Doda, March 13 – The Kashmiri Language Union has threatened protests if the Jammu and Kashmir government does not address its demand for the effective teaching of Dogri and Kashmiri languages in schools, a representative told The Chenab Times on Thursday.
The Union, led by Anzer Ali Zargar with members Dr. Ashu Sharma, Wasim Ahmed, and Sahil Badyal, has been advocating for the inclusion of Dogri and Kashmiri in school curricula since 2017. In a letter dated March 12, 2025, and a conversation with The Chenab Times, Zargar said the group has met with the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister, cabinet ministers, and MLAs over the years to raise the issue.
“We’ve been struggling since many years, and despite our meetings with top officials, there has been no progress,” Zargar said. “We request the government to resolve this issue urgently, or we will protest.”
Official documents show Dogri and Kashmiri are part of the curriculum. The Jammu & Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) scheduled these languages as optional subjects for Class 10 exams on February 15, 2025, in Soft Zone Areas and February 21, 2025, in Hard Zone Areas. For Classes 1 to 9, the Directorate of School Education, Kashmir, listed Kashmiri for November 29, 2024, while Jammu Division scheduled both languages on the same date for the Winter Zone. A February 4, 2025, notification from the Directorate of School Education, Jammu, also scheduled Kashmiri and Dogri for March 8, 2025, in the Summer Zone.
The Union claims these languages are not being taught in most schools despite their inclusion. “The subjects are in the curriculum from Class 1 to 9, but they are not taught,” the Union’s letter stated, citing a lack of subject-specific teachers. The group referenced the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes mother-tongue education to enhance learning and preserve cultural heritage.
The Union demands the inclusion of Dogri and Kashmiri as subjects from Class 1 to 10 and the recruitment of dedicated teachers through a rehbar-e-zuban system, similar to the rehbar-e-khel model for sports education.
Dogri and Kashmiri are recognized in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and are official languages of Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmiri is widely spoken in the Kashmir Division, Chenab Valley, and Pir Panjal, while Dogri is prevalent in Dogri-speaking areas of the Jammu Division.
Government officials were not immediately available for comment. If we get any response, it will be published seperately.
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Anzer Ayoob is the Founder and Chief Editor to The Chenab Times
