Srinagar, In observance of ‘International Mother Language Day’, a day dedicated to celebrating linguistic diversity and promoting multilingualism globally, the linguistic heritage of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is reportedly under threat due to the policies of India’s Hindutva government led by Narendra Modi. The imposition of Hindi is said to pose a significant risk to the survival of the region’s indigenous languages.
According to Kashmir Media Service, there is a growing concern over the preservation of Kashmir’s local languages in the face of discriminatory efforts by the Modi government to promote Hindi as a national language. This initiative not only jeopardizes the linguistic diversity of the territory but also threatens the cultural identity and autonomy of its people.
Jammu and Kashmir, known for its linguistic mosaic comprising Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Pehari, and Hindi, faces challenges that endanger the future of these native languages, particularly due to the aggressive promotion of Hindi. This has sparked fears over the diminishing role and possible extinction of languages like Kashmiri, which is spoken by approximately 7 million people and is deeply rooted in the region’s history and culture.
The lack of official recognition for Kashmiri by the New Delhi government exacerbates concerns about its survival, highlighting the broader struggle for linguistic diversity and cultural autonomy in the face of Hindi’s dominance. The imposition of a single language threatens to marginalize local languages, erase cultural identities, and standardize the linguistic landscape across the territory.
The impact of these language policy decisions is far-reaching, touching on issues of identity, heritage, and cultural sovereignty. As the world celebrates linguistic diversity and the importance of multilingualism, the situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir serves as a stark reminder of the need for urgent action to protect and promote indigenous languages against oppressive language policies.