Killing our language
By: Aamir Altaf
Language is not just a tool for communication—it is the soul of a culture, the carrier of history, and the foundation of identity. Yet, in Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmiri language is dying a slow, silent death.
The culprits? Bad parenting, digital addiction, institutional neglect, and a dangerous obsession with Urdu and English as symbols of ‘prestige’.
This isn’t just about linguistics; it’s about mental health, cultural erosion, and the collapse of intergenerational bonds. If this continues, the next generation of Kashmiris will grow up emotionally disconnected, linguistically rootless, and culturally hollow.
The Decline of Kashmiri: By the Numbers
* Only 6.8 million speakers remain (2011 Census)—far fewer than expected.
* UNESCO lists Kashmiri as a “definitely endangered” language.
* In Srinagar, only 30% of families speak Kashmiri with their children (JKAACL, 2020).
* Rural areas still hold on (~70%) , but even there, Urdu and Hindi are creeping in.
The numbers don’t lie—Kashmiri is disappearing. But why?
- Bad Parenting: The First Betrayal
- The Phone over Parenthood Crisis
Instead of speaking Kashmiri to their children, many parents today:
✓ Hand them smartphones to keep them ‘busy’.
✓ Let YouTube and Instagram raise them in Hindi/Urdu.
✓ Neglect emotional bonding, leading to depression, aggression, and addiction.
Result? Kids grow up:
- Unable to express emotions in any language properly. •Addicted to instant dopamine (gaming, gambling, and reels).
- Disconnected from their roots, seeing Kashmiri as “backward.”
- The Prestige Paradox.
Many educated Kashmiri parents actively reject their mother tongue, believing:
- Urdu/English = Success, Kashmiri = Stigma.
- “My child will sound ‘uneducated’ if they speak Kashmiri.”
This mind-set is killing the language faster than any policy ever could.
- Digital Invasion: The Silent Killer of Culture
° No Kashmiri cartoons, apps, or books for kids—just Hindi dubbed cartoons and violent PUBG streams.
° Social media algorithms push Urdu/Hindi/English content, burying Kashmiri.
° Online gambling and porn are replacing real social skills, leaving youth angry, depressed, and addicted.
When a child’s first words are from a Hindi cartoon not their mother’s lullabies, we have already lost.
- Institutional Failure: No Schools, No Future
~ Kashmiri is not compulsory in most schools.
~No Kashmiri-medium schools exist for elite families who might want them.
~No government push for Kashmiri in tech (Google doesn’t even have Kashmiri voice search).
Compare this to:
-Punjab (Punjabi is mandatory in schools).
– Israel (Hebrew was revived through ruthless policy enforcement).
Why is Kashmir’s language less worthy of survival?
- Mental Health Crisis: A Generation without Roots
When children grow up:
Without their mother tongue, they lose a key part of their identity
Without family stories, they lack emotional grounding.
Without cultural pride, they turn to drugs, gambling, and extremism for belonging.
This isn’t speculation— it’s happening right now in Srinagar’s neighborhoods and almost in all the rural areas of Kashmir
The Way Forward: How to Save Kashmiri
- For Parents: Reclaim Your Role
✔ Speak Kashmiri at home —even if kids reply in Urdu/English.
✔ Replace screen time with storytelling —grandparents’ tales, not YouTube.
✔ Teach pride, not shame —Kashmiri is not “backward,” it’s your heritage.
- For Schools: Make Kashmiri Unavoidable
✔Mandatory Kashmiri classes (like Punjabi in Punjab).
✔ Kashmiri-medium preschools —make it a language of childhood.
✔ Kashmiri literature competitions–reward fluency.
- For Government & Tech: Digital Revival
✔ Fund Kashmiri cartoons, apps, and AI tools (e.g., Kashmiri voice assistants).
✔ Ban gambling ads targeting Kashmiri youth.
✔ Promote Kashmiri in public offices—why is Urdu the only official language?
- For Society: A Cultural Movement
✔ Community storytelling events—revive the Dastangoi tradition.
✔ Kashmiri music & film industry—compete with Bollywood.
✔ Shame negligent parents —make language loss a social issue, not just a policy one.
Will Kashmiri Be the Next Sanskrit?
Sanskrit died as a spoken language because people abandoned it for “practical” alternatives. Today, Kashmiri is on the same path— not because of outside forces, but because of our own neglect.
If we continue prioritizing phones over parenting, Urdu over heritage, and escapism over emotional connection, we will raise a generation that:
× Doesn’t speak Kashmiri.
× Doesn’t respect elders.
× Doesn’t even know what they’ve lost.
The choice is ours: Let Kashmiri die as a relic, or fight to keep it alive as a living, breathing part of Kashmir’s soul.
(The author can be reached at aamiraltaf16@gmail.com)
