Sadaket Ali Malik
The Paharis are by no means the people living in the hilly regions, but the people whose language is mountainous have their unique culture and way of life. The Pahari is an umbrella term and under it there is a hierarchy of dialects. Pahari was also listed in the 6th schedule of Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. Whenever a Pahari is mentioned, most of the people argue that it means everyone who is living in a mountainous area, but this is not the case at all. Pahari is an ethnolinguistics way of folklore.
Linguists have divided the Pahari language into three major catagories :
This branch of the Eastern Pahari language is spoken in a vast region as far as Nepal. The locals call it “Khashura”.
This branch of the Central Pahari language is spoken in the Garhwal area of Uttarakhand. The locals call it “Gurwali and Komoni”.
This branch of the western Pahari language is spoken in the upper parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Division’s Bhalessa, Bhaderwah, Paddar, Saraz, Ramban, Pogal Puristan, other areas of western pahari are Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Pothohar Plateau, Murree, Jhelum, Hazara and Peshawar.
Central Pahari is a sub-dialect of Punjabi language, while Eastern Pahari dialect is a mixture of Pothohari dialect due to its similarity to Pothohari area, while Western Pahari dialect is a sub-dialect of Punjabi language due to its similarity to Dogri area.
There are many pahari speaking people of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts who are yet to be identified, surveyed, legalised under certain provisions of the Government like Inclusion in 8th schedule, majority of Pahari endangered dialects like Bhalesi, Bhaderwahi, Paddri, Sarazi, Pogali, Gaddi are mentioned in the first linguistic survey of India conducted by G A Grierson. These dialects come under the manifold of Western Pahari classification as elucidated by Grierson and other Linguists like Ghraham Belley and Patterhook. The Government of Jammu and kashmir documents like [District Doda at a Glance 2016-17 Page 5] mentioned these dialects as Pahari. The Pahari Speaking people are a specific class that has a distinct culture, way of life and customs, and the most distinctive feature of this group is that it speaks a Pahari language. If I live in the mountains, it will be called Pahari. The identity of this class is similar to the way Gujarati speakers are called Gujjar, Kashmiri speakers are called Kashmiri, Dogri speakers are called Dogra and Ladakhi speakers are called Ladakhi, Bhalessi speakers are called Bhalesi, Bhaderwahi speakers are called Bhaderwahi, Padri speakers are called Paddri, the people inhibiting in Saraz are Sarazi, and Paharis of Pogal Puristan and Ramban District are speakers of Pogali, Gaddi (pastoral dialects are speakees of Gaddi dialect) spoken in Bhaderwah and Bani Billawar areas.
Bhalesi Dialect
Bhalesi has its own rich words and grammer. It is listed in the First linguistic survey of India volume IX. Bhalesi dialect has some similiarities with Bhaderwahi but has its own distinct phonology. Bhalesi is widely mentioned in the studies conducted by P K Kaul, Petterhook and Ghram Belley. The people belonging to Bhalessa (Gandoh Bhalessa, Chilly Pingal, Jitota, Neeli, Bathri Changa, Khaljugasar, Alni Gingota, Basnota, and Kahara Tehsils speak Bhalesi and it is evident that its people are pahari speaking People (PSP).
However, Bhalesi comes under the umbrella of Indo Aryan languages and are enjoying the same right as provided to the Himachili, Pothwari, Kangri and others. The unique feature of Bhalesi pahari language is that it is spoken by all the communities i.e both Hindus and Muslims so it is a link language between the two communities. Bhalesi practice distinct Pahari Culture and are more closely related to the Pahari languages spoken in Himachal Pradesh and Bhaderwahi.
Bhaderwahi
Bhaderwahi is another rich language and has a distinction of being a Pahari Speaking Dialect of Bhaderwah and its adjoining villages. The language comes under western Pahari classification as classified by first linguistic survey of India conducted in 1919. This Pahari speaking dialects is spoken by all the communities.
G.A. Grierson (1919) has elucidated Bhaderwahi and Bhalesi morphology.
Bhaderwahi has its own grammar and is spoken in Bhaderwah tehsil of Doda District. Bhaderwah is a region popularly known as Chota Kashmir and is known for its beauty throughout the country. Bhaderwahi songs, and literature is seen developing. Bhaderwahi is a lingua fransca of Bhaderwah and is spoken in every household.
Sarazi
A rich dialect and having palethora of words is spoken in Saraz region of Doda upto the Dhar of Ramban area. It is a wide area where Sarazi is spoken. As per the First linguistic survey of India Sarazi too is a Pahari speaking dialect spoken by varying communities. The language has been a source of amity among the people of all the communities. It has rich words and comes under Western Pahari classification.
