Jammu Tawi: On the occasion of Dogri Manyata Divas, students of NSK High School, Channi Himat, organized a rally to raise awareness about the challenges faced by the Dogri language.
The rally, supported by the Senior Citizens SS Club of Chowadi under the leadership of Dr. Kasturi Lal, aimed to draw attention to the step-motherly treatment Dogri has been receiving. Maj Gen SK Sharma, President of the Senior Citizens Club, emphasized that while Dogri holds national status, it is not being treated with the importance it deserves, particularly in schools. He pointed out that under the “Right of Children to Education Act 2009,” students in government schools receive free textbooks up to class 8, but Dogri books are only provided for classes 1 and 2 by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE), due to lack of funding.
Dr. Navneet Kour, founder of NGO Support and a member of the Senior Citizens Service Support Club, stressed the importance of preserving Dogri as part of the region’s identity, stating, “We belong to Duggar Pradesh, and being inhabitants of this land, we are all Dogras. Our language is Dogri, the sweet language.”
Vikram Randhwa, MLA, was the chief guest at the rally and assured the gathering that he would take the matter up with the government to ensure justice for the Dogri language.
Dr. Vijay Sharma, General Secretary of the Senior Citizens Club, also highlighted a disparity in teacher recruitment. While the Education Department advertised 575 teaching posts, only three were for Dogri language, despite it being spoken by over 30 lakh people in Jammu and Kashmir. In contrast, six posts were advertised for Arabic and Persian, languages spoken by only 181 people in the state.
Suresh Sambyal, a member of the school’s management committee, warned that if Dogri is not taught in schools today, the Dogra community could face extinction in the coming decades.
The rally concluded with refreshments organized by Dr. Kasturi Lal for all the students and participants. Other notable participants, including SK Jain, H.C. Vaid, Ashok Gupta, and Dr. Shafika Bano, also voiced their support for the promotion of the Dogri language.
