In this candid conversation, eminent historian, poet and cultural commentator Zareef Ahmad Zareef speaks to KNS Editor in Chief Mohd Aslam Bhat about the historical roots of the Kashmiri language, the factors responsible for its decline, and the urgent need to preserve it as a pillar of Kashmiri identity.

Excerpts

KNS: Language is often seen as the foundation of any nation. However, when it comes to Kashmiri, it appears that the language is not being treated with that importance. How do you see the situation?

ZAZ: The recognition of any nation is deeply connected with its language. Psychologists often say that if you want to destroy a nation, take away its language. When the language of a people disappears, their identity as a nation also begins to fade.
This is something I have spoken about on many occasions over the years. It is important to understand that language is not merely a medium of communication, it is the vessel that carries a people’s history, culture and worldview.

In Kashmir, we once had a strong tradition of learning and using our own language. From 1947 to 1956, Kashmiri was taught in schools and we studied Kashmiri textbooks as part of our education. Personally, I studied Kashmiri up to the eighth grade. But after that, the language gradually disappeared from the formal education system.

I do not know the exact background or the reasons behind this shift, but the consequences were serious. Earlier, Kashmiri was not only taught in schools but was also widely spoken in daily life. At home, in markets, with shopkeepers, with neighbours, everywhere the language of interaction was Kashmiri.
But later, English gradually began to dominate. If we observe carefully, the English-speaking world was very conscious about promoting its language. The British effectively spread English across the world. Today English has become a global language because the English nation ensured that their language carried the world’s knowledge with it.

They translated and produced scientific, academic and technical literature in English. As a result, anyone who wanted to study engineering, medicine, science, or pursue higher education anywhere in the world had to read those books in English.

Now if we compare this with Kashmiri, we see a stark contrast. There are hardly any scientific or technical books available in the Kashmiri language. That absence has also contributed to the language gradually losing ground in educational and intellectual spaces.

KNS: Could you explain the historical developments that affected the status of Kashmiri language in the region?

ZAZ: Historically, the situation changed significantly during the Dogra rule. In 1878, Maharaja Ranbir Singh made Urdu the official language of the state. After that, Urdu became the administrative language and gradually the medium of communication among the three regions of the state, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Over time, officials and administrators who came to Kashmir began promoting Hindi and English as well. In the Kashmir Valley itself, however, Hindi was never widely studied or adopted by the general population. Historically, Hindi was primarily known among sections of the Kashmiri Pandit community, but even among them Kashmiri itself was not always formally studied in schools.
As these linguistic shifts took place, the Kashmiri language slowly moved into the background.

A turning point came in 1984, when Farooq Abdullah became the Chief Minister following the death of his father, Sheikh Abdullah. During that period, efforts were made to revive Kashmiri academically. The Department of Kashmiri at Kashmir University gained prominence and a Master’s degree programme in Kashmiri was introduced.

The language began to find its way back into the academic structure. Kashmiri was introduced in colleges and schools as a subject, from the primary level up to higher secondary classes. These efforts were significant because they attempted to restore Kashmiri to its rightful place in education. However, a new challenge emerged in recent decades with the rapid spread of English-medium private schools across the Kashmir Valley. These schools mushroomed not only in cities but even in remote areas.

The problem was not merely the spread of English-medium education; the real issue was the way these schools were established and operated. Many of the people who opened such schools did not necessarily have strong educational backgrounds. In some cases, individuals with only 8th or 12th grade qualifications started running schools.
As a result, education in many of these institutions gradually became less about academic development and more about commercial activity. Schools turned into business enterprises rather than centres of learning.

KNS: How did the rise of English-medium schooling affect the use of Kashmiri language among children and families?

ZAZ: The impact has been quite profound. When children began studying in these schools, they were encouraged to speak only English or Urdu, even among themselves. Gradually, speaking Kashmiri within the school environment became discouraged. In some cases, children were even punished or reprimanded for using Kashmiri. Parents also began to view this change differently. When their children started speaking English phrases at home, parents felt proud, believing that their children were becoming more educated or sophisticated.

You would often see children returning home and addressing their parents as “mom” and “dad.” Families began to feel that their child had become something important simply because he or she could speak English. But in this process, something very important was lost. These children were neither fully mastering English nor maintaining fluency in Kashmiri. In many cases, they ended up speaking both languages imperfectly.

Ideally, schools should have adopted a balanced approach. Even if English was introduced as a medium of instruction, there should have been dedicated time in the curriculum to teach and promote Kashmiri language and literature. Unfortunately, that balance was missing. The result is that many children today have limited command over Kashmiri, which creates a cultural and generational gap. If the younger generation cannot speak or understand Kashmiri properly, how will they connect with the language in the future?Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThat is the question we must seriously consider.

