Fine for speaking local languages ?
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, January 3
Even as the Army receives many accolades for its role in providing education in the schools run by it here in this border district, but it is also facing allegations of cultural aggression from various quarters, including certain cultural groups.

Established to provide quality education to the students of the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, though the Army goodwill Public School (AGPS), Rajouri (from 6th to 11th standard), is serving its purpose, but the reports that students are penalised for speaking local languages on the campus, has irked not only the parents of the students but has not gone well with the certain cultural groups. The students enrolled in this school speak Pahari and Gojri languages, besides they also speak languages like Urdu and Hindi.

Sources in AGPS revealed that school administration with a view to preventing the students from speaking local languages has started a practice of imposing fine of up to Rs 100. The fine is imposed on the student found speaking local language on the school campus, they added.

Javed Rahi, national secretary, Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation (TRCF), said the Army should desist from making such attempts. "By preventing students from speaking local languages, they are not spreading goodwill but they are earning bad reputation". A few months back, responding to the strong exception taken by some locals about the non-inclusion of local cultural item during the inauguration function of AGPS on September last year, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had stressed on the school management to promote local culture and ethos amongst the students.

"We have institutions in other parts of the world and we have good institutions in England and America. So while we would like our boys to compete the at international and national level, I would like that our children shouldn't forget our culture and ethos", Azad had said.

Denying the allegations that students are fined for speaking local languages on the campus, Kamal Zamani, Principal, Army Goodwill Public School said "These are all rumours".