Context:
• Despite being one of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule and one of the five official languages of Jammu & Kashmir, Dogri is witnessing a steady decline in usage and proficiency, particularly among younger generations and urban populations.
• The trend highlights broader linguistic erosion in India, where globalization, policy neglect, and cultural homogenization are accelerating language endangerment.
Key Highlights:
- National Linguistic Context
- UNESCO notes that India leads globally in the number of dialects facing extinction.
- Over the past 50 years, India has lost more than 220 languages, according to the former Director of the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL).
- Linguists warn that the 2021 Census data (still awaited) is essential to assess which Indian languages are most endangered.
- Dogri’s Status and Recognition
- Dogri was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 2003 and recognized under the Jammu & Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020, alongside Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, and English.
- Despite its official status, Dogri remains marginalized in education, administration, and digital spaces.
- A recent regional survey found that 48% of respondents in the Jammu region felt government support for Dogri was inadequate.
- Sociolinguistic Trends and Challenges
- Urban vs. Rural Divide:
- Only 45% of urban respondents speak Dogri, and a mere 4% can write it, whereas 56% of rural respondents actively use the language.
- Generational Shift:
- Younger respondents show 0% proficiency in reading and writing Dogri, revealing a sharp intergenerational linguistic gap.
- Economic and Cultural Factors:
- Globalization and migration have led many families to prioritize Hindi and English for educational and career advancement.
- This shift, combined with delayed institutional recognition, has weakened intergenerational transmission and cultural pride.
- Broader Cultural Implications
- The decline of Dogri reflects India’s broader linguistic crisis, where economic mobility and digital media promote homogenization.
- Decolonizing linguistics requires reversing the mindset that equates English with progress and restoring pride in regional languages.
- Civil society and academic institutions must work to document, digitize, and teach endangered languages through community programs and school curricula.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Dogri Language:
- Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the Jammu region of J&K.
- Uses Devanagari script officially (formerly written in Takri).
- Included in Eighth Schedule (92nd Constitutional Amendment, 2003).
- Jammu & Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020: Recognized Dogri, Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, and English as official languages.
- UNESCO’s Language Vitality Classification: Categorizes languages as Vulnerable, Definitely Endangered, Severely Endangered, and Critically Endangered.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Significance:
- Languages like Dogri embody regional identity, oral literature, and cultural heritage.
- Protecting them strengthens India’s linguistic federalism and pluralism.
- Challenges:
- Policy Gaps: Inconsistent state-level support and absence of long-term funding for language promotion.
- Educational Bias: Dogri is not uniformly included in school curricula, limiting formal exposure.
- Digital Marginalization: Lack of Dogri representation in digital media, Unicode support, and e-learning platforms.
- Way Forward:
- Integrate Dogri as a medium of instruction in primary schools across Jammu.
- Create Dogri language digital repositories—podcasts, literature archives, and translation apps.
- Establish a Dogri Language Academy with funding for publishing, cultural events, and film dubbing.
- Encourage community participation and youth-driven storytelling initiatives to revive usage.