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| Sunday, November 19, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Pak Govt shuns
wedding Kashmiri to be taught in primary
schools ‘Govt committed to
promoting Urdu’ Corpus fund hike
for welfare institute |
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Pak Govt shuns
wedding RAJOURI, Nov 18 — Senior functionaries of the Pakistan Government are said to have adopted a discreet attitude, bordering on non-participation, towards the wedding on November 19 of Sajjad Lone, son of senior Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Gani Lone, and Asma Khan, daughter of JKLF supremo Amanullah Khan. This was indicated when Mr Lone and his entourage touched first Lahore and then Islamabad airports on Thursday when no senior Pakistan Government functionary was present to receive him. Several political leaders from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, leaders belonging to the
Jamait-e-Islami, Peoples’ Party, Muslim Conference, Itihid-ul-Musalmeen and Democratic Freedom Party besides several hundred
Kashmires, settled in Pakistan, had turned up at the two airports during the past two days to greet Mr Lone and other members of the wedding party. However, public interest has been drawn towards the wedding ceremony, both in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or Jammu and Kashmir. They have been keeping a close watch to find out whether the marriage would reunify the JKLF. Over three years ago, the JKLF in Jammu and Kashmir led by Mohammed Yasin Malik had revolted against Amanullah Khan. The two had parted company and the majority of JKLF activists sided with Yasin Malik. Malik has supported Mr Lone in the recent Hurriyat election for the post of Chairman. Though Mr Lone lost the battle to Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, he and Malik have come closer. Since the JKLF led by Malik has its representatives in Pakistan to attend the wedding ceremony of Sajjad Lone, observers believe that Mr Lone may try to bridge the gap between Malik and Amanullah Khan. However, the possibilities of a reunion seem to be remote. Since both Mr Lone and Mr Khan are supporters of independence for Kashmir, the Pakistan Government has decided to play cool to the wedding ceremony where leaders may exchange views on the security scenario in South Asia and the Kashmir issue. During the past one week, both the Pakistan electronic and print media have not given any weightage to the wedding. Pakistan Television and Radio simply announced in their news bulletins that a senior Kashmir leader, Mr Abdul Gani Lone, had arrived in Islamabad where he told newsmen that there was need for both India and Pakistan to take major steps in defusing the crisis and resolving the Kashmir issue through talks and with participation of the representatives of Jammu and Kashmir. Since the bulk of people and political leaders belonging to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have become disillusioned with Islamabad’s hegemony over them, they plan to participate in the wedding ceremony and offer a rousing reception to leaders and intellectuals from the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Though Mr Lone and others have made guarded statements to the mediamen who have thronged him, they have favoured tripartite talks. Political observers here are of the opinion that since senior government functionaries in Islamabad have ignored the event a serious discussion on the Kashmir issue cannot be expected. During the past three days, Mr Lone and members of the marriage party from India have remained busy in exchanging greetings with large number of political leaders and prominent citizens whose ancestors belonged to Jammu and Kashmir. But Mr Lone’s supporters say that when the two political rivals, Amanullah Khan and Abdul Gani Lone, could enter into a social bond by allowing their children to marry time was not far for a people-to-people contact between the two sides. They say if such an interaction
materialised, it would remove the walls of mistrust and misunderstanding. |
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Kashmiri to be taught in primary schools SRINAGAR, Nov 18 (UNI) —Kashmiri language will be introduced in all government and private schools at the primary level from the next academic session, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said here today. In this regard, Dr Abdullah proposed the constitution of a committee of intellectuals who would discuss with him the issue so that he could pursue it in the state Cabinet and ensure the plan comes through. “It was important to have a blueprint on the basis of which we can move ahead,” he said while interacting with writers and intellectuals on issues concerning Kashmiri language here. Dr Abdullah said the language would be introduced in all government and private schools from March 2001 and any private institution declining to do so would face closure. He said Dogri and Punjabi languages would also be taught in schools from the next academic session. A galaxy of writers and intellectuals who participated in the interactive session put forward their opinions and suggestions while welcoming the Chief Minister’s announcement. He said he would have a meeting with the Education Minister, the Chief Secretary and the Commissioner, Education, before the matter was taken up in the Cabinet. The Chief Minister said during winter, writers proficient in Kashmiri script would teach teachers the script at the state Institute of Education so that they faced no problem during the next academic session. Many writers and teachers of Kashmiri language offered their services for this purpose. Earlier Chief Minister’s Adviser Shafi Shaida said the Kashmir chapter of the Writers Guild had been recently constituted and the Jammu and Ladakh chapters would also be formed soon. He said the literary and cultural activities had been revived in the valley. |
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‘Govt committed to
promoting Urdu’ JAMMU, Nov 18 — The Education Minister, Mr Mohammad Shafi, today said the state government was fully committed to promote Urdu in the state. He was speaking at a function organised by the Urdu Department of Jammu University in collaboration with Ras Javedani Literary Society — an organisation for development of Urdu in Jammu in connection with the “Urdu Day” being observed today. The minister said Urdu was a rich language and the state was privileged to have it as an official language. He said the government was committed to promote the language by introducing it at various academic levels. Elaborating the policy of the government, he said a number of vacant posts of Urdu teachers in different educational institutions in the state had been filled while others are in the process of filling up. Sheikh Abdul Rehman, MLA, who was also present on the occasion said after the partition of the country, Urdu got some setback and added that a lot of work had been done by Mr Jagan Nath Azad, a literary figure in Urdu field. Mr M.Y. Teng, MLC, said most of the ancient books are written in Urdu in our state. |
Corpus fund hike
for welfare institute JAMMU, Nov 18 (PTI) — A corpus fund would be raised for the reconstituted Madr-e-Meharban Khwateen-o-Itifal welfare institute, an organisation dedicated to welfare of women and children, J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah announced today. He said the management would be upgraded and revamped to ensure smooth functioning of various affiliated centres to achieve the objectives of the institute, a rechristened body of the Markaz-e-Behbood-e-Khwateen established by Begum Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1975. Mr Abdullah said necessary funds would be made available for running the centres to provide the much-needed respite to the needy. He asked the officers to prepare an integrated plan for the development of the institute. |
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