Grierson (1919) elucidated a clear sketch of Sarazi in Linguistic Survey of India (1903-1928), classified it as a dialect of Kashmiri admitting that it could equally be classified as a Western Pahari language.
Among all the neighbouring languages, Sarazi shares the highest per cent of its vocabulary with Bhaderwahi. Sarazi being a Western Pahari has a lexical similiarities with Bhaderwahi, Bhalessi and Padri too. The other linguists also termed Sarazi as a part of Western Pahari family. It is worthwhile to.mention here that Sarazi has been termed as definetly endangered dialect by UNESCO as there has been no literature development or non inclusion of this dialect under certain provisions vis a vis revival of its script.
Padri dialect
Padri dialect is a part of dialect chain of Bhaderwahi-Bhalesi-Padri (Grierson 1919 in Linguistic survey of India). Padri is too a rich dialect spoken in saffron valley of Padder. It is a dialect spoken by varying communities of Padder area of Kishtwar district and has rich words and grammer. Near Padder is an area called Nagseni where Ist World Peace conference was held. The area is producing rich quantity of saffron and is playing a pivotal role in advancement of the economy.The number of speakers, as of the 1981 census, stood at 10,000. Now the number is quite mushrooming.
Padri dialect as an offshoot of westen Pahari has been kept under vulnerable category of languages in 2014 by Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India.
Poguli
Poguli is an unparalled language. It is spoken in Pogal Paristan area of district Ramban and has a rich phonological and lexical features. It has similarities with Western Pahari and Kashmiri. A link language of Pahari and Kashmiri. Several linguists termed it as Pahari and comes under the offshoot of Western Pahari. Poguli has a close lexical similarities with other Western Pahari dislects. It is a Pahari speaking dialect and is spoken by most of the people in Tehsil Banihal. Poguli is intermediate between Kashmiri and Western Pahari as per several surveys and studies. Besides its lexical similarities with Kashmiri it is spoken by the people inhabiting the hilly areas of Pogal Paristan. It is sorrounded by area of Sarazi and Bhaderwahi (western Pahari offshoot of Indo Aryan family).
Deswali Dialect
Spoken in Dessa area of Doda, it also termed as Pahari dialect. The dialect has close lexical similarities with Sarazi a child dialect of Western Pahari.
Tribal Dialect of Khasha (Khasas)
The linguistic survey of India asserted it in its volume 9 Part 4. General introduction has a mention about the Khasa (Khasha) as inhabitants of Banshala (Present day Banihal) since the claim of Khah (Khasha) for giving it ST status or tribal language status is genuine historically. Grierson in his Volume 9 part 4 has elucidated the passages of Rajtarangni and termed Khashas as inhabitants of this area. It is to mention here that both the Poguli and Khasha has a seprate mention and both are enjoying distinct place in historical studies. Both are independent in nature and both need to be groomed. Khasas being a tribal dialect need to be brought under the Tribal status whereas the poguli having distinct literature need to be revived under western pahari. Literature can’t die, it has distinct features of its own and has no comparison. Since the tribal status for khasha is genuine the Khasha is unparallel owing to its distinct historical importance.
Gaddi dialect :Gaddi
Gaddi dialect comes under the western Pahari classification. It is mainly spoken in Bharmour Chamba and the Bhaderwah, Bani Billawar area of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a pestoral dialect/ tribal dialect too. The UNESCO in its documents has kept the Gaddi dialect under definently endengered dialect. It hasn’t got tribal or pahari status yet. Gaddi language is very beautiful, typical and unique in itself. Gaddi is widely spoken and it’s the mother-tongue of people of not only from Gaddi community but that of other castes including Sippi, Gaddi-Brahmin, and Rehaade living in Upper reaches of Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar Districts of Jammu region. It is spoken widely in Bhaderwah. Since its preservation is imperative either to grant it a Pahari or Tribal status.
To conclude, it is said that the entire erstwhile Doda (Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar) and even other districts like Udhampur, Kathua and Reasi are originally Paharis. Owing to the rich words idioms, phrases, vowels, consonants, phonology these dialects are totally ignored and it is evident from the history that the people speaking these dialects are Pahari speaking. These dialects are heading towards extinction and need Pahari status, and scheduled language status. Promotion and revival of their scripts and literature is need of the hour. Government need to frame a committee to gauge the legality of these dialects by assigning a fresh task to J&K Pahari Speaking Board for the conduct for fresh census so as to do justice with the people. The Jammu and Kashmir reservation rules need to be amended at this juncture.
The author is Founder/ Secretary of Pahari Core Committee ( Centre for Study of indigenous Culture J&K)
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