Two-Day Pahari Literary and Cultural Conference Inaugurated by JKAACL

The two-day Pahari Literary and Cultural Conference, organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages was inaugurated today in the presence of a distinguished gathering of artists, poets, and writers here at K.L.Saigal Hall. Former MLA Ravinder Raina graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, while DDC member Mohd Iqbal Malik, former MLC M.R. Qureshi, and Harvinder Kour, Secretary of JKAACL, were present in the presidium.

The event commenced with the release of Qabeela, a Pahari novel by Parvez Manoos, and Tareraan, a short story collection by Iqbal Shawl, by the dignitaries.
In her welcome address, Harvinder Kour emphasized the significance of the Pahari language in the region, highlighting that the Academy has had a dedicated Pahari section since 1978. She noted that thousands of books have been published by JKAACL, alongside numerous conferences, seminars, and cultural activities organized to promote Pahari language and culture.

In his inaugural address, Ravinder Raina spoke about the rich cultural heritage of the Pahari language, which has thrived for centuries. He commended the Academy for hosting the conference in the winter capital and urged the Pahari writers and artists’ fraternity to work towards preserving their language and cultural identity.

In his speech, Iqbal Malik stressed the importance of connecting the younger generation with the Pahari language and working collectively to enrich its proud heritage.

Delivering the keynote address, K.D. Mani highlighted that the Pahari language movement, now five decades old, has seen significant contributions from its writers.

He expressed confidence that Pahari can stand alongside developed languages like Punjabi and Dogri. M.R. Qureshi, in his address, spoke about the two books released during the event and encouraged Pahari writers to produce high-quality literature while working voluntarily for cultural promotion.

Prominent attendees included Gulzar Qureshi, Ghulam Ahmad Khwaja, Ajay Sharma (SP City), Altaf Jajua, Prof. Rashid Manhas, Prof. Nitin Sharma, Rajinder Charak, Rajeev Khajuria, and Anwar Khan. Ayoob Naeem Mir, Editor-cum-Cultural Officer (Pahari), presented the Vote of Thanks.
‘
The inaugural session was followed by a musical program, paper readings, and short story recitations, presided over by Sheikh Azad, Prof. M.K. Waqar, Tahir Mehmood, and Rashid Qamar.