdullah, emphasized the importance of protecting the linguistic heritage of Jammu and Kashmir on International Mother Language Day.In his message, Dr Farooq highlighted the mother tongue as a crucial component of one’s culture and identity, urging efforts to safeguard the linguistic diversity of the region. He emphasized the need for the mother tongue to be the medium of instruction in schools, especially during formative stages, laying a strong foundation for creativity and personality development.Acknowledging the rich literary history of the Kashmiri language, Dr Farooq emphasized its classical and folk literature, shaped over thousands of years by poets, sages, rhetoricians, and linguists. Despite Kashmiri being one of the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule, Dr Farooq cautioned that the language is not immune to the risk of extinction.Calling for radical steps to protect and propagate Kashmiri, as well as other vernacular languages like Dogri, Pahari, Gojri, Punjabi, and Shina, Dr Farooq urged a comprehensive strategy. He stressed the need to prioritize these languages in the education sector, especially during the formative years of learning.Dr Farooq advocated for special grants to scholars engaged in research programs focused on vernacular languages. He also encouraged parents to use their local mother tongues as a medium of communication in their homes, emphasizing that communicating in one’s mother tongue should be a matter of pride for all residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr Farooq Abdullah Advocates Protection of J&K’s Linguistic Heritage on International Mother Language Day
