Karnah, Aug (JKNS): The Pahari Section of the Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) organised a grand one-day Pahari Literary Meet at Government Degree College (GDC) Karnah, bringing together prominent writers, poets, literary personalities and intellectuals from across the region.
The literary gathering witnessed enthusiastic participation from people associated with Pahari language and literature, with speakers stressing the need to preserve and promote the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the region, particularly among the younger generation.
Senior JKAS officer Abdul Hameed Khan attended the programme as the Chief Guest, while Dr. (Prof.) Assadullah Khan, Principal of GDC Karnah, presided over the function. Advocate Qazi Mehboob Illahi, President of the Bar Association, was the Guest of Honour.
Senior writer and artist Abdul Rasheed Qureshi and Dr. A.H. Masoodi, Special Secretary, IT Department, were also present in the presidium. Senior literary figure journalist Ishfaq Sayeed was among the notable personalities who attended the event.
The literary session featured presentation of research papers on various aspects of Pahari language and literature. Abdul Rasheed Lone Gamgeen, Mir Ghulam Hyder Nadeem and Mohammad Ayoub Nayeem presented their research papers and highlighted different linguistic, literary and cultural dimensions of Pahari.
The poetic session remained one of the major attractions of the programme, with renowned poets presenting their poetry before the gathering. The participating poets included Ab. Aziz Maldyal Nadeem, Abdul Rasheed Qureshi, Shabir Ghazi, Mashkoor Ahmad Shad, Iftikhar Qureshi, Shakeel Awan Sagar, Mukhtar Awan, Mir Khushal Faizi, Ghulam Yehya Qais, Sajjad Malik, Sajjad ul Hassan, Zameer Ahmad Awan, Raja Nazir Khan, Safeer Beidar, Azad Khan Azad and Amjid Sheikh.
In the short-story session, fiction writers including Raza Javaid Qureshi presented their literary works and added to the richness of the literary gathering.
The proceedings were conducted by Abdul Wahid Manhas, Research Assistant (Pahari), JKAACL, who also delivered the welcome address and later presented the vote of thanks. In his address, Manhas highlighted the functioning of JKAACL, its literary activities and ongoing publication initiatives, particularly those being undertaken by the Pahari Section.
Speaking on the occasion, Principal Dr. Assadullah Khan appreciated JKAACL for organising the literary meet at an educational institution. He said bringing senior litterateurs and emerging writers together on one platform provides young people an opportunity to learn from the experience and knowledge of senior writers.
He congratulated the JKAACL management for organising such dignified literary programmes in educational institutions and said that continued interaction between established writers and the younger generation could play an important role in strengthening regional literature.
Dr. A.H. Masoodi, Special Secretary (IT), also appreciated the efforts of the Pahari Section and JKAACL. He emphasised that literary gatherings of this nature are important for the preservation, promotion and development of regional languages.
The speakers also called upon the youth of Karnah to remain connected with their Pahari language, literature, culture and traditions, saying that the younger generation has an important role in carrying the region’s rich cultural heritage forward.
The programme concluded on a warm and positive note, with participants appreciating the initiative and expressing hope that more such literary and cultural programmes would be organised in Karnah in the future. (JKNS)
