Sikh groups in Jammu and Kashmir are miffed over the exclusion of Punjabi from the J&K Official Languages Bill and have threatened to launch an agitation if the government does not review its “discriminatory move” against the minority community.
Cabinet okays draft invoice; Over to Parliament
In a major move after the Centre’s decision to do away with special provisions under Article 370 of the Constitution and re-organising the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir into two UTs, the government on Wednesday approved a draft legislation to make Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi and English official languages of J&K.
The Centre has claimed that the decision had been taken on public demand and the Bill was expected to be tabled in Parliament during the monsoon session, slated to begin from September 14.
- The draft Bill proposes to incorporate Kashmiri, Urdu, Dogri, Hindi and English as official languages of J&Ok
- It is predicted to be tabled in Parliament in the course of the monsoon session slated to start from September 14
Exclusion of Punjabi
Condemning the exclusion of Punjabi language from the Bill, Sikh groups held protests to give vent their anger against the “total neglect” of Punjabi language in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Till 1981, Punjabi language was compulsory subject like Urdu in J&K and now its total neglect is another assault on the identity of Sikh community in J&K and also against the spirit of the Modi government’s slogan ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’,” TS Wazir, chairman of the J&K Gurdwara Parbandhak Board said while addressing the protestors.
Wazir said that Punjabi language was one of the vital languages of the Union Territory and was well recognised in the Constitution of J&K. He demanded immediate inclusion of Punjabi as the official language of J&K.
The protestors comprised representatives from various Sikh organisations, including Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, Shiromani Akali Dal, Sikh Welfare Front, Sikh Intellectual Circle J&K, International Sikh Federation, Sikh Students Federation and Sikh Nojwan Sabha.
On Wednesday, the All-Party Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) had flayed the Centre over the exclusion of Punjabi from the J&K Official Languages Bill and described it as “anti-minority”.
‘The sentiments of the Sikh community have been pushed’
The Sikh leader said that the move has shocked the sentiments of the minorities, especially the Sikh community. He said that millions of people all over Jammu and Kashmir speak Punjabi language.
Raina warned, “The government has taken an extreme step by separating Punjabi language which will create resentment among the minorities.”
Urdu language lose 131-year-old status as J&K’s official language
Urdu language is set to lose its 131-year-old status as Jammu and Kashmir’s sole official language as Narendra Modi government approved a bill under which Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi, apart from the existing Urdu and English, will be the official languages in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1889, Maharaja Pratap Singh, the third ruler of the Hindu Dogra dynasty, replaced Persian with Urdu as the official language of Jammu and Kashmir.
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