SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather has said the government is working on a mechanism to facilitate the use of the Kashmiri language in the House, acknowledging that the absence of translators is currently a hurdle for legislators wishing to speak in their mother tongue.
Rather made the remarks on Sunday while responding to questions on the issue, days after legislator Mubarak Gul was told during the autumn session that his remarks made in Kashmiri would not be recorded.
“The government has to look into many angles. Currently we don’t have any translator in the Assembly, which often becomes a hurdle in speaking in Kashmiri. Efforts are on to address this concern in future,” Rather told news agency KNS.
The Speaker said he had not barred any member from speaking in Kashmiri, but explained that such remarks could not be recorded in the absence of a translator.
“I told those who tried to speak — speak, but it can’t be recorded as we don’t have a translator in the Assembly currently,” he said.
During the recently concluded autumn session, Mubarak Gul raised an issue in Kashmiri but was informed that his remarks would not be recorded because there was no translator available in the House.
Rather said efforts were under way to address the issue and facilitate the use of Kashmiri in Assembly proceedings in the future.
The Speaker was speaking as chief guest at ‘Youm-e-Meeras’, a programme held in tribute to late Atiqa Bano and her contribution through the Meeras Mahal Museum in Sopore.
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