Srinagar, June 21: What has sparked off a major concern in the literary circles in Kashmir, the Academy of Art, Culture and Languages seems to be more concerned towards ‘ignoring’ the Kashmiri language rather than promoting it.
 Informed sources disclosed to Greater Kashmir that there has not been any headway in reviving the prestigious projects vis-à-vis promotion and development of Kashmiri language, including compiling the multi-volume Kashmiri encyclopedia, as envisaged years back.
 The first Kashmiri encyclopedia was compiled by the Academy in 1986. The encyclopedia titled Aaasar-i-Kadeema Te Fan-i-Tameer (Ancient monuments and Architecture) was published by the then secretary of the Academy, Muhammad Yusuf Taing, and his associates. Though the Academy has added three more volumes since then, none of them has been updated or translated while no other volume has been added.
 “This was a prestigious project wherein it was envisaged that more volumes of the encyclopedia would be compiled and gradually translated into English and other vital languages. But this has not been done because the staff in Kashmiri division has been reduced to bringing out periodicals and monographs rather than allowed to work on encyclopedia,” said an Academy official, insisting not to be named.
 Sources said a majority of staff from Kashmiri section has been de-linked and adjusted in separate sections. “There are some sections which are running on the staff drawn from Kashmiri section. With the result, the Kashmiri section has suffered immensely,” they said.
 The de-linking of staff, the sources said, has dealt a strong blow to the promotion of Kashmiri language, which is among the primary mandates of the Academy. “The Academy is supposed to preserve the Kashmiri language which is the identity of Kashmiris. But here it seems to be nobody’s baby,” the Academy official asserted.
 The Academy’s alleged indifference towards the Kashmiri language runs contrary to the state government’s oft-repeated assertion that it was committed to promote the language alongside the official language of Urdu. The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah  had recently said: “There is urgent need to attend to Kashmiri language.”
 According to the literary circles, the Chief Minister, who is the President of the Academy, must order restoration of the Kashmiri section to its original position and probe as to why ample attention is not being paid to the promotion of Kashmiri language.
 “An encyclopedia is a reference work that needs to be updated periodically and translated into important languages, preferably English, to make its accessible for foreign readers and researchers,” said a literary personality, who has been formerly associated with the Academy for years. “Every entry in the encyclopedia is a painstaking effort of researchers, editors and other officials in the Academy. If these entries would have been translated into various languages, it would have increased the readership of the encyclopedia besides given recognition to the entry writers.”

KASHMIRI OUR PRIORITY: MANHAS
 When contacted, the Academy Secretary, Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, claimed that work on the encyclopedia is on. “There are four research assistants working on them. The fifth edition of the Kashmiri encyclopedia would be in public circles soon,” he said.
 Asked why the staffers have been de-linked from Kashmiri encyclopedia and reduced to bringing out periodicals only, he said, “It is not de-linking. Bringing out Sheeraza is part of Kashmiri division. This is all interrelated work and so can’t say anyone has been de-linked. We have given two more assignments to Editor English and asked him to bring out two volumes of Sheeraza. The Editor Arabic is on job of translating Kashmiri encyclopedia in Arabic. Encyclopedia is a laborious work which takes time.”
 He said, “Kashmiri language is our priority area. We are brining out 17 monographs on different personalities very soon.”

Lastupdate on : Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 IST