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Genesis of Kashmir language-I

Sir,

Refer to Balraj Puri's 'Major Identities of J&K State' date lined 19.4.2001.

The Kashmiri Pandit scholars who were intimately connected with Dr. Grierson were not at all in agreement with his formulations about the genesis of Kashmiri language. There were lot many European scholars like Ralph Turner, Joules Block, Stenkonow and George Morgenhtiarnor who pooh-poohed and openly flouted the observations made by George Grierson about the origines of Kashmiri language.

The fundamental word-hoard of Kashmiri Language, its syntax, its noun and verb forms and more than most words related to the agricultural operations and names of tools and implements used during such operations owe their origin to the Sanskritic word-hoard. Despite it, Dr. Grierson has placed Kashmiri in the Dardic group of dialects and sub-dialects. These as per him are intermediate to the Indo Aryan and Iranian groups of languages.

Stenkonow and Joules Block have placed the Dardic languages or dialects within the Indo Aryan group of languages and not in the Iranian cluster of languages. Even the very word 'Dard' has sanskrit origins and all language. Clusters subsumed under the nomenclature of Dardic languages are metamorphosed forms of old vedic sanskrit. Chitrali, Kafri, Shina, Kashmiri and Kohistani are the Dardic group of languages which in terms of linguistics are directly related to Paishachi, which is a recognised prakrita having a sufficient quanta of literature. How Dr. Grierson missed it is puzzling.

According to the Hormley, Paishachi is a Dravidian prakrit but Purshotamdeva and Dr. Gyune as expert linguists consider it a metamorphosed form of sanskrit and shraurseni prakrit.

It is pertinent to put that Dr. T N Ganjoo under the scholarly guidance of Dr. R K Sharma, former HOD of Hindi, University of Kashmir has thoroughly researched the subject and established the origins of Kashmiri language in the vedic sanskrit.

It is equally relevant to put that Dr. Grierson had colonialist imperatives in distorting the genesis of a language in a region which was being eyed by the British Imperial Government for imperialist designs. Dr. Grierson whose presumptions were accepted uncritically was also unaware of the fact that the literature of Kashmiri language pre-dated 14th century AD and reference material in this behalf which is of extreme relevance is available from the works of Abhinavgupta, Bilhan, Kalhan et al.

It is earnestly hoped that Balraj Puri as known scholar will re-orient his views about the unique political identity of Kashmir which he believes got fractured by the migration not the expulsion of Kashmiri pandits. The 1989-90 expulsion is seventh in the series of their expulsions from their land of genesis. The truth has to be told, not camouflaged under the compulsion of expediencies.

Yours etc...
Prof Mohan Lal Koul
Talab Tilloo, Jammu

Genesis of Kashmir language-II

Sir,

This is in reference to the article "Major Identities of J&K State'' by Mr. Balraj Puri which appeared in your Daily Excelsior dated April 20, 2001.

The writer has put forth geographical and some historical facts and has touched almost all aspects of J&K State. But some points need updating.

In column II para 5, the writer has quoted Grierson that "Kashmiri language or Kashur is not part of Indo-Aryan languages, it is not of Sanskrit but Dardic Origin". This theory of origin of Kashmiri language has undoubtedly been falsified some 20 years ago by the scholars like Dr. T N Ganju, the then Professor in Hindi, University of Kashmir. In his "The History of Kashmiri language" Dr. Ganju has shown the origin of Kashmiri language from vedic one. There are hundreds vedic words still used in Kashmiri language in the original form and some with slight phonetic changes. For example word Snush in vedic is nush in Kashmiri means bride in English and Maha as Mash etc.

Yours etc..
P N Raina
351 A Shastrinagar ,
Jammu

Amend the order

Sir,

The 5th Pay Commission recommended the rationalisation of Pension of Pre 1986 pensioners bringing them at par with other pensioners. The Central Government accepted the recommendation and the State Governments followed the same. It issued Govt. Order No.F-275 of 1998 dated 14.10.1998 for following the Central Govt. procedure. While issuing such orders its forgot that the retirement age of the State Govt. at that time (Before 86) was 55 years as against 58 years of the Central Govt. employees.

The State Govt. should have extended the benefit of three notional increments bringing them at par with other pensioners because employees after 86 retired after attaining 58 years of age. Those employees, therefore, got 3 more increments than the pre 86 retirees and they continued to draw lesser pension to their juniors and subordinates.

Justice demands amendment of relevant rule of the Government order No. F-275 of 1998 dated 14.10.1998. It need to be inserted as "The benefit of three notional increments be extended bringing pre 86 pensioners at par with other pensioners.

This humble suggestion is put down for sympathetic consideration of the present Government headed by Dr. Farooq Abdullah. If the request is considered genuine, then the pensioners Association and Trade Unions may endorse it with their recommendations and extend full support to it.

Yours etc..
S N Qazi
Shantinagar,
Tophsherkhania, Jammu

Dogri folk music

Sir,

The Article on Dogra Folk lore (III) that appeared in your esteemed paper dated 5.4.2001 is no doubt a thought provoking write up. The study of the Folk lore neglected over centuries is to be given serious attention. However, to make the records straight, Dogri scholars have made in-depth study from language or literature point of view. In the said article Dr. Shrivats has referred to two scholars namely Dr. Gautam Vyathit and Vishwanath Khajuria who have somehow gleemed folk songs from the varied literature available orally.

Tunes and musical patterns of our Dogri folk songs have been maintained orally through many generations, even without royal patronage and without a proper musical notation in the written form. I have made a humble attempt to study the Dogri folk songs in their musical characteristics. The main aim of the project work is to understand the richness and the style of the Dogri folk music, and to analyses the musical structure as well as the text of the songs as preserved in the various parts of the regions. So far, main emphasis of the researchers has been on the collections in as much a number as possible, but as a collector of Dogri Folk songs, my aim has been not to gather the specimens and transcribe their melody only, but also to analyse/examine the thought content, style tonality, mode, melody, rhythmic structure and embelishments like nuances and twists that the singers provide as suited to their innate sense in order to give as intelligible picture of Dogri folk songs.

Almost every genre of the Dogri folk songs, running into four hundred numbers have been touched and analysed musically in my project work entitled "Folk Music of Duggar" A study of Dogri folk songs with special reference to musicology. An attempt has been made to cover as far as possible, the interiors of the administrative boundaries of the Duggar land for the collection of songs. Expert singers of the particular genre of the folk songs from various parts of the region have been contacted and the specimens recorded for illustration. I have also tried to compare a few of the Dogri folk songs with those of neighbouring areas like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to show how rich our folk songs are both musically and in content.

The project have been undertaken with a view to explain the richness of old folk songs of Duggar which might be overshadowed by initiation in one form or the other, particularly in the present changing social scenario.

Yours etc..
Dr. Seema Sharma
Govt. College for Women
Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.
C/o Prof. Ved Parkash
Durga Sangeet Academy
Pacca Danga, Jammu