The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the Jammu and Kashmir Languages Bill 2020 which will make five languages—Urdu, Hindi, Kashmiri, Dogri and English—the officials language of the region.
Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar, flanked by Union minister Jitendra Singh, told reporters about the decision at a cabinet briefing.
“We have decided to introduce the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill 2020 in Parliament, under which five languages—Urdu, Hindi, Kashmiri, Dogri and English—will become official languages. This has been done based on demand by the people,” said Javadekar.
The I&B minister said more details of the bill would emerge once it is brought to the parliament.
Union minister Singh thanked the Prime Minister for the step.
“I want to thank the Prime Minister for giving his consent for the inclusion of Dogri, Hindi and Kashmiri in addition to the other two existing languages as official languages for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Suffice to say that 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 August 5, 2019,” said Singh.
The Centre, on August 5, had announced the nullification of Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. (Agencies)
