Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 23: Jammu Kashmir Punjabi Bhasha Sangarash Committee- an amalgam of various Punjabi cultural, social, linguistics and Sikh front/organizations, has demanded inclusion of Punjabi as official language of J&K Union Territory.
While addressing a conference , here today, Khalad Hussain, Member JK Punjabi Sangarash Committee, said that it was unfortunate that the Union Govt passed a bill on official languages in J&K Union Territory but did not include Punjabi Bhasha, Pahari and Gojri Bhasha as official languages thus triggering a resentment among the people of Jammu& Kashmir
“This act of BJP regime clearly indicates that Government is hell bent to eradicate the cultural, spiritual and emotional quotient of minorities in the country. We the people of Jammu Kashmir strongly condemned the step motherly treatment of Union Government, which declared English, Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu and Hindi as official languages by ignoring Punjabi, Pahari and Gojri languages,” he said
Khalid Hussain further said that Punjabi has been a part of cultural history of J&K and was there as official language since the establishment of Khalsa Raaj by Maharaja Ranjit Singh . “Punjabi has been the most widely spoken and written language of the erstwhile J&K State for centuries and was a household phenomenon of people of Jammu Kashmir and was accepted as a mother tongue of all subjects of state,” he said and appealed to the PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and LG Manoj Sinha to include the languages as official languages. He also threatened to launch a mass agitation if the demand is not considered by the Government.
Khalid Hussain, along with all other organizations, also appealed to all ethnic minorities and tribal of the country to come forward and join hands to defeat deep rooted conspiracy of eliminating the cultural, spiritual and emotional quotient of minorities in Jammu Kashmir.
Those, who were present in the press conference, included S Devinder Singh (Ex-president Punjabi Lekhak Sabha), S Dabinder Singh (President Shiromani Akali Dal J&K), S Mohinder Singh (Chief Organizer Bhai Khanya Nishkam Seva Society), Prof Youdvir Singh (Corporator), S Charanjit Singh (Convenor Punjabi Chetna Manch), S Ravinder Singh (Sarpanch and Gen Sec Shiromani Akali Dal J&K), S Rajinder Singh (Gen Sec Shiromani Akali Dal J&K), S Kulwant Singh Khajuria (Joint Secretary Shiromani Akalidal J&K), Ashwani Pradhan, S Hardeep Singh Deep, Punjabi writers, S Baljeet Sing Raina and S Surinder Singh Dutt.
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