Kashmiri must not fade

Kashmir’s young generation is not witnessing the death of multilingualism but it is reshaping it. In classrooms, homes and digital spaces, Kashmiri, Urdu and English increasingly coexist, each serving a different purpose. This flexibility is strength, but it also carries a warning, i.e. a language can remain understood while gradually disappearing from everyday speech. English has understandably become indispensable for higher education, technology, employment and global communication. Urdu continues to occupy an important space in literature, formal communication and cultural life. Kashmiri, meanwhile, remains deeply connected with home, family, humour, emotion and local identity. There is no inherent contradiction in being proficient in all three. The concern arises when practical usefulness begins to determine linguistic survival. In many urban households, children understand Kashmiri but increasingly respond in Urdu or English. If this pattern continues across generations, Kashmiri could gradually lose its place as a living spoken language, even if it remains present in literature and cultural programmes. The answer is not to resist English or diminish Urdu. Such an approach would be unrealistic and counterproductive. Instead, Kashmir needs a stronger culture of multilingualism in which every language is given its appropriate space. Schools can encourage Kashmiri through reading, writing, cultural activities and conversation, while families remain the most important environment for preserving its everyday use. The digital world should also be viewed as an opportunity rather than merely a threat. Kashmiri content creators, musicians, comedians and storytellers are already demonstrating that the language can thrive beyond the traditional home setting. More quality digital content in Kashmiri can make the language attractive and relevant to younger audiences. Language is not simply a communication tool but carries memory, humour, history and identity. Kashmir’s linguistic future should therefore not be a contest between Kashmiri, Urdu and English. The real objective should be to ensure that learning one language never requires abandoning another.