Pursuing PG in Kashmir Literature at CUK, G’bal youth writes folk tales, poems to promote Kashmiri language

G’bal: Asif Tariq Bhat, a 22-year-old resident of the Duderhama area of Ganderbal district in central Kashmir, has written dozens of folk tales and poetry to promote the Kashmiri language around the world.
For his poems, a young budding poet has garnered scores of accolades and certificates from various institutions worldwide.
Talking to Kashmir Horizon, Asif, who is pursuing masters in Kashmir literature at the central university of Kashmir, started writing when he was 13 years old. He was inspired to the Kashmiri languageafter hearing a poem by Professor RehmanRahi on the radio.
“My novels, 60 per cent prose and the rest poetry, are ready to be published. I want to get to a point where my writing has significance and can inspire young people”, bhat said.
In addition, he served as an editor for the books “APERTURE 2.0” and “DALEEL” and has written several other books which are yet to publish.
“There’s nothing wrong with learning about other cultures and languages, but it shouldn’t overshadow our own. We must defend our culture and language, one should never abandon one’s own identity in favour of an alien one”, bhat said.
Aside from that, Bhat has written for the Sangamal newspaper and composed a Kashmiri song for J&K’s Red FM “QURBAAN” homage to doctors amid covidtimes.
Bhat has made free online classes available to everybody interested in learning the Kashmiri language. Students from all over the world, including India, Afghanistan and Pakistan, are among his students.
“As a medical student, transferring to Arts was unusual, but if we’re talking about society, I believe people communicate for both good and bad reasons. However, you should work on yourself and maintain your concentration on your goal. My family is very supportive, and they recognise that our son is doing something excellent and unique”, bhat said.
“Kashmiri should be taught in schools and universities throughout Kashmir, and it should be declared a mandatory subject up to the tenth grade.The Kashmiri language should be spoken at home by parents and encouraged by their children. Our generation should not be afraid to use the Kashmiri language”, he added.