Central university to preserve Gojari, culture

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, May 30

The Central University Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) will introduce a certificate course in Gojari and a diploma in Gujjar history and culture from this academic session.

VC Kuldeep Agnihotri said: “It is the first university to introduce such courses. The aim is to preserve Gojari and document Gujjar history and culture. There is no written text on the language spoken by Gujjars. The language is facing extinction.”

“By introducing a certificate course in Gojari, the university will be able to document the language,” he said.

The VC said the university was introducing various other courses, including BSc (honours) in physics, MA in sociology and MA in Sanskrit from this academic session.

Although the university was introducing new courses, it was facing shortage of space on its temporary campus in Shahpur, he said. Since its establishment five years ago, the university is being run from the building of Shahpur Government College.

Sources said the university was facing shortage of lecture rooms.

The university authorities had urged the state government to hand over the old Shahpur college hostel to them so that it could be used for creating a block.

“If the building is handed over to the university, Shahpur college will have to be shifted elsewhere,” the VC said.

The land on which the university campus is to come up is yet to be decided. With the Union Ministry for Human Resources rejecting Indrunag site near Dharamsala proposed by the state government, a fresh proposal will have to be sent.

Sources said the state government was now sending a proposal to set up the university near Jagrandal village, Chamunda Devi Temple.

The VC said their concern was that the state government should send a proposal at the earliest so that the construction of permanent campus could be started.