‘Language shapes imagination, identity’: Dr Farooq urges people to preserve, cherish mother tongue

Srinagar, Feb 20: National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah on Friday urged people to cherish and protect the linguistic heritage of Jammu and Kashmir.

On the eve of International Mother Language Day, Abdullah paid heartfelt tributes to the rich linguistic cultures of Jammu and Kashmir, urging people to preserve and proudly enunciate in the languages that define their identity.

“One’s mother tongue is not merely a means of communication, it is the heartbeat of culture, the cradle of memory and the mirror of who we are,” he said in a statement.

Emphasising the urgency of linguistic preservation, the NC president urged mother tongues to be made primary medium of instruction in schools, especially during a child’s formative years, asserting that language shapes thought, imagination, and belongingness.

Highlighting the timeless grandeur of the Kashmiri language, Abdullah spoke of its luminous legacy, its classical verses, mystical poetry, folk ballads, and scholarly works by generations of poets, sages, rhetoricians, and linguists.

He described it as a living archive of collective wisdom and artistic brilliance.

The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir advocated safeguarding and promotion of regional languages including Dogri, Pahari, Gojri, Punjabi and Shina, each a vibrant thread in the rich cultural tapestry of the region.

Abdullah encouraged parents to make their homes sanctuaries of their mother tongues. “Let our children inherit the music of our words,” he urged, reminding residents that speaking one’s native language should be a matter of pride, not hesitation.