Fading alphabet to fresh paint: Dogri scripts a comeback on Jammu signboards, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• Public signboards in Jammu are now featuring area names in Namey Dogra Akhar, the script of the Dogri language, alongside Devanagari and Roman scripts.
• This initiative by civic authorities aims to revive the Namey Dogra Akhar script, which had largely fallen into disuse.
• Dogri is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by Dogras in the Jammu division of Jammu & Kashmir.
• It was recognized as one of the 22 scheduled languages under the Eighth Schedule in 2003 and declared an official language of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir in 2020.

Detailed Insights:

• Namey Dogra Akhar is a modified version of Takri, the original Dogri language script used until the reign of Maharaja Gulab Singh.
• Maharaja Ranbir Singh introduced modifications to Takri by incorporating vowel signs from Devanagari, leading to the emergence of Namey Dogra Akhar.
• The script's decline in official use began when Maharaja Pratap Singh replaced Persian with Urdu as the administrative language.
• The Dogri Sanstha adopted the Devanagari script in 1944 to popularize Dogri literature, contributing to the disuse of Namey Dogra Akhar.
• The University of Jammu established a Dogri Research Cell in 1971, and the language was introduced as a formal subject in colleges in 1987, but taught in Devanagari.
• Recent revival efforts include civil society members displaying boards in Namey Dogra Akhar and approaching the Jammu Municipal Corporation for public signboards.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Dogri Language: An Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Western Pahari group, primarily spoken in the Jammu region.
• Namey Dogra Akhar: The modified script for the Dogri language, developed from the older Takri script.
• Eighth Schedule: Part of the Indian Constitution listing the official languages of the Republic of India.
• Takri Script: The original script used for the Dogri language, from which Namey Dogra Akhar was derived.