National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that it is a pity that some hostile elements are trying to harm Urdu and Kashmiri by labelling them as regional or religious languages.
He urged people to resist such efforts and ensure that these languages are passed onto future generations so that they, too, can protect and uphold them.
A day before the celebration of Mother Language Day, Abdullah said preserving one’s language, culture, and heritage is a hallmark of proud and resilient nations.
He emphasized that history bears witness to the fact that nations that forgot their language, culture, and traditions eventually faded into history.
Abdullah stressed that safeguarding all languages spoken in Jammu and Kashmir is essential for preserving the region’s unique identity and Kashmiriyat.
Expressing concern, he said it is unfortunate that adversarial elements are trying to harm Urdu and Kashmiri by labelling them as regional or religious languages. He urged people to resist such efforts and ensure that these languages are passed on to future generations so that they, too, can protect and uphold them.
He further stated that every individual must take personal responsibility for preserving all languages spoken across Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh, including Urdu.
“To protect our identity, we must sustain our existence, which can only be achieved by keeping our mother languages alive,” he said.
He said that the sign of living nations is that they keep trying to keep their civilization, culture, language and culture alive.