Doda: A group of writers and intellectuals from the Chenab Valley have welcomed the inclusion of several endangered local dialects — including Meshabi, Khash, Hassadi and Siram — under the Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL).
The initiative, supported by the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore, is seen as a new initiative in safeguarding a few local dialects spoken in parts of erstwhile Doda, now divided into the districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban.
Kashmiri remains one of the most widely spoken languages in the Chenab Valley.
The movement builds on recommendations made in 2021 by a committee constituted by the District Magistrate, Doda, and later endorsed by the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKCAAL). The committee had proposed recognition of some of Chenab Valley’s dialects, including Bhaderwahi, Bhalesi, Padri, Sarazi, Pogli, Deshwali and Kishtwari, under the broader Western Pahari linguistic category.
Local writers such as Prof. Shiv Nirmohi, Prof. Shuhab Inayat Malik and Prof. Assadullah Wani are leading the formulation of preservation strategies. Plans include trilingual dictionaries (English–Hindi–local language), grammar sketches, and audio-visual documentation of folklore, rituals and oral traditions.
“Preserving our languages means preserving our heritage, history and identity. Every language we save today is a culture we protect for future generations,” said cultural activist Sadaket Ali Malik, President of the Pahari Core Committee of erstwhile Doda.
Writers underlined that the Chenab Valley’s dialects — ranging from Bhaderwahi and Bhalessi to Pogali and Sarazi — embody centuries of cultural exchange between Himalayan, Kashmiri and Punjabi traditions. However, migration, dominance of Urdu, Hindi and English, and lack of formal teaching have left these languages at risk of extinction.
They have urged the government to establish an Indigenous Language Documentation Centre in the Chenab Valley, integrating these dialects into school curricula under the National Education Policy 2020, and developing digital tools for their promotion.
