The Hindu : National : `A conspiracy against Kashmiriyat'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004

National

National

`A conspiracy against Kashmiriyat'

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, AUG. 17. The National Conference president, Omar Abdullah, today described the reported decision of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry to introduce an alternate script for Kashmiri as a conspiracy against Kashmiriyat. And, the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said he would take up the issue with the Ministry.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Abdullah said the HRD Minister, Arjun Singh, should withdraw the decision in view of the wider implications it would have in the State. "There is a hidden agenda behind it, otherwise why should government introduce Devnagri as an alternate script for Kashmiri which has its own script?" Mr. Abdullah referred to the several Kashmiri books written in the Nastaliq script by Hindu and Muslim writers and said, "this is our history and do not distort it".

Regional languages

The Chief Minister also ordered the departments concerned to ensure effective implementation of the Government's decision to teach regional languages at the primary level. His Government was committed to promoting all the languages spoken in the State's different regions, Mr. Sayeed added. All steps would be taken to ensure that due respect was accorded to these languages.

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