Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 22: J&K Gujjar community leaders, activists and NGOs are jubilant over State Government’s recommendation to Government of India for inclusion of Gojri in the 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution.
Fulfilling the long pending demand of Gujjars to grant national status to the third largest language of the State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has written to the Union Home Minster Shushil Kumar Shinde 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution.
The Chief Minister in his D.O. letter no. Cult /Acad/101/2010 dated 01-10-2012, to the Union Home Minister has urged the Central Government to grant Gojri the status of the Scheduled language of the country as the third largest language of the State after Kashmiri and Dogri in Jammu and Kashmir, it is also spoken in 12 other States of the nation.
Taking up the case of Gojri, the Chief Minister has further stated in his letter that it is one of oldest and classical languages of the country, which for its rich tradition of literature has already been recognized by the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.
Talking to EXCELSIOR, Bashir Naaz, Vice Chairman, Advisory Board for Gujjars, said that the entire Gujjar community is beholden to the Chief Minister who acceding to the long pending demand of Gujjars, has recommended inclusion of Gojri in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution to Government of India.
He said the matter of Gojri’s inclusion as one of the Scheduled Languages of the country was mooted in meeting of Advisory Board of Gujjar Bakerwal held on September14, 2012, under the Chairmanship of CM. When the mater was again taken up in the Board’s review meeting held on April 12, 2012, the CM ordered constitution of a sub-committee to look into the legal modalities.
The sub-committee headed by Bashir Naaz, comprised of members like Commissioner Tourism and Culture, Secretary J&K Cultural Academy and Secretary Revenue. The Committee submitted its report to CM, Chairman of the Board, in September 2012. Upon the basis of which, the CM wrote to the Union Home Minister recommending Gojari’s inclusion in the 8th Schedule of the India.
Javed Rahi, Chairman, Tribal Research Foundation, and Gujjar activists, Gojri, said that Gujjars of the State as well as those living in other parts of the country are grateful to Omar Abdullah for his historic initiative for granting Gojri its due status in Indian Constitution.
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