One simply cannot talk about Dogri without referring to Padma Shri Prof. Ram Nath Shastri, who is still sometimes addressed as the ‘Father of Dogri Literature’.

It was through his works that this language gained vitality, and people understood that Dogri was not just a dialect of some particular region but a language in itself with tremendous possibilities. His poetry and prose were enough to capture the essence of Dogra culture and bring Dogri on the main street of Indian literature. Then comes Ved Rahi, great writer, great poet, and great filmmaker, whose works in Dogri had made hearts yearn for more. His book “Bhawai” is actually a work of art that leaves an array of vibrant colors of Jammu culture and traditions open to the eyes of one who wishes to understand the Dogra culture. His narration came to extend Dogri literature.

Regarding literature, Dogri is filled with oral traditions. These include songs and ballads and folk tales recited and repeated by generations. One such form is Geetru, which is a traditional Dogri song-and-dance performance that weaves into the rural Jammuitian social fabric. These folk songs are not only forms of entertainment; they tend to be ways of preserving the history, values, and struggles of the Dogra people. In fact, most folk songs in Dogri reveal the agrarian lifestyle of the region and talk about love, separation, and beauty of nature. Most songs talk about changes in seasons, warmth of home, and the strength of people against adversity. The lyrics maintain an intimate relationship with the land at each word of the verse. Just like other regional dialects, Dogri is facing a very tough time in today’s globalized world. The younger generation is more driven towards English and Hindi than Dogri. Whether the language survives the test of time seems difficult, but still, there are people who are keeping the flame alive. The survival of the language in modern times of communication is made possible through Dogri language newspapers, radio shows, and social media pages. But beyond the media, the Dogri still takes up space in the home for many families of Jammu and Kashmir. Parents pass it on so that amidst the fast-changing world around them, their identity is not ripped from the tongue of the forefathers. Ultimately, Dogri is not simply a means of speaking-it’s a way of connection to the past, the land, to each other.

A Living Legacy

Languages are like living beings-they grow, evolve, and adapt. Dogri is not an exception either. Its beauty lies in its resilience, in its ability to stand tall despite the pressures of modernization. And in that resilience, there is hope for the future. Now, the unexplored territories for the young Dogra poets and writers would be exploring those in the name of newness. And in order to rightly understand it, they are making efforts to remove the barriers that have been there between contemporary experiences and traditions. And with this way, they are showing to the world that Dogri is a language of the future and not of the past.

Conclusion

The story of Dogri is the story of its people, which can be termed as a story of pride, struggle, and endurance. Yet, as we move forward through a rapidly increasing pace of the world, languages like Dogri remind us time and again to stay tied up with our roots, with our history, and with our identity. For Dogri is not a language; it is a sentiment and a connectability to something greater than words can say.

So, the next time you plan to visit Jammu, listen carefully. The hills, the rivers, and the people-they all have a story to tell, and that is told in Dogri.