Jammu Tawi, Nov 30: A delegation from the Doordarshan Approved Drama Artists Association (DADAA) Jammu met with Ashok Koul, General Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu & Kashmir, at his office today and handed over a memorandum that had already been submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The delegation also highlighted their long-pending demands related to the promotion of Duggar culture and the welfare of local artists. The delegation, led by J.S. Babli, President of DADAA, included Madan Rangila (Vice President), Janak Khajuria (Spokesperson and General Secretary), and Arun Bakshi (Executive Member). During the meeting, Babli emphasized the association’s key demand for a Satellite Duggar Channel, which aims to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage, art, and languages of Duggar Pradesh. Babli pointed out that over one crore Dogri-speaking people live across various regions, including parts of Pakistan (Mirpur, Bimber, Sialkot, and Shakargarh), PoJK, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, and Hoshiarpur in Punjab, and even in some areas of Himachal Pradesh. Janak Khajuria, General Secretary of DADAA, further explained the strategic importance of Jammu, given its proximity to the international border and the Line of Control (LoC). Khajuria also raised concerns about the economic hardship faced by nearly 10,000 artists, technicians, musicians, and production staff who are dependent on Doordarshan Jammu. He appealed to Ashok Koul to advocate for the allocation of a specific budget for DDK Jammu and the approval of the Satellite Duggar Channel.
Ashok Koul listened to the delegation’s concerns attentively and assured them that he would take up the matter with the concerned authorities to address their demands.
