Srinagar: Keashur Praw – a social media page and channel – has been named in India Book of Records 2023 for promoting the Kashmiri language.
Its admin, Touqeer Ahmad Ganai, son of Mohammad Ashraf Ganai, of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, is currently pursuing Masters in Geology from the University of Kashmir. He promotes the Kashmiri language through various social media platforms.
He has also appeared in various newspapers and other publications for his work which is being highly applauded.
Touqeer said he started this mission in 2021. “Keashur means Kashmiri and Praw means Shine,” he said. “I upload Kashmiri poetry and various phrases and idioms used in this language.”
Ganai said he chose poetry as pure Kashmiri language has been used by the old poets of the valley. “I add an English translation to the posts so that non-Kashmiris can also understand,” he said.
He has moved to various social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook to express his love for the Kashmiri language.
Although Touqeer is from a Science background, it was difficult for him to adopt it in this way and to work on it, but his love for his language paved the way for him.
In the beginning, “I faced many difficulties but my love and affection towards my native language made it easy for me,” he said, adding, “I want to preserve the Kashmiri language which is dying with each passing day.”
He expressed concern that the kids nowadays are not taught the importance of the mother tongue. Unfortunately, the parents too are not interested or shy away from teaching their children about their identity – the Kashmiri language, he rued.
The Kashmiri language is spoken mainly in the valley and also in some regions of the Jammu province—(KNO)
