Maj Gen SK Sharma
shiv_k_sharma@yahoo.co.in
In the meetings of Dogras, on many occasions, the question discussed is that why the elected govt of J&K keeps sidelining Dogri language and does not give it the due respect it deserves. Doesn’t the govt. understand the sentiments of 30 lakh Dogras, staying in J&K whose mother tongue is Dogri?
Senior citizens sometimes feel that such attitude of the Govt. will lead the Dogra culture and Dogri language vanish from this planet very fast.
Latest example is the incident in the Legislative Assembly when Satish Sharma, a Dogra MLA from Billawar, spoke in Dogri and sought solution to the problems of his constituency, he was discouraged from speaking in Dogri by none other than the Chief Minister of J&K. Also sarcastically, CM hinted that he should take his video in Dogri, and show in his constituency. Senior citizens feel it as an insult to all the Dogri speaking citizens.
Some Questions to the Govt
Hasn’t Dogri got the national status being one of the 22 official languages in the country since 2003?
Isn’t Dogri the official language of JK UT since 2020?
Doesn’t the JK Official Languages Act No. 23 of 26 Sep 2020 state that the business of the legislative assembly is to be transacted in the official languages of the UT?
Doesn’t the same Act talk of promoting use of Dogri (official languages) for official purposes?
Then why this step-motherly treatment of the Govt towards Dogri.
Feelings of Senior Citizens
It is the general feeling among Dogras that all the elected Govts. in J&K since 1947 have never thought of making Dogri as the official language of the State/UT. Even the current elected Govt. would have never realized sentiments of Dogras and made Dogri as the official language.
Thank God, during 2020, there was no elected Govt in J&K and the Central Govt got the J&K Official Languages Act 2020 passed in the Parliament on which Ram Nath Kovind, the then President of India put his stamp.
It is also felt that the message of the Govt has silently percolated in the education system as well. Till date, Dogri has not been made as a compulsory language in the schools even in hard core Dogri-speaking regions.
Importance of Mother Tongue
Helps saving Repository of knowledge: It is a known fact that the mother tongue is essential for saving the culture as it is a primary source of knowledge of hundreds of earlier generations. Through it, the cultural history, cultural practices, customs, traditions pass from one generation to the next helping bonding among individuals, strengthening societal ties, providing cultural identity and a sense of pride besides cultural homogenization.
If the language disappears, the world would lose all the knowledge of thousands of years associated with that language.
Helps Unlocking Potential: To a child, who is sent to the school first time, it is the language which makes him/her comfortable in understanding the environment. In case he/she is not taught in the mother tongue, then the classroom and the language become an invisible wall between him/her and the knowledge. Such children start struggling, lose confidence leading to fading of the inherent curiosity in them to learn thus suppressing their internal potential. Their intellectual growth also gets hindered.
When the children are taught in the mother tongue, the world opens up in front of them, igniting a spark of understanding, instilling self-confidence in them and they start believing that “We can do it”.
Strengthens Individual’s Identity: Now a days, an individual is known by his email id and the mobile number. All the correspondence, bank dealings, train/air reservations etc. recognize one by ones’ email id or the mobile number. But when one goes out to other places within the country or abroad, one is more known by the cultural identity as Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali etc. Similarly, the identity of most of the Jammuites, irrespective their religion and the region of origin, is the Dogra identity. They take pride in being referred as Dogras.
However, in case they are driven to shun their mother tongue in schools, they will get disconnected not only from their society but also from their intimate family members and friends. They lose their cultural identity and some of them, at later stages, suffer from mental distress, social isolation finally leading to mental disorder.
Importance of Mother Tongues at Global Level: To raise awareness about the importance of mother languages, all the countries in the world have started celebrating International Mother Tongue Day on 21 February every year. Even United Nations has proclaimed 2022-2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages with UNESCO leading efforts to preserve, revitalize and promote the mother tongues worldwide.
Does J&K UT belong to some other planet and not part of the national or global communities who are laying so much emphasis on the promotion of the mother tongues.
Actions Suggested for the Govt and Society
Senior citizens feel that the following actions be taken by the govt as well as various segments in the society to promote our mother tongues at all levels.
Make Dogri and Kashmiri Compulsory: These two languages are the official languages of J&K UT. National Education Policy 2020 directs teaching of mother tongue at the school level and hence these should be made compulsory in schools, preferably up to class 8th in Jammu and Kashmir provinces respectively.
Actions by CBSE School Owners: CBSE schools being run primarily for the children of the employees who keep moving from one state to another, Dogri was not listed as the language to be taught. Now it is learnt that, from the session 2026 onward, even they have accepted Dogri to be taught in their schools. Owners of the private CBSE schools must ensure implementation of this directive in their schools too.
Actions by Owners of State Board Schools: They are also requested to motivate their students to take the subject of Dogri at least up to class 9th.
Action by the Dogra Society: You are requested to admit your children in schools which teach Dogri as a subject so that your children get the cultural insight, remain connected with you, your family, the local society and contribute to the nation.
In accordance with Three-Language Formula promulgated in the National Education Policy, our schools are already teaching English and Hindi/Urdu as the first two subjects. These two languages ensure job for the children whereas Dogri as the third language will strengthen the bond between the children and the parents
(The author is former Board Member, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board)
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