Silenced in Print: The missing Dogri Daily

Hamza Khan, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Jammu

Dogri, the language spoken in the Duggar region, carries a long history, a lot of old stories and a sense of who people are. When it was added to the Indian Constitution’s Eighth Schedule in 2003, it felt like a huge step forward to keep it alive and help it grow. But now, over twenty years later, the fact that there isn’t a popular daily newspaper in Dogri tells a bigger story. It’s not just about the language getting recognized; it’s about money, culture and how people’s preferences are changing.

There was a time when people really tried to get Dogri into regular media. Papers like Jammu Prabhat, which was connected to Kashmir Times, tried to get people to read them. But these efforts just couldn’t last. Talking to the people involved, it seems the main reason was that they couldn’t make enough money to keep going, especially with all the problems that popped up in 2020. In media, where ads are key, Dogri publications just couldn’t pull in enough commercial support.

But it would be too simple to say it’s all about money. Professors from the Dogri Department at the University of Jammu say there’s been a slow shift in culture. They believe society is actually moving away from its language roots. Younger people, who mostly learn in Hindi and English, don’t really see a need for Dogri beyond just casual chats. They argue that this gap can only be fixed if Dogri is taught in schools through New Education Policy and if there’s a whole environment where the language isn’t just kept alive, but actively used every day.

Cultural groups amplify this worry, pointing out that the old ways that used to keep the language strong are fading. Things like folk theatre, music, and dance—which used to be vibrant ways to express Dogri, aren’t as popular anymore. Their point is clear that a language can’t survive on its own. It needs cultural support. They think government help with promoting local art forms and giving money to regional media could really help make Dogri interesting again.

What people think also adds to the problem. Many people surveyed said that Dogri doesn’t feel relevant in today’s world. Unlike English, which is always changing and adding new words, Dogri is often seen as limited in expressing modern ideas. This gap makes it less appealing for both readers and writers, especially now with so much digital media and global communication.

Another big factor is the kind of content itself. A senior professor from the Mass Communication Department at the University of Jammu noticed that many Dogri newspapers in the past mostly translated news from English or Hindi instead of doing their own original reporting. This approach made them less useful, because readers would rather just get the news directly in the languages they already use a lot. Without fresh, original stories and a clear identity, these publications struggled to keep their readers.

So, the fact that there isn’t a Dogri daily newspaper today isn’t just a failure of the media business. It really shows bigger changes happening in society. It highlights the struggle between old traditions and modern life, between keeping culture alive and what’s practical.

Bringing Dogri journalism back will take more than just looking back fondly. It needs real support like funding and new policies, changes in education to weave the language into everyday learning and a fresh commitment to promoting culture. Most importantly, it needs a different way of thinking where Dogri isn’t seen as something from the past, but as a living, evolving way to express ourselves.