Martand Singh hails inclusion of Dogri Language in Parliament

JAMMU, Feb 16: Martand Singh, the great-grandson of Maharaja Hari Singh Ji, has warmly welcomed the decision of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to extend translation services in Parliament to six additional languages, including Dogri.

Hailing this move as a historic step towards linguistic inclusivity, Martand Singh emphasized that the inclusion of Dogri in parliamentary proceedings is a matter of immense pride for the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Dogras worldwide. He stated, “This recognition of Dogri at the national level strengthens our cultural heritage and ensures that the voice of Dogras is heard in the highest democratic institution of the country.”

Notably, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has recently announced the extension of translation services to six more languages— Dogri, Bodo, Maithili, Manipuri, Sanskrit, and Urdu. Until now, translation services were available in ten regional languages—Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, and Telugu—along with Hindi and English.

Martand Singh further highlighted that Dogri, one of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, has a rich literary and cultural legacy. “This decision will encourage greater representation of Dogri-speaking parliamentarians and foster a deeper connection with our heritage,” he added.

He also expressed gratitude to the Central Government for recognizing the linguistic diversity of the country and reaffirmed his commitment to promoting and preserving the legacy of the Dogras. “This decision marks another significant milestone in acknowledging the cultural identity of Jammu & Kashmir and reflects the government’s continued efforts to strengthen regional languages in national discourse,” he added.