Kargil, February 26, 2021: After “neglecting” the Purgi language in the task list for implementing the New Education Policy, people in Purgi majority Kargil district has once again dejected over “step motherly” treatment by the UT administration.

The Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) in a letter to the Lieutenant Governor Ladakh R K Mathur, has demanded recognition of Purgi as one of the language under NEP task list of Education Department UT Ladakh.

“It is learnt that in the context of the NEP task number 88 of the annexure 1 of the same order mentions a task to develop guidelines for preparing resource materials and courses for language option given are English, Hindi, Bhuti, Urdu and Arabic thus ignoring “Purgi” the largest spoken language of Ladakh.

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“Other languages of Kargil are also all together ignored. While as the nomenclature of “Bhuti” is debatable for not being any mention in the language history of Ladakh, we strongly object exclusion of main local language of Ladakh in the NEP survey/ Tasks.

“You are aware that “Purgi” is the widely spoken public language in
whole Ladakh dominantly in Kargil District. As per the population census, 2011, out of the total population of 1.41 lakh of Kargil in 2011, 0.94 lakh speak Purgi amounting to 66.6% of the total population. By now the figure of Purgi speaking population has grown up to nearly 1.15 lakh of the total population of the district.

“Unfortunatcly, Purgi despite holding the position as dominant language of majority of population in the region, has not been given its due status. As such the voice of the majority people has been ignored and remained unaddressed.

“Moreover, this language is the elosest heir to its Old Tibetan parent language, both in terms of phonetic as well as graphic affinities. Purgi could also be easily perceived by the entire population of Ladakh, thus it also serves as a link language to comprehend about the culture, tradition and ideas of the whole populace in general.

Pertinent to mention that, the central Imam Juma in Kargil during his Friday sermon also raised the issue. The Imam Juma Sheikh Issa Hafizi said that 66 percent of the people has Purgi as their mother and first tongue. However despite the language has been neglected by the current government. On its place a hypothetical language called “Bhoti” has been introduced. There were no such language called Bhoti in the history of Ladakh.