JK News Today

Jammu, July 29:

In a joint press release Dogri Sanstha Jammu and Team Jammu stated that, while appreciate the timely intervention of Central Government especially of MoS, PMO, Dr Jatinder Singh, who is also the son of the soil directing the concerned authorities to retrace the steps initiated to shut down the telecast of local programmes by Door Darshan Kendra Jammu, they demand setting up of a full-fledged Duggar Channel from Jammu on the lines of Kashir Channel from Srinagar.

President Dogri Sanstha Jammu, Prof Lalit Magotra and Chairman, Team Jammu, Zorawar Singh Jamwal jointly stated that the proposed Duggar Channel will include programmes on multi ethnic, multi lingual and diverse culture of Jammu region, which has so far not found any space that it deserves. Dogri is the second most important language of J&K which has also been included in the 8th schedule of Indian Constitution. Though Dogri is the major language of this region but there is also a rich mosaic of many other languages which are spoken in this area like Gojari, Pahadi, Punjabi, Bhadarwahi, Kishtwari, Padri, Pogli and even Kashmiri etc. So is also the state of affairs as far as the cultures of these varied ethnic groups are concerned.

Duggar Channel will be most suited to show-case the rich cultural diversity of Jammu Region which has never been projected, in the true sense, by the Kashir Channel, which is dominantly Kashmir-centric. Without being prejudicial against Kashir Channel, it can be stated that where as it gives ample representation to the culture of the valley, there is almost negligible content pertaining to the Jammu region of the Union Territory. This state of affairs is the main cause of the resentment brewing among the writes, artists & general public of Jammu.

Prof Lalit Magotra and Zorawar Singh Jamwal stated that there should be clarity among the authorities who are responsible to take decision in these matters at the Centre, that Kashmir and Jammu are two entirely distinct regions, with different language, different culture & entirely different life style. The imposition of Kashir Channel on Jammu people serves no purpose and at the worst is a waste of resource and alienates people of Jammu _ it is like imposing programees of Jammu Culture on the people of Kashmir Valley.

Further, the languages spoken in the areas contiguous to our Union Territory across LoC & IB (PoK) are the same as spoken in Jammu region and not Kashmiri, as many at the centre maybe mistaken in imagining. This fact is of great strategic and national importance. The false propaganda of Pakistan against India to which the people across LoC & IB are continuously exposed to can only be countered & neutralized by telecasts in languages which are understandable to them, and that surely is not Kashmiri.

The full-fledged Duggar Channel from Jammu is strongly justified on the grounds that_it will meet the cultural & linguistic aspiration of Dogras & other ethnic groups living in Jammu region. “It will showcase the diverse culture of this region to whole of the world showing Jammu as an outstanding example of peaceful co-existence and” it will be of crucial strategic importance to counter the false propaganda of our neighbor country for the people living on that side of LOC & LAC.

In light of above it as urged that the Central Government should takes urgent steps for setting up a Duggar Channel.