Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 2: With a mission to protect and promote the languages spoken in Jammu Province of the State, a movement under the banner “Matri Bhasha Bachao Andolan, Jammu” has been founded, headed by its convener Hari Chand Jalmeria.
In its first meeting held at Jammu, the Andolan strongly condemned the Prasar Bharti Board for depriving Dogri language of its constitutional status by closing down the Central Dogri News Unit at the news headquarter of All India Radio in New Delhi. “This is detrimental to the National News bulletins of Dogri language as professionally it is not possible to originate these bulletins at Regional centers. The National Dogri News Unit at headquarter of All India Radio New Delhi was established in 1947 to counter the poisonous propaganda launched by Pakistan. Now the Dogri is in 8th Schedule also, and the Central News Unit has been closed,” the meet observed.
Hari Chand Jalmeria alleged that Dogri, has been deliberately discriminated against by closing its National Unit at Delhi whereas Kashmiri and Punjabi are enjoying this facility. He further alleged that Dogri’s position was being compromised at the level of Radio Kashmir Jammu and Door Darshan Jammu also as many Dogri programs have been discontinued.
Pertinent to mention here that many prominent persons, in a bid to launch strong movement for protection and promotion of languages spoken in Jammu Province, have converged under the banner of “Matri Bhasha Bachao Andolan” and resolved not only to get justice but also to create market for lingual products of Dogri and other sister languages of the region.
The Matri Bhasha Bachao Andolan has an organizing committee consisting of Advocate Hari Chand Jalmeria(convener), Prof Archana Kesar, Judge (Retd) Hariom Singh, Munshi Khan Choudhary, Uday Chand, Ashwani Pradhan, Baljit Raina, Anil Chopra, Advocate B R Manhas, Hassan Parwaz Choudhary, Cynthia Sharma and Kuldip Singh.
The Andolan shall also raise the issues of creation of job opportunities for Dogri and other local languages in educational and other institutions. Being in 8th Schedule, Government must create facilities for translation and interpretation of Dogri in J&K Legislative Assembly besides in the Judiciary including High Court and lower courts.
The Andolan will work in cooperation with users of Dogri, Gojri, Pahari, Bhadarwahi, Pogli, Saraji, Kishtwari, Gaddi and Punjabi Bhashas.
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