Kashmiri culture : English last option
Wasim Parvez
The preservation of Kashmiri culture which encircles all aspects of Kashmiri
society including values, traditions and rituals etc has been a burning issue in literary circles for almost a decade now. But in fact little has been
done so far. Preservation of culture does not mean to introduce Kashmiri as a subject in school curriculum. Most often preservation of Kashmiri
language is confused with the preservation of Kashmiri culture. However language is an important factor towards the preservation of culture and is
part and parcel of the same system. Language is made current by a culture; it takes its roots from the culture. The world has moved far ahead with the
changing needs of mankind. Society is changing fast; perspectives are changing with the change in taste and interests. The modernity poses an imminent
threat to fading Kashmiri culture cum language alike, but for this blame is to be on Kashmiri people in general and Kashmiri writers in particular.
If we want to preserve the Kashmiri culture two things are needed. First we need to change our approach towards our mother tongue, we have to make it
flexible to meet the demands of changing times i.e. need of change in global perspective. It means that we have to accommodate such technical terms
in language which are current. Secondly, a culture is not a culture if it is not recognized outside a certain cultural group or society. Preservation
of culture is dead impossible without taking it to the global stage. English can serve as a link language for identification of this language outside
Kashmir valley and India . Kashmiri literature is to be translated into English for giving the Kashmiri culture a world wide recognition because
world’s best literature is available in English whether in English itself or in translated form. One of the eminent professors in the Kashmir
University ’s Department of English Prof. Mohammad Aslam once told while delivering lecture on language that if we want to preserve Kashmiri
culture, English is the last option for it is spoken and read all over the world. He is very optimistic about such change. Recently kashmiri a number
of short stories have been translated into English. However, mere translation won’t do, there should be proper procedure in order to maintain
the essence of this fading dialect (Kashmiri). I think Department of English KU is making sincere efforts to preserve our culture’s uniqueness
by introducing the translated versions of Kashmiri dramas, poetry in the syllabi at an intermediate and under graduate level. Hope the future would be
better for ebbing Kashmiri culture. Our cultural aspects are deep embedded into the Kashmir history. We need to revitalize the literature and
linguistic background of our mother tongue.
Collaborator GIAN Cell, University of Kashmir
Email:
mirparvaizahmad@ahoo.co.in
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