Gujjars up in arms against DD in J&K,Issued a nationwide appeal to people of this ethnic group

Srinagar,25  – . To protest against the discriminatory functioning of the Doordarshan’s different Channels ,the  Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir have issued a nationwide appeal to people of this ethnic group, residing in 11 states of India ,  to boycott the all the Channels of Doordarshan, India’s national broadcaster,  as the DD has miserably fails to give proper representation to Gojri-the Language of tribal Gujjars in J&K. They have also urged them to stage protest against the cultural aggression being inflected by the channel.

 The community alleged that the Kashir channel, DDK Srinagar and DDK Jammu , for which the centre has allocated more than Rs 400.00  crore annually, does not telecast even a single programme of five minutes on daily basses in Gojri language in its 24 X 7 telecast adding that All DD Kenderas in Jammu  does not cover the reports from remote villages and tribal population of the state in their own mother tongue.

The  Gujjars, who constitute more than 20 per cent population of the state are thus completely ignored by the Kashir channel and no representation is given to their art, culture, languages, customs and secular ethos for which they are known all over the world.

 In an appeal to Gujjars of all Indian States, Dr Javaid Rahi, National Secretary of Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation a National Organization working for the preservation and propagations of Tribal Culture in India ,  said his community to boycott  viewing all DD Channels .He  condemned the cultural invasion unleashed on Gujjars by the DDK Srinagar, Jammu and Kashir Channel .He alleged that electronic media in Jammu and Kashmir  is in no way the representative channel of all communities and tribes of J&K State.

 He stated all the DD Channel in J&K including the Kashir channel has not only failed in meeting the aspiration and expectations of the people of Jammu region as well as the tribals residing in boarder belts of Kashmir valley, it has also failed in its much publicized aim of countering the false and malicious propaganda of the channels from across the International borders

 It is astonishing that as per the official notification of Prasar Bharati corporation of India working under the guidelines of Union Ministry of Information and broad casting the Gojri have been given 2 per cent representation each in its 24×7 telecast of DD Kashir channel,  and this is humiliating even this 2 per cent representation is also not being given this significant and oldest language o9f India called Gojri.

 Rahi stated that a few agencies are trying to thrust alien culture upon the people. This is a conspiracy and cultural monopoly against Gujjars of the state that is intolerable. He added that the authorities perceive to integrate these communities in the mainstream by insulting their culture and giving their languages mere two per cent representation in Kashir channel. "Therefore, the programmes telecast by Kashir channel have absolutely no impact on masses on either side of the border," he added.

 He said three memorandums signed by Gojri writers were submitted to President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister P.R. Dasmunsi and a strong protest was lodged against the Channel, but in vain.