Niyati
“Meri Boli Meri Pehchaan Hai. Par Meri Boli Ab Kisi Museum Ki Cheez Ban Rahi Hai,” laments 67 Year-old Sudesh Rani, a retired school teacher from Jammu, reflecting on the slow disappearance of Dogri, the once-vibrated mother tongue of the Dogra community.
What happens when a language fades from homes, schools, and streets? Can a community survive when its mother tongue is no longer spoken, written, or sung? These are urgent questions facing Jammu, where Dogri-the indigenous language of the region-is fighting a battle against indifference, urbanization, and linguistic elitism.
This is the story of a language on the verge, but also the story of resistance-of poets, professors, podcasters, and ordinary people refusing to let Dogri disappear quietly.
What is Dogri and Why Does It Matter?
Dogri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in the Jammu region of Jammu & Kashmir and parts of Himachal Pradesh. It belongs to the Western Pahari group and shares linguistic features with Punjabi, Hindi, and other North Indian languages.
Historically, Dogri was the language of the Dogra kings, warriors, saints, and artists. It carries within it a treasure trove of folklore, Bhajans, riddles, and oral traditions that define the cultural identity of Dogra people-Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs alike.
?In 2003, Dogri received national recognition when it was included in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, giving it the status of an official language. Yet, 21 years later, the question remains: how many of us are still speaking it?
Decline in Use: What the Numbers Say
The 2011 Census of India reported that over 2.6 million people identified Dogri as their mother tongue. But the real picture is bleaker. According to language experts from Jammu University, less than 30% of urban Dogra families speak Dogri at home. ?In schools, Dogri is offered as an optional subject, but student enrollment is alarmingly low-barely 1 in 50 students chooses it. ?In mainstream media-TV, newspapers, cinema-Dogri is nearly absent, replaced by Hindi, Punjabi, or Urdu.
Dr. Anuradha Sharma, a linguist at the Central Institute of Indian Languages, says, “The data hides more than it reveals. Many people list Dogri on paper but speak Hindi in daily life. This shift is most pronounced among the youth.”
Reasons Behind the Decline
a. Urban Aspiration & Linguistic Shame
Many young parents in Jammu prefer speaking Hindi or English with their children, believing it gives them an edge in education and employment. ?”I don’t want my son to be mocked for his accent,” says Rajesh Gupta, a banker in Gandhi Nagar. “We only speak English at home.” ?Dogri is increasingly seen as rustic, backward, or unsuitable for professional settings. This linguistic stigma has deeply impacted the confidence of the younger generation.
b. Education System
While Dogri is recognized in school curricula, it remains optional and poorly promoted. Textbooks are outdated, and trained teachers are scarce.
“There’s no incentive. Dogri doesn’t help in competitive exams, and job prospects are zero,” says Priya Slathia, a college student.
c. Digital & Cultural Displacement
In a world driven by reels, hashtags, and AI bots, Dogri struggles to find relevance. With most content consumed in Hindi and English, regional languages like Dogri are falling through the cracks of digital literacy.
Culture and Media: Missing in Action
Unlike Punjabi or Bengali, Dogri has had a limited cinematic presence. A few songs, movies, or web series have been produced in the language.
The iconic “Geetru” and “Bhakh”-Dogri folk performance forms-are fading.
AIR Jammu runs limited Dogri programming. Doordarshan’s Dogri news bulletin is poorly timed and has negligible viewership.
This cultural vacuum has created a disconnect between language and pride. Without stories, songs, or stars in Dogri, the youth have little emotional bond with it.
Who is Saving Dogri? The Unsung Heroes
Despite the odds, there is a growing resistance-a quiet revolution led by educators, poets, NGOs, and digital creators who refuse to give up on their linguistic heritage.
Voices and Visionaries: A Cultural Insider Speaks
?Sunny Dua, a well-known media professional and columnist from Jammu, underscores the complex cultural proximity between Dogri and Punjabi, particularly in border regions like Kathua and Samba.
“Punjab, being our neighbouring state, has had a major influence on our culture. You’ll notice that our marriages begin with traditional Dogri Baakh and end with energetic Punjabi Bhangra,” he says with a smile. “People from Kathua and Samba have married into Punjabi families and naturally adopted some of the language and traditions. But somewhere along the line, Dogri started getting overshadowed.”
Sunny emphasizes that while multicultural interaction enriches identity, it should not come at the cost of linguistic erasure.
