69 lakh speak Pahari, Gojri; 38 lakh Dogri
SRINAGAR: About 92 lakh individuals in the entire J&K are Kashmiri speaking which amounts to 42 percent of the total population of united region, a study conducted by an NGO, Experimental Moving Images and Theater Association (X-MITA) revealed here today.
According to the data collected by the NGO, Koshur, Pahari, Dogri, Shina, Gojri, Balti, Burushaski and Ladakhi are the main languages spoken in entire the entire state. Officials from the respective district administration offices helped in the data collection over a period spanning between July 2009 and July 2015.
The study estimated that Koshur is spoken by 9.2 Million, Pahari & Gojri by 6.9, Dogri by 3.8, Balti by1.1 Million, Shina & Burushaski by 0.8 and Ladakhi by 0.34 Million individuals.
Ethnically Jammu and Kashmir is a marriage between Dardic, Pothowari (Pahari & Gojri), Sino-Tibetan and Dogri ethnicities, Kashmir Valley, Gilgit, Hunza, Nagar, Neelam Valley, Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban are the Dardic Areas with the majority population of 10 Million followed by Pothowari totalling 6.9 Million, Dogri (Indo-European sub family) have a population of 3.8 Million, the study says.
From Hunza in the North to Baderwah in the south and Muzaffrabad in the west to Aksai-Chin in the east, Jammu & Kashmir spans a topographical unity that is diverse and yet connected in such a manner that one is left astonished by the cultural lifelines that seem to interconnect the whole state into a homogeneous melting pot of various languages, ethnicities and cultures thus giving rise to a collective amalgamation that helps evolve the indigenous cohesive bond of belonging to one state, the study says.
As per the XMITA study, Jammu & Kashmir has always been the cradle of unparalleled excellence in most of the fields right from the beginning of major civilizations of the world.
Having produced marvellous social reformists like Alamdaar-e-Kashmir (RA), brilliant philosophers like Abhinavgupta, superb historians like Kalhana, great kings like Budshah and Lalityaditya, amazing poets like Habba Khatoon and Shamas Faqir to name a few, Jammu and Kashmir has for the most part of its five thousand year old historical timeline of evolving civilization been at par with the best of those from any part of the world, the study writes.
XMITA to announce Golden Icons of J&K awards
SRINAGAR: On the eve of the celebration of the eleven years of Experimental Moving Images and Theatre Association (XMITA), the executive membership has decided to give a boost to all the cultures of the state and in furtherance with the same, XMITA has planned to release 11 books in the coming year and record audio books in all the languages of the state.
To celebrate the rich heritage that the state of J&K inherits, XMITA has decided to honour most renowned personalities of the state whose contribution to the fields of academics, arts and culture has been outstanding in the past fifty years, these awards shall carry the title Golden Icons of J&K the nomination list shall be made public very soon.
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