Preserving the Past: A convesation

Language

Prof. Shiv Dutt Nirmohi, born on April 19, 1937, in Painthal village, Reasi District, began his career as a primary school teacher in 1956 and retired as a professor in 1995. He started writing in 1958, focusing initially on short stories and poetry before moving to drama. His first drama, "Bharat Cheen Da Takrav," staged in 1958, generated contributions for the National Defence Fund.

Prof. Nirmohi received the State Award for best teacher in 1972 and the Bal Sahitya Award in 1980. An expert in the Dogri language, three of his books on Jammu’s folk tales and literature received best book awards from the J&K Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages. Two other books were recognized by the Central Hindi Directorate in 1990 and 2003, with awards presented by former Prime Ministers Chandrashekhar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In recognition of his contributions to language, heritage, and literature, Prof. Nirmohi received numerous national and international accolades, including the Padma Shri in 2020 and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the J&K government in 2021. He has published over 100 research papers and discovered various heritage sites, advocating for their preservation.

Prof. Nirmohi’s 41 books document a wide array of subjects related to the Duggar region, encompassing folk tales, literature, languages, and more.

An undergraduate student of St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, Rohan Qurashi, strikes a conversation with  Prof. Nirmohi and shares it with the readers here.

On inspiration to write about the Dogra Culture and its Heritage

The culture of Jammu is so rich and diverse that I was impelled to write about it. From the vibrant festivals to the unique historical landmarks, there is so much to explore and document. My fascination with my regional language, Dogri, and the history of my state has always been a driving force in my work. I realized early on that there was a need to preserve and promote this heritage for future generations. Writing became my medium to achieve this. To reach a wider audience, I chose to write primarily in Hindi. By sharing our stories in Hindi, I hoped to bridge cultural gaps and foster a greater appreciation for the Dogra heritage.

On the Status of Dogri in Jammu

The speakers of Dogri are ample in areas outside the main Jammu city, like in Udhampur, Kathua, Vijaypur, and other regions. However, in the main city, people may fancy English as a better language, which has affected the prevalence of Dogri. The status of Dogri is neutral. On the positive side, there is a dedicated Department of Dogri at Jammu University where students pursue PhDs, and students from all over Jammu study in Dogri. Additionally, Dogri is taught as a subject in all degree colleges in Jammu, which helps in keeping the language alive among the younger generations. However, on the downside, Dogri is not being taught in primary schools, which is a significant gap in promoting the language from an early age. But, there is hope with the introduction of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims to promote regional languages.

On writting in Dogri

Before 1947, Dogri had the Takri script, and people used to write in this script exclusively. However, after 1947 and the establishment of the Dogri Sanstha, the situation began to change. The members of the Dogri Sanstha were mainly Hindi or Sanskrit-speaking individuals, such as Ramnath Shastri, Shyam Lal, and Dharm Chand Prashant. These were city dwellers with no knowledge of the Takri script. They decided to continue using Dogri but in the Devanagari script.

As a result, you hardly find people today who can write Dogri in its original Takri script. The shift to Devanagari has made the language more accessible to those familiar with this script, but it has also led to a decline in the traditional Takri script's usage. While many can speak Dogri, the number of people who can write it in its original script has diminished significantly.

On promoting Dogri in Jammu

Yes, we should definitely have similar initiatives to promote Dogri in Jammu. Such efforts would greatly benefit the older generation who can read Dogri, helping preserve our cultural heritage. In fact, we have made some efforts in this direction. For instance, Rajinder Singh Chib led a rally where people were encouraged to put up signboards in Dogri on their shops. Unfortunately, this movement did not gain enough momentum and ultimately failed. Despite this, I firmly believe that the government should make more robust and sustained efforts to promote Dogri in Jammu.

What is your message for the youth? How can they keep the Dogri culture alive?

Youth is our future. However, there are challenges when it comes to building careers centered around the Dogri language. Much like when the British came and people had to learn English to secure jobs, today's youth find better career prospects by being well-versed in languages like English and Hindi. Unfortunately, similar opportunities are not as abundant for those proficient in Dogri.

While it is essential and beneficial to learn other languages for career advancement, the youth should not lose sight of their cultural heritage and roots. Being aware of and actively engaging with our Dogri culture is crucial. I encourage the youth to take pride in their cultural identity while also pursuing their professional goals.