Road to success difficult, say Dogri scholars

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 27

Students and scholars taking up academics and professional pursuits in Dogri and getting absorbed in different government or private institutes are of the view that road to success is full of great hardships.

There are two important reasons that cause big impediments – one being parents and mentors are unconcerned about speaking in Dogri with their children and secondly there is no guidance and counselling from any quarter. Though Dogri is in the 8th schedule recognised by the Constitutional provision, yet there is no government effort to raise the standard of the language.

However, there is a common perception among people that until the language is not made a compulsory subject at the primary level in schools and government opens more avenues in different departments for regular absorption of graduates, the language cannot survive on its own. “The biggest failure is that no government has given a serious thought to include Dogri as a compulsory subject in the school curriculum which is the basic need. Besides, even the parents keep their children at bay from the language fearing it may not help their wards in getting jobs outside the state,” said Pradeep Mehta, a retired government schoolteacher. Sunil Sharma, assistant professor, Dogri department at Jindrah College, said unless there is a collective effort from all quarters to push the language forward , the administration will never wake up to its necessity .President Dogri Sanstha , Lalit Magotra said it was the duty of the people of Jammu and the administration to unitedly take up the cause of regional language, which is the stronghold of culture and heritage of any region.