lalit Gupta
Language has emerged as one of the significant markers of cultural identity in fascinating multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual mosaic of races and communities living in the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
In this context Dogri’s inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of Indian Constitution in the year of 2003 was certainly a significant cultural development in the State. Dogri’s official recognition as one of the national languages, which came after almost half a century of heroic struggle waged by writers, poets and litterateurs, while assuaging the sentiments of patriotic communities collectively labeled as Dogras, also acknowledged historical roots of their distinct sub-identity in the overall national context.
The landmark status of being second major language of Jammu and Kashmir was but a natural corollary for the language which from the tumultuous middle-ages to the mid-20th century has flourished as the mother tongue of natives in ancient Dharva Abhisar and parts of Trigarta that today roughly constitute Jammu region and contiguous areas in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab such as Kangra, Chamba, Nurpur, Mukerian, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot and Shakargah and Sialkot in Pakistan.
Invaders came and went; rulers were appointed and overthrown; the latter local dynasties spent much time and energy in consolidating and enlarging borders but this language with its own script Takri, which locals liked to speak held strong. Then came the waves of cultural developments: Punjabi influence increased in post-1900 administration. Dogri, which though briefly, had displaced Persian as official language of modern state of Jammu and Kashmir, was made to make way for Urdu. Later over shadowed by new post-Independence political dispensation, which had no clear cut road map for two major languages of the State: Dogri and Kashmiri, the native speakers of Dogri went on back foot.
During the last sixty years the crusaders of Dogri not only proved Greirson’s erroneous label for the language a ‘dialect of Punjabi’ as utterly unfounded but also engineered its resurrection as a modern language by creating a large corpus of quality literature.
This new literature in Dogri being the aesthetic expression of native value system along with present day changes and challenges in the lifestyle of Dogras also showcases inherent tenacity and capacity of the language to evolve so as to express for its native speakers the new episteme and sensibilities that have emerged as defining markers of our times.
In this age of globalization and homogenization, the whirlwind developments brought about by technological and media revolution are having a cascading affect upon the overall socio-cultural scenario in which among other things the regional languages have been or are being coercively replaced or marginalized by the language of a dominant culture in the world.
To take stock of the ground reality of Dogri as a modern language in present times, the annual conference organized by J&K Cultural Academy recently in Jammu, admirably succeeded in pinpointing challenges and opportunities in reference to the present status of the mother tongue.
New Generation and Mother tongue
Interestingly underneath the euphoria for achievements of local cultural renaissance, the picture on ground presents a contrast. The younger generations-exposed to the new world of virtual reality dished out through many forms of media-are going away from the mother tongue. They no more think in native language, but being tutored in languages like Hindi, English, are fast treading on the path of mono-culture.
In Jammu region where urban centers can be counted on finger tips, the city of Jammu has traditionally been socio-cultural and political hub of Duggar. In fact Jammu city being the regional metropolis is in many ways similar to what cosmopolitan Mumbai is to Maharashtra: One is big while the other is small.
Despite of the fact that Gujartis, Sindhis, Parsis, Telgu, Tamil, Bengali, Bhojpuris, Punjabis, Rajasthanis and others outnumber Marathis today in Mumbai, their language Marathi has not suffered on any account. Whereas every household speaks Marathi, the same cannot be said about Dogra houses in Jammu today.
In the city of Jammu, which is also home to Punjabis, Mirpuris, Gujjars, Paharis, Bhadarwahis, Kishtwaris and Kashmiris along with now sizable number of skilled laborers from Biharis and parts of Uttar Pradesh, there is a growing tendency in Dogri homes to shun mother tongue in favor of Hindi and English.
Not only the kids being brought up in urban centers are hardly speaking Dogri but there is growing tendency amongst the family elders in villages to talk to their wards in Hinidized Dogri with smattering of distorted English words. One has only to imagine the negative impact upon mother tongue when this urban tendency is also followed in rural pockets, where already ‘English Academies’ are doing roaring business.
Thus growing distance of children from their mother tongue has emerged as major challenge for the future of the language and the traditional knowledge it encompasses as each language is a uniquely structured world of thought, with its own associations, metaphors, ways of thinking, vocabulary, sound system and grammar – all working together in a marvelous architectural structure which is so fragile that it could easily be lost forever.
Neglect of Mother Tongue in School Curriculum
Though during 1950’s, under the Naya Kashmir aspirations, Kashmiri was introduced as a subject of study as well as medium of instruction but soon bureaucracy had after thoughts and it was replaced by Urdu.
Dogri which was agreed by government to be introduced in schools, in fact started from the very top of the academic ladder and introduced as topic of research and later on post-graduate classes started in University of Jammu.
