State cultural policy

Preservation and promotion of culture has been the serious duty of all Governments no matter to whichever ideology they belong. Culture gives identity to a people. Cultural fund is treasured by the people especially by those who have greater sense of history. In a country like ours and a state like ours, our cultural heritage is a mosaic of various strands. It is a beautiful mixture of the likes among human beings that are shaped by the march of history and evolution of a life style.
Keeping this philosophical interpretation of culture in mind the State Government created an institution that would cater to this need of the people. It has been given the name of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL). Apparently the organization is supposed to promote these facets of culture and it does so to its best ability. However, what is important is that the State should have a definite and clear cut cultural policy. It becomes important because of the demographic complexion and geographical peculiarity of the State. This is a multi-linguistic, multi-religious and multi-cultural State. The Constitution of the State stipulates that all denominations of population have to be given equal and justifiable treatment. Since aspirations of the people of the State and diversification of their talent demand that the Academy should have adequate capacity of serving these facets of culture. It follows that the State would need a cultural policy to document and promote State’s traditional cultural values; ensure the growth and development of cultural institutions and to enhance cultural life and develop cultural programmes to contribute to human development and material progress of the State through heritage preservation, conservation, promotion and the use of traditional, modern arts and crafts. Consequently, the (JKAACL) prepared the draft cultural policy which was placed before the General Council of JKAACL in its meeting held on December 17, 2016.  After detailed deliberations it was decided that the members of the General Council will give their comments/feedback to the JKAACL up to February 1, 2017. The members of the committee did not care to send in their comments and the Government then put it in public domain. Some suggestions were proposed and the Government neither accepted not rejected these and thus the matter was left in limbo. The JKAACL has contended that there should be revision of recruitment rules and adequate manpower is of much urgency in the Academy. Since the Government is not showing any interest in these matters, the improvement and streamlining of the Academy seems to be a distant dream. Without a cultural policy, little improvement and streamlining of the functioning of the academy will be expected.
These are not encouraging signs. We do not think that even after its failure to keep the words vis-à-vis finalization of Cultural Policy by April 1, 2017, the Government has yet not shown any urgency towards the issue. It has adopted dilly-dallying approach but is not decisive in what it has to do. Yes there is profusion of announcement that it is committed to promote the activities in the spheres of literature, languages and other activities related to culture. All these commitments sound hollow.
Further, the Central Committee of the Academy in its meeting held on October 3, 2016 had ordered re-framing of service Recruitment Rules of the Academy on the ground that such a step will facilitate initiation of process of recruitment which will generate employment and through adequate human resources promotion of cultural activities will get increased. But all this seems to be nothing more than usual rhetoric.

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