“We need god-gifted artists, not just average writers churning out run-of-the-mill songs or couplets. We must invest in quality music, global-standard literature, and cultural storytelling in Dogri that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any world language.”
He advocates for stronger cultural investment-in training, publishing, and performing arts-to revive Dogri not just as a heritage language, but as a living, evolving creative force.
Academia and Institutions
Jammu University has a dedicated Department of Dogri offering MA, MPhil, and PhD programs.
The Sahitya Akademi regularly publishes Dogri books and awards Dogri writers.
The Dogri Sanstha Jammu, established in 1944, continues to host literary seminars and book fairs.
Dr. Lalit Mangotra, Dogri Sahitya Akademi awardee, says, “A language dies when it stops growing. We need to write new poems, new dramas, and use new platforms.”
Writers and Poets
Contemporary Dogri poets like Ved Rahi, Shivnath, Padma Sachdev, and new-age lyricists are reviving the language through modern metaphors. Padma Sachdev’s poems, in particular, have become cultural touchstones.
“Her work made me fall in love with Dogri again,” says college student Bhavna Sharma, who now runs an Instagram poetry page in Dogri.
Digital Crusaders
With Gen Z spending most of their time online, a new crop of content creators is taking Dogri to Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify. @DogriDuniya – A meme and reel page with over 30,000 followers, mixing humor with language awareness.
Podcast “Dogri Bol Chaal” – Hosted by students of Cluster University, the podcast breaks down Dogri idioms, love songs, and grandma tales.
Dogri Rap – In 2023, local rapper Yuvraj aka Dogra Boi released a Dogri-Punjabi rap on YouTube that went viral with 1 million+ views.
This section naturally enhances the feature’s focus by contextualizing how cultural assimilation, especially in border districts, is contributing to the dilution of Dogri-and what kind of creative renaissance is needed to counter that trend.
Government’s Role: Too Little, Too Late?
While Dogri is now an official language of J&K under the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020, actual implementation is patchy.
Very few government offices use Dogri in signage, forms, or official communication.
No major government TV or radio channel broadcasts in Dogri during prime time. The JKBOSE (Board of School Education) has not made Dogri compulsory even in Jammu schools.
“Recognition without implementation is tokenism,” says senior journalist Ashutosh Raina. “Dogri needs a policy push-not just poetic praise.”
What Needs to Be Done? Solutions from the Ground
a. Make Dogri a Functional Language
Include Dogri in government recruitment, local administration, and public announcements. Make it visible on road signs, railway stations, and schools.
b. Dogri in Tech
Create Dogri language keyboards, OCR tools, and machine translation models to bring it into the digital mainstream.
The tech-savvy Dogra youth should be encouraged to build apps and games in Dogri, like “Kheti-Bari” (a farming sim in Dogri dialect).
c. Media & Cinema Investment
Encourage regional filmmakers and streaming platforms like Zee5 and Netflix to host Dogri content. Government film grants should be made language-sensitive, not just project-based.
d. School-Level Reforms
Make Dogri compulsory up to Class 5 in Jammu region schools. Provide modern textbooks, interactive teaching, and digital Dogri learning modules.
Voices of the People
To understand the emotional connection Dogras feel toward their language, we spoke to several individuals across age groups: Sunita Bhagat, 32, homemaker:
“My daughter didn’t even know what ‘Kandoli Mata’ means. I felt ashamed. I now speak only Dogri at home.”
Iqbal Choudhary, 40, Gujjar community member:
“Dogri unites us across religion. It’s our Jammu identity.”
Raghav Slathia, 21, college student:
“I speak English at college, but my best jokes only land in Dogri!”
Shiv Dev Singh, 75, poet: “Languages are not taught, they are caught. Let children hear Dogri every day.”
A Language Is More Than Words
When a language dies, it doesn’t just take away words-it takes away worldviews, wisdom, songs, lullabies, recipes, and dreams.
Dogri is not merely a dialect spoken by some people in Jammu. It is the soul of the Duggar identity. Its survival is not just the responsibility of scholars or the government-but of every parent, student, and citizen who cares about where they come from.
Reviving Dogri will take effort, creativity, and courage-to speak it, write it, teach it, and love it in everyday life.
As the saying goes in Dogri: “Jinney Boli Chhaddi, Ussne Aap Chhaddiya (“He who abandons his language, abandons himself.”)
(The writer is MA Journalism student of Jammu University)