It was due to relentless efforts of Dogri Sanstha that recently there has been some success in introducing Dogri as one of the subjects in few schools and colleges. But general administrative apathy and lack of language teachers is proving a great deterrent for desiring students to opt for Dogri as a subject.
Along with ongoing hiatus in government policies in giving due place to mother tongues in education system, the globalization has also changed the circumstances under which language learning takes place. It has posed newer challenges and necessities reframing of courses and syllabi and sensitizing language teaching professionals.
In this age of ascendency of English and Hindi in public sphere where English learning to whatever degree can be empowering, there are hardly takers for Dogri despite the proven fact that children who start studies in mother tongue fare much better in terms of intellectual growth than their counterparts who begin learning through the medium of English or any other non-native language.
Lack of Visibility in Public Sphere
Like in Punjab, Tamil Nadu or Bengal, where one is sure to encounters all public signage in local languages, no such visibility of Dogri language is seen in public spaces. Similarly, other than Dogri writers and scholars and organizations, Dogri is hardly being put to use in public correspondence, invitation cards, public notices, posters, banners etc.
Throughout the twentieth century, radio, television and the print media have immensely furthered the cause of regional languages, but sadly barring Radio, Dogri did not gain much from various forms of mass media. All India Radio Jammu, with variety of popular programs, music and drama segments, not only catered to the colloquial Dogra communities settled in far flung areas of the region but also greatly helped in revamping of the linguistic identity through broadcasting multifaceted shared cultural heritage.
Not undermining the pivotal contribution and continuing need for quality literature in the development of Dogri, popular publications in every day life have their own importance. In this reference it is an alarming fact that other than literary and academic journals like Dogri Sanstha’s ‘Nami Chetna’, J&K Cultural Academy’s ‘Sheeraja’ and Jammu University’s Post Graduate Department’s ‘Dogri Shodh’, only one daily newspaper and one weekly is being published; that too having minimum readership. This near absence of popular publication in Dogri is also a major reason behind language’s almost total lack of visibility in public life and sphere.
Same is true for local TV channels which are yet to take initiative in giving adequate time slot to programs in Dogri. The only exception being the Doordarshan Kendra Jammu and the meager two percent share of programs in Dogri telecast from Kashir channel. But this miniscule production of TV serials in Dogri by luring most of the local actors, have adversely affected the popular media of theatre in general and Dogri Theater in particular.
Though recently there have been efforts to make films in Dogri, but sadly the three films released on big screen in last three years have not even recovered their production cost. Due to near absence of cinemas in major district head quarters, the looming specter of eminent financial loss is a major challenge for the future of Dogri cinema.
The Dogri songs are also missing from the bulk of trendy music played in public transport plying in Jammu region. Instead it is Punjabi pop albums and Bollywood songs that are generally played.
Though the creative writers and academicians are constantly adding on to body the printed books in Dogri but sadly there are hardly readers to read the books. Another problem that is plaguing the overall publications in Dogri is the lack standardization of Dogri script. This infirmity is not only affecting the Dogri in print, but also proving to be a major hindrance in creating the much need Unicode for writing and translating Dogri on computers and the internet.
Dogri’s new official position which now entitles language’s representation on the Official Languages Commission, and makes obligatory on part of Government of India to take measures for the development of the language, such that it grows rapidly in richness and become effective means of communicating modern knowledge, has certainly opened up new vistas for the development of the language.
The ongoing schemes of J&K Cultural Academy, Sahitya Akademi, Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore, are playing very important role mainly in reference to literary and academic expressions of Dogri language in print.
When the world is seeing revival movements of languages, tribes and communities in the remotest corners of the globe are fighting for the right to converse as their ancestors did, the zealots of Dogri also need to devise new strategies for restoring the social prestige of the language by elevating it to the status necessary for full civic participation and economic advancement.
But first of all down ward decline of the language due to community’s own lack of pride in its heritage, needs to be reversed with help of plethora of opportunities in this age of new media.
Along with immediate standardization of script for writing in Dogri and its publications, the other steps needed in reference to Dogri literature include large number of quality translations from Dogri to other languages and vice versa, reframing of courses and syllabi, creating of school text books in Dogri for science and social sciences subjects and knowledge literature.
In this digital age it is important to use all forms of media and social media to popularize the language especially in the entertainment sector. Some of steps could be launching of a dedicated Dogri TV channel, producing and marketing popular Dogri films, music albums and drama audio and video CD’s and DVDs, launching special sites of Dogri music on internet through dedicated web sites, digital and online editions of Dogri books, newspapers, weeklies, also portals for on-line purchase of Dogri books, music and video CD’s and DVD’s, holding of Jammu Mela through public participation, exclusive Dogri drama and music competitions by region’s civic bodies etc.
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