KARGIL, Dec 12: The Association of Baltis in Himalaya Ladakh & Territories of Indus Kargil Ladakh (ABHLTI) today successfully concluded its 15-day campaign for revival and preservation of Balti language and literature, with a grand closing ceremony held at the Cultural Academy Hall, Kargil.
Chairman/CEC, LAHDC, Kargil, Dr. Mohd Jaffer Akhoon attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest. Joint Director, Youth Services and Sports, Ladakh, Tahir Hussain Zubdavi; Joint Director, Information, Ladakh, Imteeaz Kacho; Padma Shri awardee Dr. Akhone Asgar Ali Basharat were also present on the occasion.
The campaign was aimed to instil the importance of Balti language and culture among the youth and trained over 200 individuals from Drass to Kargil in last 15 days, with 18 participants making it to the finals.
While speaking on the occasion, the CEC praised the efforts of ABHLTI stating that the revival of Egay script is essential as it forms the foundation of all languages in Ladakh, including Balti, Purgi and Ladakhi.
Dr Akhoon said that culture extends beyond singing and dancing and encompasses language preservation. He announced a grant of Rs 3 lakh from Untied of LAHDC Kargil to support the initiative.
He also assured possible support from LAHDC Kargil for any future initiatives aimed at preserving the region’s heritage and encouraged individuals to actively contribute to safeguarding local languages and traditions.
He also instructed the Cultural Academy and tourism for a yearly calendar for various event to be organised in upcoming years.
Speaking on the occasion, Joint Director Youth Services and Sports, Ladakh, Tahir Hussain Zubdavi commended the association and the individuals like Sadiq Ali Hardasi for their dedication in promoting Balti culture and heritage. He emphasized the role of unity in ensuring these traditions endures.
He also lauded President of ABHLTI, Bashir Ahmad Wafa for revitalizing the association’s activities and bringing tangible results to the preservation of Balti culture.
At the event, Joint Director, Information, Ladakh, Imteeaz Kacho emphasized the use of indigenous scripts in banners and encouraged the integration of drama and other creative mediums to further promote Balti language. He emphasized the importance of cultural preservation and applauded the association’s efforts.
He urged everyone to integrate the Balti language into their daily lives and emphasized the importance of initiatives like this competition in preserving Ladakh’s linguistic heritage.
During his speech, President ABHLTI, Bashir Ahmad Wafa highlighted the growing challenges in preserving the Balti language due to the pervasive influence of social media. He said that the objective is to inculcate practice of using the Balti language and literature in daily life, adding that such initiatives are crucial for the survival of indigenous languages.
The event featured a final competition where Yasir Abbas Budgami secured first position, Imran Ali Lungbithang second position and Zulfiqar Ali Dass third position. The results were announced by Akbar Ali Shaheen, one of the judges.
The competition saw enthusiastic participation from across the district, with performances judged by esteemed poets Syed Rizvi and Akber Ali Shaheen.
The General Secretary of the Association, Ashraf Ali Sager, presented a welcomed speech. The event was moderated by Sibte Hassan Kaleem.
In the end, the consolation prizes were distributed among the participants and the position holders to encourage and recognize their talent.
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