Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 22: Congratulating the lovers of the Dogri on the day of its recognition as a regional language to find place in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution in 2003, the former Union Minister, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta regretted that it had to wait for over 50 years to get this status but for parochial approach of the politicians who represented this State in the Constituent Assembly that enacted the statue book.
Prof. Gupta, who is also an author of a book about discriminatory status of J&K in the country, recalled that when the Constitution was being framed after the independence of the country, from Jammu and Kashmir’s four representatives were included in the Constituent Assembly. They were three top leaders from Kashmir Valley viz Sheikh Mohd Abdullah, Mirza Afzal Beig and Moulana Masoodi. From Jammu one Moti Ram Biagra was picked up while no one was from Ladakh region, he added.
He said they had proposed the name of this State just as Kashmir but at the intervention of some visionary members of the Drafting Committee including a former Prime Minister of this State, Sir B.N Rao, the name was approved as J&K, instead of Kashmir alone.
It may be recalled that the Maharaja Hari Singh had signed the Instrument of Accession giving full name of his State as Jammu, Kashmir, Gilgit, Ladakh and Tibet Hai, which was the original name prior to 1947.
Prof. Gupta said while the Drafting Committee approved the name as J&K, the Dogri could not get its recognition as it was argued that one State could have only one regional language. Hence, Kashmiri alone could get place in the Constitution.
It was in 2003, during Atal Behari Vajpayee led NDA rule that the Dogri along with Manipuri and some other regional languages got place in the Constitution of the country, he added.
He appreciated efforts of various organizations and writers to enrich this sweet language known as “Dogri Boli”.
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