The Revival Of Dogri Script And Namey Dogra Akhar In Jammu

Dogri Script Revival In Jammu

Source: Indian Express
GS I: Indian Heritage and Culture

---

Why in the News?

Several new public signboards in Jammu have begun displaying Namey Dogra Akhar, the traditional script associated with the Dogri language, alongside Devanagari and Roman English.

News in Brief

---

• Dogri is primarily spoken in the Jammu region and has historically been written in different scripts, including Takri and Devanagari.
• The initiative seeks to revive the script, which had gradually fallen into disuse.
• Civil society members and the Jammu Municipal Corporation have played an important role in bringing the script back into public spaces.

Dogri Language

---

• Dogri is an Indo-Aryan language belonging to the larger Indo-European language family.
• It is part of the Western Pahari group of languages spoken across the western Himalayan region.
• Dogri is primarily associated with the Dogra community of the Jammu region, although Dogri-speaking populations are also found in parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
• According to the 20001 Census, Dogri was the primary language of nearly 2.6 million people in India.
• Its constitutional status was strengthened when it was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 2003.
• Later, in 2020, Dogri was recognized as one of the official languages of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Namey Dogra Akhar: The Traditional Script

---

• The recent revival of Namey Dogra Akhar has brought attention to the distinction between preserving a language and preserving the script historically associated with it.
• Namey Dogra Akhar is a modified form of the Takri script, which was traditionally used for Dogri.
• Takri remained associated with Dogri until the period of Maharaja Gulab Singh, the first Dogra ruler of Jammu and Kashmir.
• During his reign, the expansion and administration of the Dogra kingdom meant that comparatively less attention was devoted to developing the script.
• A significant change occurred during the reign of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, who succeeded Gulab Singh in 1856.
• Ranbir Singh was a scholar of Sanskrit and Persian.
• Administrative orders and documents were difficult to write in Takri because the script lacked adequate vowel signs.
• To overcome this difficulty, writers were asked to borrow vowel signs from Devanagari.
• This process contributed to the emergence of Namey Dogra Akhar, meaning the new Dogri script.

Decline In Official Use

---

• Following Maharaja Ranbir Singh’s death in 1885, administrative changes under Maharaja Pratap Singh contributed to the declining official use of the Dogri script.
• Persian was replaced by Urdu as an official language, partly because of its wider use among sections of the local population.
• Although the Dogri script continued to be used by people, its role in administration gradually declined.
• The decline continued during the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh, who came to power in 1926.
• His reforms promoted compulsory education and expanded educational institutions, while English gained greater importance in official work.
• Hindi increasingly used Devanagari and Roman scripts, while Urdu continued with the Perso-Arabic script.
• These developments reduced the functional space available for the traditional Dogri script.

Revival of Dogri Language, but not its Script

---

• In 1944, the Dogri Sanstha adopted Devanagari to popularise Dogri literature, helping the language gain wider recognition.
• Dogri received Sahitya Akademi recognition in 1969, while the University of Jammu established a Dogri Research Cell in 1971.
• Dogri was introduced as a formal subject in Devanagari in 1987, followed by campaigns for its introduction in schools and inclusion in the Eighth Schedule.
• It became a third language at the primary level in 2002 and was included in the Eighth Schedule in 2003.
• However, these efforts promoted the Dogri language more than its traditional script, Namey Dogra Akhar.

Recent Revival

---

• The revival of Namey Dogra Akhar has recently gained momentum through civil society efforts.
• Dr Katuri Lal Gupta, a former principal of Government Medical College, Jammu, began displaying boards written in the script at religious places and cremation grounds.
• He subsequently approached the Jammu Municipal Corporation to introduce the script on public signboards.
• The appearance of Namey Dogra Akhar on signboards in Jammu represents an effort to restore its public visibility and everyday relevance.
• Efforts are also being made to organize classes for learning the script.

Significance and Challenges

---

• Reviving indigenous scripts helps preserve historical records, literature, traditions and collective memory.
• It also strengthens linguistic diversity and regional cultural identity.
• Knowledge of traditional scripts can help scholars and communities access older manuscripts and historical documents.
• However, revival faces challenges such as the limited number of people able to read and write the script, the dominance of Devanagari and Roman Scripts, lack of standardized teaching material, and limited digital fonts and keyboards.
• The key challenge is ensuring that the revival moves beyond symbolic signboards towards education, digital adaptation and regular social use.

Conclusion

---

The revival of Namey Dogra Akhar highlights that preserving a language also requires safeguarding its script and cultural heritage. While Dogri has gained constitutional and institutional recognition, renewed efforts to promote its traditional script can help preserve the region’s historical identity and linguistic diversity for future generations.

UPSC Prelims Practice Question

---

With reference to the Dogri language, consider the following statements:

1. Dogri belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.
2. Dogri was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution through the 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003.
3. Namey Dogra Akhar is associated with the traditional script heritage of the Dogri language and evolved from Takri.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d)

---

Daily Current Affairs: Click Here

Rate this Article and Leave Feedback