Jammu & Kashmir: Cabinet nod to Bill to introduce Hindi\, Kashmiri and Dogri as official languages

Jammu & Kashmir: Cabinet nod to Bill to introduce Hindi, Kashmiri and Dogri as official languages

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Bill has been approved “based on demand by the people”. He said more details would be shared when it is introduced in Parliament.

By: Express News Service | New Delhi | Published: September 3, 2020 1:32:33 am
Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Jitendra Singh after the Cabinet meeting. (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

The Union Cabinet Wednesday approved a Bill to introduce Hindi, Kashmiri and Dogri as official languages in Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to Urdu and English.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Bill has been approved “based on demand by the people”. He said more details would be shared when it is introduced in Parliament.

Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said: “It is not only a fulfilment of a long-pending public demand of the region but also in keeping with the spirit of equality which was ushered after 5 August 2019.”

https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1x1.png

The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated on August 5, with Ladakh becoming a separate Union Territory.

Singh, a member of Lok Sabha from Udhampur, tweeted: “Spirit of Equality honoured through the Union #CabinetDecision about #JammuAndKashmir Official languages.” He said in another tweet that Dogri, Hindi and Kashmiri “can also be used now as medium of language in official documents” in Jammu and Kashmir and that “earlier it was only English & Urdu”.