How Lack of Institutional Support is Leading to the Decline of Dogri Language

In this era of deterritorialisation, where boundaries are increasingly becoming blurred and cultures intermingle, many languages have found new spaces to thrive. As people from diverse backgrounds connect more than ever, linguistic exchange has become widespread. Yet, amidst this time-space compression – marked by mass migration, digital dominance, and the rise of global languages – regional and indigenous tongues have faced growing marginalisation.

One such language is Dogri – the regional language of Jammu. A cherished Dogri saying, “Mithriye Dogre Di Boli, Te Khand Mitthe Log Dogre” (Just like the Dogri language, the people who speak it are also sweet), captures the warmth and identity embedded in the language. Sadly, there is a growing fear that Dogri may soon be reduced to such sayings only, as both its speakers and those who can write it are declining steadily.

The history of the Dogri language is both ancient and culturally significant. Dr. J. Voghel documented a stone inscription in the Takri script (the original Dogri script)  dating back to 1160 A.D., offering early evidence of Dogri’s written form. The renowned Persian poet and musician Amir Khusrau (1253 -1325 A.D.) also referenced Dogri in his Masnavi Nuh-Sipihr, listing it among the prominent Indian languages of the time. Dogri gained further prominence during the reign of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, who granted it official recognition as a court language.

To promote its growth, the Maharaja initiated Dogri classes at the Raghunath Mandir Pathshala, where scholars were even provided with books and uniforms. He personally supervised these pathshalas and monitored their academic progress. Between 1856 and 1885, the use of Dogri expanded significantly – it was even employed on currency and postal stamps.

Noted geologist Frederic Drew observed this shift, writing, “New Dogri is used for petitions that are read before the Maharaja, and for this purpose, it has replaced Persian, on which petitions were written when I first came to Jammu.”

Despite earlier efforts, Dogri began to decline after the Dogra rule ended. Under British colonialism, Urdu replaced Persian as the administrative language, pushing Dogri further to the margins. Before Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India in 1947, Dogri was widely spoken and written in the Jammu region.

However, post-accession, Kashmiri and Urdu received official status and were included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, while Dogri was overlooked. This lack of institutional support, especially in schools, gradually eroded its presence in public and educational spaces.

The renaissance of Dogri began with the efforts of influential literary figures such as Dinu Bhai Pant, Shambhu Nath Sharma (who translated the Ramayana into Dogri), Kishan Smailpuri, and Padma Sachdev. Their efforts marked a cultural resurgence, with the primary aim of securing official recognition for Dogri through its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution – a crucial milestone for any Indian language. After decades of persistent advocacy by these writers, and others dedicated to the cause, Dogri was finally added to the Eighth Schedule in 2003.

However, despite this official recognition, Dogri struggled to gain widespread ground due to its continued absence from academic curricula.

Also, the decline of Dogri extends beyond the domain of academics. The influence of modernity has distanced many from their cultural roots. Another reason is the  lack of parental encouragement. Many parents neither speak Dogri at home nor motivate their children to do so; some even feel hesitant or embarrassed to use the language in public. But when a language is neither spoken at home, nor taught in schools, nor valued in society, its extinction becomes inevitable.

The responsibility of preserving Dogri rests, in large part, on the shoulders of the youth. They must speak their mother tongue with confidence and pride. There is no harm in learning languages like English or Hindi – in fact, it is essential in today’s world – but it should not come at the cost of forgetting or devaluing one’s own linguistic heritage.

Dogri can truly thrive with its inclusion in academics

The government must take concrete steps to safeguard it. One crucial initiative would be to incorporate Dogri into the academic curriculum. We can take inspiration from our neighbouring state of Punjab, where it is mandatory for students to study their mother tongue up to the 10th standard. If we start adopting these measures gradually, there is a strong possibility that the language can be revived.

Dogri can truly thrive when its inclusion in academics ensures a visible presence in schools through written learning, and when people embrace it with genuine love and pride in their mother tongue, keeping it alive in daily and social life.

It must also establish a vibrant presence in the digital and entertainment spheres – through movies, music, and other creative media. This cultural firewalling–  extending from homes and schools to the digital and creative spheres - is essential to keep the language alive in a fast-changing world.

Rohan Qurashi is a fourth year research student at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi.

Dr. Karan Singh belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Jammu and Kashmir and is also a former Union minister. 

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