Dogra Sadar Sabha recalls struggle for Dogri recognition, urges wider use Edu Institutions

Jammu, Dec 20: Dogra Sadar Sabha on Saturday observed Dogri Manyata Diwas to mark twenty two years of Dogri’s inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, reaffirming its commitment to carry the language into schools, colleges and public life.
The commemoration was held at Sabha Bhawan, Dogra Hall, where MLA Jammu East Yudhvir Sethi attended as chief guest. Addressing writers, students and cultural activists, he paid tribute to the leaders who spearheaded the long struggle for constitutional recognition of Dogri and stressed that the language would gain strength through wider and regular use, particularly among younger generations.
DSS president Col Karan Singh, in his welcome address, said the organisation had consistently worked for the promotion of Dogri language, literature and heritage. He noted a growing interest among youth in Dogri content through digital platforms and urged writers and artists to enrich the language by producing original and meaningful work in their mother tongue.
As part of its outreach initiative, DSS organised a declamation contest for school and college students on the theme Dogri Bhasha Kal, Aaj te Kal – Ekk Manthan. Participants from various educational institutions reflected on the past, present and future of the language. Winners were selected by a jury headed by IAS officer A K Angurana.
Chief Electoral Officer J and K Sanjeev Verma IAS, in his address, called upon people to communicate more frequently in Dogri, observing that respect for language was inseparable from respect for culture and identity. He also underlined the role of educational institutions in nurturing regional languages.
The event also saw the honouring of eminent litterateurs, scholars and artists for their sustained contribution to Dogri language and culture. DSS working president Gambhir Dev Singh Charak recalled the protests and delegations that led to Dogri’s inclusion in 2003 and said the achievement restored linguistic dignity to the Dogra community.
The gathering unanimously urged the establishment of an independent Dogri academy, implementation of National Education Policy provisions on regional languages and the launch of a dedicated Dogri satellite channel. A brief cultural presentation added colour to the programme, which concluded with a vote of thanks by DSS general secretary Advocate H C Jalmeria.