Experts see politics behind removal of Kashmiri language from portal

Srinagar, Dec 7: The experts of Kashmiri language on Friday termed the Human Resource and Development (HRD) ministry’s move to withdraw it from portal as “politically motivated”.

After the objections were raised by the Kashmiri Pandits to the version of the language, the HRD ministry removed Kashmiri translations from its language promoting portal-Bhasha Sangam.

A number of Kashmiri Pandits including journalists and language scholars told the ministry that the Kashmiri it promoted had not taken their sensibilities into account and instead was based on the script widely spoken by the Muslims in the valley.

An expert of Kashmiri language, Mohammad Amin Bhat, while terming the move as “politically motivated”, said that it was an unnecessary encroachment upon the field of literature, culture and language.

“It was an academic issue and should have been left exclusively to the choice of the people. The move would further widen the devoid between the two communities,” he said.

He said the politicians have no right to decide academic issues.

A professor at Kashmir University (KU), NasirMirza said that HRD ministry needs to take into account the sensibilities of all the people.

“It has a responsibility to ensure that sensibilities of the populations speaking a particular language are taken into account. It should refrain from doing things that will hurt the sensitivities and sensibilities of the population,” he said.

“Kashmiri language belongs to all who are living in the valley or in the other parts. They also love the language and they have been doing everything possible to persevere, protect and promote it,” he said.

He said the language connected the people and it should not have been made an issue.

“Especially where there are already many issues confronting the people, the removal was not the right step,” he added.

Secretary J&K State Cultural Academy, Aziz Hajni, said that it should not have been removed.

“If sensitivities were not taken into account, it should not have been done. The ministry should have gone into the depth of the issue. Mutual solution should have been found by taking all the stakeholders on board,” he said.