KNS: You mentioned earlier that Kashmiri culture itself seems to be fading somewhere. What precautions or steps can be taken to revive it and bring it back to its rightful place?

ZAZ: I have often said that merely repeating slogans about preserving culture or language does not produce any meaningful change. Real preservation begins when people start valuing their language in their daily lives.
Let me explain this through a simple example. If I am sitting in my room and I hear a crow cawing outside or some other animal making a sound, I do not need to open the window to check what it is. From the sound of its language alone, I can recognise that it is a crow or another animal. Language itself reveals identity.

Similarly, language defines the identity of human beings and communities. It is the most natural marker of who we are.
Across the world, whenever representatives of a nation participate in international forums, they speak in their own languages. Their words are later translated into other languages for global audiences. That sense of pride and ownership over one's language is essential for its survival.

If we want to protect our language, we must use it confidently wherever it belongs. Kashmiri should be spoken naturally in our homes, social spaces, cultural gatherings and academic discussions. Language must remain alive in everyday life.

Another important aspect is that language is the key to culture. Culture, traditions, folklore, proverbs, humour and collective memory are all preserved within the language itself. If the language weakens, the cultural fabric also begins to weaken.

I recall an incident that clearly illustrates how the erosion of language can affect even basic communication. Once a professor had come as an expert to conduct interviews. One of the candidates appearing before him was a Kashmiri girl. The interview was supposed to be conducted in Kashmiri.
The professor first asked her a simple question in Kashmiri: “What is your name?”

She replied, but her answer was in broken Kashmiri.

Then he asked another question: “Where do you live?”

Again, she responded in fragmented Kashmiri.

Finally, he asked her: “Where is your maternal home?”

She replied that it was at “Cow Bridge.”
The professor was completely puzzled. He wondered where such a place called “Cow Bridge” existed. Then someone present there explained that the girl was referring to “Gau Kadal,” a well-known bridge in Srinagar. This small incident shows how language erosion can distort our cultural and geographical understanding as well.

KNS: Since Kashmiri language appears to be declining, who do you believe is responsible for this situation, the government or society itself?

ZAZ: Responsibility does not lie with one side alone. It is a collective responsibility shared by both society and institutions. If a person falls ill and wants treatment, he must consult a doctor. Similarly, if we want to cure the decline of our language, we must consciously work towards its revival.
Unfortunately, a certain phobia has developed in society. Many people believe that speaking Kashmiri in public or even at home somehow reflects backwardness. There is a perception that if you speak Kashmiri, you appear ordinary or less educated. This mindset is extremely damaging.

Language should never be associated with social status. People should speak Kashmiri wherever it is appropriate. At the same time, they may speak English or other languages where required. Multilingualism is not a problem. The real issue arises when people start abandoning their own language.
Kashmiri is not an ordinary language with a short history. It is a very ancient language with roots going back nearly five thousand years.

Our region itself was historically known as a great centre of learning and philosophy. Historical accounts tell us that around the third century BCE, a Sanskrit university existed in Bijbehara in Anantnag, known as Bijeshwar or Bijshoor.

Kashmir was also historically called Sharda Peeth, Gyan Peeth and Vidya Peeth, reflecting its status as a major intellectual centre. The region was associated with Sharda Peeth, which was considered a great seat of learning dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge. Scholars from different parts of the world travelled here to study Vedic philosophy, Shaivism and other streams of knowledge.

After completing their studies here, many of these scholars went on to become Acharyas and intellectual leaders in their own regions. This historical heritage should remind us how deeply rooted language, knowledge and culture are in this land.

KNS: It is often said that Kashmiri Pandits, even after migrating outside the Valley, have maintained a stronger connection with the Kashmiri language. How do you see that phenomenon?

ZAZ: There is a psychological dimension to this. When something is taken away from you, your emotional attachment to it often becomes stronger. That is precisely what happened with many Kashmiri Pandits who had to leave the Valley. When they migrated, they lost their homeland, their neighbourhoods and the environment in which they had lived for generations. In such circumstances, language became one of the few remaining links to their identity.

When people move to new places where others do not speak their language, they often hold on to it even more strongly. It becomes a marker of belonging and a reminder of where they came from. For many of them, Kashmiri language has become the most important certificate of their Kashmiri identity.

Losing one's homeland is a deeply painful experience. In such situations, language becomes the emotional thread that connects people to their roots. That is why many of them have preserved Kashmiri language within their families even while living outside Kashmir.

This should also serve as a lesson for those who still live in the Valley. If people who are living far away can preserve the language with such dedication, those who are living in the homeland should value it even more.

KNS: Thank you for having us

ZAZ: Thank You