Akademi neglecting Gojri, Ladakhi: Artistes

Jammu, September 25

A section of artistes staged a protest against the alleged discriminatory attitude of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) for neglecting regional languages — Ladakhi, Gojri, Pahari and Punjabi — in the four-day Natya Samagam at Abhinav Theatre on Saturday.

In a statement, the artistes termed the ongoing music and theatre festival being organised by J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages as an attempt to neglect the secular culture. They alleged that the SNA had invited only Kashmiri and Dogri artistes and ignored other languages of the state.

Boycotting the festival, the aggrieved artistes said according to SNA officials, around 600 artistes from J&K were participating in the event but none from Ladakhi, Gojri , Pahari and Punjabi language had been invited or booked for performance during the festival.

Saying they plan to write to the Prime Minister and other higher authorities, they blamed the SNA for its alleged biased approach. — TNS