Srinagar, Jan 3: It seems the authorities in the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages are losing grip over its affairs as some of its functionaries are allegedly exceeding their brief precipitating “indiscipline” in the organization.
 On December 27, a senior functionary in its Gojri section issued a press statement saying the Academy would be translating “50 rare works of English, Persian and Sanskrit” into Gojri to widen the access to classical and modern languages.
 “This long-term project was initiated to bring world class and landmark works into Gojri to enrich this ancient tribal language spoken by the Gujjar tribe. This project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011,” the statement said.
 However, it has been issued without the approval of the Academy’s secretary, Zaffar Iqbal Manhas. “I don’t know anything about this press release. I have not even seen it,” Manhas told Greater Kashmir on Sunday when asked about the “project.”
 In the past three years, an Academy official said, its Central Committee had approved some works for translation into Gojri, but the number was less than projected by the official. “There is no such project approved by the Central Committee. It might have approved some books for translation into Gojri, but there is no specific project in hand,” the official, pleading anonymity, said.
 Manhas said he would ascertain how the press release had been issued without his consent. “The first thing I will do on Monday is to see how the statement has been issued and what it is all about,” he said. “Translating 50 books into Gojri is not an easy task which can be completed in a year or two.”
 The official heading the Gojri wing, Dr Javaid Rahi, who had issued the press statement, joined issue with the Academy secretary. “I am heading an autonomous wing, having 16 employees, in the Academy. So I have every right to issue the statement independently,” he said, adding, “Press release is no official document. I don’t need the anybody’s nod to issue a press release about the activities of my wing.”
 Dr Rahi said the Central Committee had approved for translation into Gojri 50 books on different occasions in the past three years.
 Insiders, however, argued that if these books had been approved in the past three years, why they were not translated since then. “And if they couldn’t be translated in the past three years, how is it possible to complete the entire project in next two years as claimed by the functionary. And how can somebody issue a press release of his own when you have a full-fledged wing headed by the Public Relations Officer. All this one-upmanship is leading to indiscipline in the Academy and creating confusion about its activities besides giving a set back to different works.”
 Sources said the press release drew flak from authors associated with the Academy. The criticism was severer from those associated with Kashmiri language, who, according to sources, accused the authorities of “killing the Kashmiri language.”
 “In the past few years, the Academy has done very little to promote Kashmiri language. Neither any mega project has been undertaken nor is any in the pipeline. The Academy is only cashing on the works done decades ago. Translating an odd monolog or bringing out some special numbers is not going to do any good to Kashmiri language promotion,” said a writer.
 Interestingly, when the Academy published the first Kashmiri Encyclopaedia, it had envisaged its continuous publication in 50 volumes covering all the aspects of Kashmir, including its culture, personalities, writers, singers, poets etc. However, it has only been able to produce four volumes while the fifth is under process.
 Sources said Kashmiri, which was once a largest section in the Academy, had gradually been “squeezed” by means of resource and staff-cut. 
 However, Manhas said, “We have many projects in the pipeline for Kashmiri promotion. There is nothing like squeezing it,” he said.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 3 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
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