Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for dedicated funding for Prasar Bharti Jammu and Kashmir and special schemes under the Culture Ministry to support the “creative fraternity” in the Union Territory.
In a letter to Shah earlier this month, Mufti said artists, musicians, writers, theatre practitioners, and filmmakers are custodians of our heritage and vital cultural ambassadors of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Through their craft, they safeguard our rich civilisational identity, promote national integration, and serve as crucial bridges connecting J&K with the rest of India. To sustain this vital role, they require meaningful institutional support and sustained patronage,” the former chief minister said.
Seeking Shah’s intervention to improve the lot of the artistic community in Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti requested dedicated funding for public broadcasters by allocating adequate, earmarked funds for local content production across Doordarshan and Akashvani Kendras in the Union Territory, with a specific focus on DD Kashmir.
She also sought targeted initiatives and specialised financial assistance schemes by central cultural bodies such as the Ministry of Culture and other associated institutions for the creative fraternity in the J&K.
“This will ensure our artists have continuous avenues to create, perform, and secure a dignified livelihood,” she added.
The PDP president said strengthening cultural infrastructure and safeguarding the creative community’s livelihoods is a strategic investment in national harmony, social cohesion, and the preservation of India’s pluralistic heritage.
