Kashmiri Language, Kashmiris and New
Millennium
Dr. Soomnath Raina
Kashmiri language is one of the major Indian
language included in the 8th schedule of the constitution of India.
Unfortunately this language did not receive that attention from Kashmiris in
general and J&K govt. in particular as other major Indian languages of
different states did receive. That is why the children of those Kashmiri parents
who have migrated and settled in different corners of the country and abroad
have gone and are in the process of going into a great loss of their mother
tongue. It is this mother tongue loss of Kashmiri children which has
necessitated me to open a debate on this crucial and painful issue through this
article. Why Kashmiri speaking parents are not worried at all about the mother
tongue loss of their children and what we teachers, researchers, writers, poets,
critics, scholars and above all the lovers of Kashmiri language should do to
retain the language loss of Kashmiri children and develop it like other major
languages, is a question of great importance. We can answer this question only
when a detailed and thorough discussion is held on the core issues of the
problem, which are; the will of Kashmiris to learn their mother tongue, the
language policy of the State Government and the teaching of Kashmiri as L1 and
L2. The main issue that I want to discuss in this article is the mother tongue
loss of Kashmiris migrated and settled in the different parts of India and
abroad. That is why this study will include the issues like the will of Kashmiri
people to learn their mother tongue and the teaching of Kashmiri as L2 only.
The Will of Kashmiris
In the last more than five decades it has been observed that Kashmiri people
in general lack the will to teach their children in their mother tongue, most
probably because after reading Kashmiri as a subject they cannot think of a
prosperous future of their children which to a great extent is not correct.
Teaching of Kashmiri as L2
Teaching a language as L2 simply means to teach a language to non-natives in
formal and informal situations both. This kind of teaching, in short; involves
teaching of four skills of language learning namely speaking skill,
comprehension skill, reading skill and writing skill there by, more emphasis
being laid on teaching of a spoken language, rather than teaching about a
language or teaching literature of a language. The recent research and
experiments in class room have proved that non-native learners learn a language
as L2 in a very short span of time.
I personally am of the opinion that the children of Kashmiri parents born and
settled in the different parts of the country and in foreign countries in
different geographical, social, cultural and linguistic situations are more or
less non-natives. For the purpose of teaching their mother tongue they need to
be recognized and treated as non-natives and thus must be taught formally in the
classroom and informally at home, which of course is possible at present only
and not in future. In this peculiar situation teaching of Kashmiri as a mother
tongue and teaching Kashmiri as L2 are two labels used for the same purpose
irrespective of their deeper linguistic variations. Hence in the present context
when I say teaching of Kashmiri as L2 it means teaching of Kashmiri as mother
tongue.
Kashmiri is being taught as L2 since 1971 in Northern Regional language
Centre, Patiala which is one of the seven Regional language Centres of the
Central institute of Indian languages, Mysore. Central Institute of Indian
languages is under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of
Education, Govt. of India. Kashmiri is taught as L2 to non native in-service
teachers. The course, which is taught, is called Diploma course. This Diploma
course is of ten months. Besides teaching Kashmiri as L2 the Kashmiri Department
in the centre is engaged in the production of text books, teaching materials,
supplementary materials and laboratory lessons for all the language learners in
general and L2 learner in particulars.
After drawing a brief sketch of the past and present status of teaching
Kashmiri as L2, a few questions are but natural to arise :
Is it necessary for the Kashmiri children of new millennium to acquire
Kashmiri as their mother tongue?
Is it not possible for these children to acquire their mother tongue while
building a bright and prosperous career in the isolated situations they are
living?
What role parents can play in helping their children to acquire their mother
tongue?
What role the intellectuals of Kashmiri language can play for teaching of
Kashmiri language to those Kashmiri children who because of one reason or
another are deprived of their mother tongue?
Last but not the least; will not the loss of Kashmiri language lead to the
loss of Kashmiri culture and there-by pose a threat to the very existence of
very rich and wonderful heritage, which is called Kashmiriyat?
With regard to the first question there are three opinions. According to the
first opinion acquiring / learning of Kashmiri as mother tongue is not necessary
because it has no utility. The followers of this opinion argue that when we can
do without the usage of this language, why should we worry about it? The second
opinion insists on the parents to help their children to learn their mother
tongue and the third opinion pleads for a community or organizational approach
to motivate and teach their children so that they do not loose the color and
fragrance of Kashmiri language and culture in the new millennium.
As a linguist and a language teacher I do not agree with the first opinion
where as the second and third opinions are quite relevant both for present and
future generations of Kashmiris.
In my view the main task of Kashmiris in new millennium is to concentrate on
the remedial measures of mother tongue loss of their children who are deprived
of natural language learning environment because of migration and consequently
settlement at the places where their mother tongue remains confined to their
homes only. It is here that the parents/elders at home have to handle the
problems psychologically, skillfully and above all affectionately. In addition
to the day to day conversation in mother tongue only; the parents must spare
some time from their busy schedule for spending with their children in chatting,
playing, singing and telling stories etc. etc. Parents have to make these
dedicated efforts only in the early age during their primary education and
afterwards teaching will automatically turn into self-learning by the imitative
and curious children. The result will be that the Kashmiri children will learn
Kashmiri language wherever they will be and shall remain tied with the silken
thread, of Kashmiriyat and thus retaining their identity of being Kashmiris.
Now the question which remains to be answered is what we Kashmiris as a
community should do if the parents fail to perform their first and foremost
responsibility of making their children to acquire their mother tongue? It is
particularly in this context that we must launch a united movement for the
retention and development of Kashmiri language and culture both in India and
abroad.
Outside the valley at different places in India and abroad the community
organizations must take the assignment of Kashmiri teaching on the priority
basis so that its survival does not fall in danger in the course of coming
generations. I am happy to learn that Kashmiri Pandit Association Mumbai and
Kashmir Sabha, Calcutta have taken the lead in organizing Kashmiri classes for
their children. I hope other organizations working at other places will also
follow the suit.
Nip the evil in the bud. We are not late, we are in time. Let us not waste
the time waiting, watching and simply discussing. We must march unitedly with a
purpose; the purpose of accepting the challenge to save Kashmiri language and
culture. This challenge is to be taken seriously, handle it cautiously and
educate those who are not conscious of the danger of the survival of Kashmiri
language and culture. We must remain ready to offer our voluntary service, for
the cause if and when the need arises. Let us resolve that we all will work hard
to teach Kashmiri language to develop it and its culture from today so that in
new millennium Kashmiri language and culture touches the new heights of
attraction and prosperity.
Mailing address : Northern Regional Language Centre, Patiala147002
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