Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 24: Former Director Information and Secretary J&K Cultural Academy, Khalid Bashir Ahmad today distanced himself from just constituted State Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (SCPUL), saying the SCPUL is not the one “conceived and recommended by the Government-appointed High Level Committee and approved by the Government”.
He terms it as “a typical Government appointed Committee where a conscious effort appears to have been made to create a balance among different regions of the State than focus on promotion of the State’s Official Language.”
He said the creation of an autonomous SCPUL was a policy matter and a commitment of the State Government made on the floor of the Legislative Council and ought to have been followed by reference to the State Cabinet and issuance of an appropriate order. “The constituted SCPUL is not more than a Government Committee of a multitude of official and non-official members without any defined mandate,” he said.
While recalling, how the idea of SCPUL came about, Khalid said a 6-member High Level Committee headed by the Chief Secretary was constituted vide Government Order No. 577-GAD of 2013, to look into the issues of promotion of the Official Language of the State, ways and means of overcoming the shortage of Urdu, Dogri and Kashmiri language teachers in Government schools.
He said during the first meeting of the committee on June 10, 2013, when the proposed Urdu Academy was taken up for discussion, he was able to convince the Committee on setting up of a vibrant, autonomous State level institution with active promotional and advisory role in the development of Urdu language in the State.
Khalid said a Sub-Committee, headed by Commissioner/ Secretary Tourism and Culture and Special Secretary, Higher Education including him as members recommended constitution of SCPUL, with aims and objectives to promote and propagate Urdu language in Jammu & Kashmir.
“However, the recommendations made by the Sub-Committee were adopted in full by the High Level Committee and incorporated in its Final Report. But the SCPUL now constituted is nowhere near the SCPUL approved by the Government,” he said, adding,” It is not clear why, how and by whom the original composition of the SCPUL as recommended by the State Government appointed High Level Committee has been changed.”
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