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| Include more languages in constitution's 6th schedule | | | Nirbhay Jammual
When on January 20,2009 Nazir Ahmed Gurezi,an MLA,took the oath on the floor of the House in Shina language there were objections raised by some members.But Gurezi silenced his critics and encouraged the speaker to allow him to continue when he told the House that Shina language had been included in the 6th schedule of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution.Another independent MLA,Abdul R ashid Sheikh,took the oath in Kashmiri language but not many objected to it because Kashmiri language was already included in the 8th schedule of the Const itution of India.Technically both the MLAs were wrong because the official language fixed for discussion and debates in the state legislature is Urdu and English.Gurezi or Rashid sheikh had their day on the strength of the two languages having been included in the 6th and the 8th schedule of the Constit ution.And when Panthers Party MLA,Harsh Dev,wanted Bhaderwahi and Poonchi language,some call it the dialects,included in the 6th schedule of the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir it was rejected because the ruling coalition members did not support it.Harsh Dev had some valid arguments when he informed the House that since Dardi and Balti,spoken by a few thousand people,had been included in the 6th schedule of the state's constitution why cannot Bhaderwahi and Poonchi lanuguages,the languages of several lakh people, be included in the 6th scheduled of the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.However,the ruling coalition members possibly were under some impression that inclusion of the Bhaderwahi and Poonchi languages in the 6th schedule of the state constitution may entail heavy expenses which the state could not afford.Well if there was any such impression it was baseless.Constitutional experts are of the opinion that inclusion of a language either in the 6th schedule of the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir or in the 8th schedule of the constitution of India alone does not ensure growth or progress of those languages.In support of their contention these experts talk about Kashmiri and Dogri languages and say that even if the t wo languages are included in the 8th schedule of the const it ution of India their growth has remained retarded.A large number of teenagers in the Jammu region are more fluent in Hindi and English than in Dogri because in schools and colleges the medium of teaching is either Hindi or English.Similarly more than 75 per cent of teenagers in the Kashmir valley speak English and Urdu at ease and majority of them even do neither understand Kashmiri nor can write in it.Why then there should be clamour over inclusion of one language or the other in some schedule of the constitution?Well Harsh Dev Singh has convincing arguments.He says that under section 146 of the state constitution the Academy of Arts,languages and Culture is supposed to work for promotion of those languages which are included in the 6th schedule of the state constitution.The Academy is supposed to promote those languages which ar e included in the 8th schedule of the constitution of India.It is the result of this factor that one finds the Academy providing financial assistance in printing and publishing books written in languages that are included in the 6th schedule of the state constitution.Once any language is included in either the 6th schedule of the state const it ution or in the 8th schedule of the constitution of India it grants recognition to that language.Once this recognition comes it leads to a sense of satisfaction among people using that language.This way if Bhaderwahi and Poonchi languages had been included in the 6th schedule of the state const itution it would not have promoted any regional or communal friction.It would have given a sense of satisfaction.to people who are for promoting different languages.(eom)
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