After Sikhs, Gujjar’s come up with a demand
After Sikhs, the Gujjars in the state have come up with the demand of inclusion of their mother tongue in the school curriculum.
Demanding inclusion of Gojri- the third largest spoken language of the state-as compulsory subject in School Curriculum -the Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir Sunday stated their children are unable to read Kashmiri, Dogri or Bodhi which were made compulsory for 9th and 10th classes in the areas where these languages are spoken as mother tongue, by state government recently.
Reacting sharply on state government order no 333 EDU OF 2017 issued on 19-06-17, whereby three regional languages were made necessary and treated as compulsory sixth subject for class 9 from academic session 2018-19 and for class 10 from 2019-20 in all government-run and recognized private schools of the state , the tribal community member stated Kashmiri , Dogri or Bodhi is not the mother tongue of lakhs of tribal children and demanded inclusion of Gojri in the list languages.
In a gathering to press demand was held here under the banner of Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation. The participants mainly belongs to Gujjar tribes urged the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Education Minister Syed Altaf Bukhari to intervene in the matter to issue orders to include Gojri as one of the subject to be tought in 9th and 10th clases.
Noted scholar Dr. Javaid Rahi who presided over the programme stated that Gujjars and Bakerwals who speaks Gojri –a tribal language constitutes 20% of total population of the state and is considered as third largest chunk of population after Kashmiri and dogri speakers , deserves fair deal in the matter.
The other speakers threatened stir if necessary amendment in the order is not done.
They said Gujjars and Bakerwals do not speaks Dogri or Kashmiri as their mother tongue so their mother tongue be made as a subject. They said Gojri – is already listed in 6th Schedule of State Constitution hence it becomes obligatory on the part of J&K Government to make all efforts for the promotion of this language in addition Dogri , Kashmiri and Bodhi.
They alleged that State board of Scholl Education already included the Gojri in curriculum and text books were prepared long back. They further alleged that under a calculated conspiracy, No books for 6th to 8th standard have been prepared and published, intentionally by the J&K BOSE,”
The speakers included Dr. Mohammad Din Chowdahry, Ch. Din Mohd Dhakar,Khadam Hussain Tedwa, Rana Mir Mohd Gujjar, Mohd Rizwan and others.
KV Correspondent
