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Future of Dogri language Sir, This letter refers to ''three days seminar on Dogri'' which was held recently in the Jammu University in which stress was given for the inclusion of the Dogri in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution. A demand was also made in the seminar that early arrangements be made by the State Government for the teaching of Dogri at the primary level in the Government schools. It was also alleged by the participants that a proper place is not being given to the Dogri in the programmes of TV and All India Radio. May, I tell the protagonists of the Dogri, that inclusion of Dogri in the 8th Schedule will not help in the development of the language. For instance, Kashmiri which has been included in the 8th schedule could not progress because Kashmiris give preference to Urdu in their written communication and moreover, the State Government is not sincere in the Development of Kashmiri. In support of my views, I may give the example of the total failure of the Kashir channel of Door Darshan. In the absence of standard literature in both Dogri and Kashmiri, no body would like to get their wards educated in Dogri. The policy of the state government to keep Urdu and English, the official languages of the State, inspite of the facts, that these both languages are spoken by a few hundred people in the State as such this policy of the State Government is a great hurdle in the development of the regional languages like Kashmiri and Dogri. How the regional languages which are still dialects can develop and flourish without the patronage of the Government? Moreover, the lovers of Urdu, Kashmiri, Hindi, Dogri, Pahari, Gojjari and Punjabi when per chance meet together in the Seminar or in Kavi Sammelan, they always support and praise the language in which the Kavi Sammelan or seminar is being held but in the meetings of their own Associations they usually criticise other sister language and think for the development of the language. The former protagonists of Sanskrit, Hindi and Urdu (in Jammu region) and Persian and Urdu (in Kashmir valley) have now become the votaries of Dogri in Jammu and Kashmiri in the Kashmir valley but at the same time keeping their loyality with Hindi and Urdu or other languages in which they have done mastery. If we assess the Dogri literature that has been produced in the last fifty years, it's surely a petty volume. Moreover, it could not become popular or mass based except, the work of Dinu Bhai's Gutlu. A few books are being circulated among the lovers of the Dogri and it is a matter of surprise that well read persons whose mother tongue is Dogri do not like to purchase and read the Dogri books. The protagonists of Dogri feel proud when their kids speak Hindi in homes as well as in the Public schools. In this seminar Aviation Minister Mr Chaman Lal Gupta who started his speech in Hindi was requested to speak in Dogri. He agreed to speak in Dogri and audience noted that he could not speak in chaste Dogri rather his speech was a mixture of Punjabi and Dogri. In such scenario and when the Dogri language is still in early state of its development we shall have to restrain ourselves to say that Dogras will be alienated if Dogri is not included in the 8th schedule of the constitution. Even the written communication in it is negligible. Then how we can make tall claims and issue such statements which have no base and reality. To talk of opening of a Dogri medium Public School is like making castles in the air. That too at a time when people look for good English medium schools particularly convents. Yours etc... |
