As Chief Minister Mebhooba Mufti Friday this week said that connecting people is her mission, the education minister Altaf Bukhari is pursuing a pragmatic approach for reconnecting migrant Kashmiri pundits with the musilm population linguistically in Kashmir valley by introducing Kashmiri language in degree colleges of Jammu region. The introduction of Kashmiri language in degree colleges of Jammu region means access to teaching learning facilities of Kashmiri language to both the migrant kashmiri pundits and the people of kashmiri speaking areas of Chenab valley and Pir Panchal area in Jammu region. Ironically on one hand BJP the ally of PDP in Jammu & Kashmir government is crying against the education minister’s initiative of introducing kashmiri language in degree colleges of Jammu region but on the other hand the party cries against the disconnection of the migrant Kashmiri pundits with the muslim population in Kashmir. Even naives can understand that the introduction of kashmiri language in degree colleges of Jammu region means access to teaching learning facilities of kashmiri language to children of migrant Kashmir pundits and this would be first step to reconnect children of kashmiri pundits with the muslim population in valley. Since linguistic connection is the mother of all connections between the communities and regions of a state like Jammu & Kashmir, the BJP making high pitch noises on 27 year old migration of Kashmir pundits from Kashmir should not oppose the linguistic integration of migrant kashmiri pundits with the muslim populations in valley.
The incumbent education minister would do a more commendable job if he introduces kashmiri language in primary, middle and higher secondary schools also. After all the “agenda of alliance” to which both PDP and BJP are committed lays extra emphasis on the regional bonding of Jammu & Kashmir and more over Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti herself says that connecting people is her mission.
Building bonds of linguistic reconnection between the migrant Kashmiri pundits and the muslim populations in Kashmir by introduction of Kashmiri language in degree colleges of Jammu region is not only a pragmatic approach of preserving cultural identity of migrant Kashmiri pundits but also a workable approach for preparing the ground for return of migrant Kashmiri pundits to their homes in Kashmir valley. BJP leaders should understand that depriving the children of migrant Kashmiri pundits of the right to teaching learning facilities of Kashmiri language is tantamount to inking the obituary of their cultural identity and lovers of Kashmiri culture won’t like to see any government depriving the migrant Kashmiri Pundits of the right to teaching learning facilities of Kashmiri language. Since the children of the majority of the families of migrant kashmiri Pundits now a days pursuing education in schools and colleges of Jammu region can’t even talk in Kashmiri- their mother tongue and as such the fact can’t be disputed that introduction of kashmiri language in degree colleges Jammu region is a step forward for the familiarity of the future generations of migrants pundits with their mother language. The incumbent education minister would do a more commendable job if he introduces kashmiri language in primary, middle and higher secondary schools also. After all the “agenda of alliance” to which both PDP and BJP are committed lays extra emphasis on the regional bonding of Jammu & Kashmir and more over Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti herself says that connecting people is her mission.
