J&K Bank faces backlash over social media Post regarding International Mother Language Day 2021
Srinagar, Feb 21: The Jammu and Kashmir Bank has come under criticism from linguistic activists and faced backlash on Social Media over its post on Facebook regarding International Mother Language Day 2021.
The J&K Bank posted a poster on Social Media with a graphics mentioning different languages of the country in view of International Mother Language Day. The Bank surprisingly forgot to mention the Kashmiri language in the poster despite mentioning 13 other languages. “We proudly speak the language of respect and diversity,” said J&K Bank in the post. The other languages mentioned include Urdu, Hindi, Marathi and other 10 local Indian languages.
The post was widely shared by the netizens and condemned the Bank authorities for forgetting the language of the people of Kashmir where the Bank is located.
President Adbi Markaz Kamraz, Mohammad Amin Bhat immediately reacted to the post and condemned it. “As President Adbee Markaz Kamraz I strongly condemn the discriminatory attitude of J&K Bank functionaries. By doing so they have demonstrated their sick mentality,” he said. “We will not take it lying down .By blacking out a language that is spoken by eight million people in J&K; is a language recognized in 8th schedule is the official language of J&K they have only reduced their own constituency and played with emotions of hundreds and thousands of their clients.
Another netizen said the J&K Bank is a Bank having a strong base in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh but they have mostly mentioned languages that are not spoken in the areas where J&K Bank runs its most of the business operations. “I strongly object the negligent approach of JK Bank towards the languages of their primary customers like Dogri , Kashmiri, Gojri, Pahari,” said another netizen Nisar Azam
Former General Secretary Kashmir Chamber of COmmerce and Industry Gazalla Noor also condemned J&K Bank for this post. "Shame on JK Bank for ignoring Kashmiri Language. They are forgetting that Kashmir is in their name".
