I
Sir,
Refer article ‘Ignore Dogri at your own peril’ by BD Sharma published in Daily Excelsior some time back. Congratulations Bishan ji for yet another illuminating article on promotion of Dogri in the land of Dogras.
Your piece is a part of your sincere effort to motivate Dogras to start conversing within their homes and with friends publicly so they shed the complex of speaking Dogri.
You have rightly given example of Kashmiris, both KPs & Muslim brothers. We know how our Kashmiri friends would start talking among themselves in Kashmiri language to inconvenience to us. But they (KPs) have not given up speaking Kashmiri even remaining away from Kashmir. Their children born in “exile” also speak Kashmir.
Look at all States of India. Everyone speak the native language of their State proudly and even fight for it.
I don’t know why we Dogras shy of taking pride in our “khand mithi” Dogri.
I think some one should organise a seminar to discuss why we don’t speak Dogri. Yes, a number of us don’t know much of Dogri.
Anyways, I salute B D Sharma for vigorously taking up the issue of Dogri.
KB Jandial
Jammu
II
Sir,
Wonderful write up. The use of anecdotes, sprinkled with teth Dogri spicy words made the readers like me emotional of our Dogra lineage. It is a fact that Dogri speaking people are decreasing by the day. AIR JAMMMU struggles hard to find Dogri speaking officers/professionals for their programmes and people like me get the opportunity as I hail from so called theth Dogra speaking belt of Billawar as the doctor in your article referred to.
Vijay Upadhyay
Retired Jt Director
Agriculuture