Linguistic Composition of Jammu and Kashmir Linguistically, Jammu and Kashmir state and its surrounding areas constitute

a complex region in the sub continent and its linguistic complexity is evident by the segmentation of population into the following language inventories: 1. Dard group which includes within it the languages/dialects like Kashmiri, Shina, Kashtiwari, Poguli, Siraji, Rambani and Kohistani (Grierson, 1919; Kachru, 1969). 2. IndoAryan language family which includes the languages like Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi, Dogri, Lahanda, Pahari and Gojri. 3. TibetoBurman family which includes languages like Ladakhi and its dialects. This includes languages like Tibetian, Kazak and Chinese. 4. Pashtu (Eastern Iranian language) speakers, immigrants from Afghanistan and the NorthWest Frontier, now in Pakistan, and some part of the Central Asia region. The major concentration is at Gotlibagh in Ganderbal (District Ganderbal) and Wantrag in Anantnag (District Anantnag). 5. The linguistic profile of Kashmir valley incorporates within it the hitherto linguistically unexplored language of Sheikhs/Watals (generally known as gypsies of Kashmir professionally scavengers and shoe makers. 6. The genotypic relationship of Kashmiri language extends to Kafir and Khowar group. Kashmiri is characterized by showing its basic linguistic structure towards the direction of other languages of Dardic family with specific reference to Dard group of Dardic family of languages allied to Shina. (Grierson, 1919). In the context of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, Urdu the states official language is most commonly used language in public domain, especially in educational institutions, government

offices and media, though now English appears to be steadily taken over Urdu. Urdu is also the main language of the state media such as radio, television and newspapers. Very few native speakers of Urdu, if any, are the permanent residents of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Kashmiri is the majority language spoken in Kashmir valley and some other regions of the state. It is also the majority language spoken in Kashmir where Pashtuns are settled. Most of the state radio and television programmes, including daily news, are broadcast in Urdu and Kashmiri. A small number of programmes are broadcast in other local languages, such as Dogri (an Indo-Aryan language closely related to Punjabi spoken chiefly in the Jammu region) and Ladakhi (predominant language in the Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir and closely related to Tibetan) are also occasionally broadcast on state radio/television.