KU to establish Academy of Kashmiri Language

SRINAGAR — The University of Kashmir plans to establish an Academy of Kashmiri Language to boost the promotion of Kashmiri language and literature in line with the recommendations of the New Education Policy-2020, Vice-Chancellor Prof Talat Ahmad said on Tuesday.

Prof Talat inaugurated a two-day national seminar on literary criticism at the University of Kashmir. The national-level seminar was organised by the Department of Kashmiri.

Addressing as chief guest at the inaugural session of the two-day seminar “Contemporary Trends in Kashmiri Literary Criticism,” he said: “The NEP-2020 lays emphasis on promotion of regional languages. In this context, we have submitted our proposal to the honourable Chancellor on setting up an Academy of Kashmiri Language in this University to boost the promotion of Kashmiri language in a big way. This Academy would lead to more funds and creation of more faculty positions.”

Talat urged academics to popularise the Academy for more and more students to understand the Kashmiri language. “This Academy can offer short courses on translations so that the rich treasure of Kashmiri literature, philosophy and culture reaches the whole world,” he said, assuring his all-out support to the Department of Kashmiri.

“It would be good if students from other places come here and learn the Kashmiri language so that people across the country understand the rich Kashmiri culture and literature and the great works of noted Kashmiri scholars,” he said.

The V-C also released three books, including ‘Kashri Adbuk Tawareek’ by Prof Shafi Shauq, ‘Anhar’, a journal of the Kashmiri Department, and ‘Pair Zan’ by Zahoor Hygami.

KU Registrar, Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir said constructive criticism forms the bedrock of rich academic and literary discourse and the current seminar is a great initiative in that direction.

In his keynote address, noted Kashmiri scholar and former Head, Department of Kashmiri, Prof Shafi Shauq, impressed upon the literary critics of Kashmiri to “benefit from the literary theories in vogue in the East and the West”.

Alluding to schools of criticism popular in Kashmiri language, he said literary critics should try to focus on literature and dwell deep into basic ingredients that bring an artefact into existence.

“The linguistic structure, the verbal icon and the narrator of the artefact must be recognised in the first place and only then a genuine appreciation of an artefact is possible,” he said.

Prof Mafooza Jan, Head, Department of Kashmiri, said the seminar aims to raise new questions and provide new insights into areas hitherto not extensively explored in the field.

Prof Majrooh Rasheed, former Head, Department of Kashmiri, presented a formal vote of thanks, while Dr Shafaqat Altaf conducted proceedings of the inaugural session, which, among others, was attended by students, scholars and writers including Prof Gulshan Majeed, Mr Shamshad Kralwari, Mr Mushtaq Ahmad Mushtaq, Mohammad Yousuf Mashoor, Zahoor Hygami, Jeelani Kamran and Jameel Ansari.