‘Ur-lish’ Tongue, A Fusion Transforming Conversations 

By Zia Darakshan

I was raised in a distinctly Urdu-speaking environment, a fusion of my mother’s roots in the Sher-e-Khaas area of Srinagar and my father’s heritage from South Kashmir. Our home embraced Urdu wholeheartedly, where the love for this language was so profound that it led to a ban on any other languages. Speaking Urdu became a necessity for my siblings and me, shaping the linguistic ambiance of our household.

Fortunately, my aunt’s proficiency in Urdu and Persian facilitated our immersion in the language. However, our Urdu pronunciation and intonation differed from the typical Kashmiri Urdu, leading people, especially at school, to perceive us as Hindus. 

Although I could understand Kashmiri very well,however, when it came to speaking, I always found myself at a loss.I could barely utter a word in Kashmiri, and my attempts often turned me into a source of laughter. In those days  Kashmiri dominated as the primary language in schools, with English and Urdu less prevalent though the schools were English mediums.

As time progressed, our cousins and extended family, both close and distant, also embraced Urdu as their primary language. Similar shifts were occurring in societal dynamics during that period, witnessing the passing on of Urdu linguistic traditions to the younger generation.

Delving into history, it wasn’t until 1889 that Dogra rulers adopted Urdu as the language of administration in Kashmir. Prior to this, Persian served as the court and commercial language, exclusive to the learned and elite class. 

The advent of television and other mediums played a pivotal role in reshaping people’s lifestyles and furthering  a preference for Urdu. The way there was a trend among people in Kashmir to shift from local shops to supermarkets and departmental stores, a similar trend started between the Kashmiri language and the Urdu language. People began giving Urdu language precedence over the Kashmiri language ,because speaking Urdu is seen as prestige and that it gives social mobility to people.

Furthermore, the rise of Urdu in Kashmiri households was influenced by Punjabi families who migrated to Kashmir from Pakistan and other parts of India. Inter-religious marriages also played a role in the increased use of Urdu among the local population. However, one significant factor contributing to Urdu’s popularity in spoken language was the tendency to imitate the language as observed in others. It’s important to note that I am not delving into the literature and history of the Urdu language here; this discussion focuses solely on the language spoken by the people. It’s worth adding that Kashmir has historically been a center of knowledge for Persian and Urdu. The region has produced brilliant minds that have enriched the literature of these languages.

The Kashmiri language, has taken a  backseat and remained associated mainly with the older, illiterate, or those with no exposure to Urdu. Despite being spoken throughout the J&K region, Kashmiri’s dialects and accents  vary across different areas, much like regional accents within other languages. For example  the  regional accents and dialects differ greatly even within the United Kingdom –an Irish person sounds quite different from someone from the North of England. For many of us, when we think of UK English we think of ‘the Queen’s English’. However,it is actually only used by 2% of the population. United States English is the variant of English spoken in the United States. US English is the preferred variant in Latin America and East Asia (i.e. China, Japan and the Philippines). Just like British English, American English varies widely from state to state, and there are lots of regional differences in vocabulary and accents.

Interestingly, upon their arrival in Srinagar,  South Kashmir people (not all )prefer not to be identified by their accent. Consequently, they choose to converse in Urdu or English. The unfortunate fact that Srinagarites oftenly disparage the Kashmiri spoken in the south and other parts of Kashmir, labeling them as rustic while they regard the Kashmiri spoken in Srinagar as  superior and correct.    Consequently, many people for this reason, avoid speaking in Kashmiri when interacting with Srinagarites. This convolution between the people of South Kashmir and Srinagar is another compelling reason for many people from other districts to equip their children with Urdu or English skills rather than emphasizing the use of Kashmiri.

By virtue of  these reasons, Urdu has become the preferred language for most people. It is no longer considered alien or a second language (after Kashmiri), but is widely spoken across the length and breadth of the valley . On the contrary  the perception that Kashmiri is spoken by 100 percent of the population may not be true , similar to the misconception about ‘Queen’s English.

Engrossingly, Urdu considered as first language and spoken in Kashmir is a unique blend of Urdu and Kashmiri, making it distinct from original Urdu. In contemporary times, it has evolved into what can be termed as ‘Urkash,’ a mix of Kashmiri and Urdu, akin to Hinglish, a combination of Hindi and English.

Urkash is a fascinating linguistic blend, often spoken by locals, even by those unfamiliar with Urdu, in social gatherings or crowds. It allows individuals to showcase their language prowess, with a unique intonation that adds a musical tone to the conversation. This mixture sometimes involves stretching words, creating a distinctive musical  sound. Sometimes, it becomes challenging to distinguish whether they are speaking Urdu or Kashmiri. For instance, it is very common to hear words like “kanduroo” (baker), “Kakil,” “treth,” “tawun,” etc., like words ,when someone is conversing in Urdu.

However, a recent linguistic trend has caught on among the youth, aptly termed “Urlish” – a fusion of Urdu and English. This trend is gaining substantial popularity, particularly among social media influencers, users, RJs, and individuals involved in the media. Urlish is becoming a linguistic sensation, with individuals effortlessly conversing in two languages.

Notably, parents have embraced this linguistic fusion, especially when communicating with their children in public places. It has become commonplace to observe parents engaging in Urlish conversations with their children. For instance, in a departmental store, a young parent advised her little one, ‘toy break mat karna varna shopkeeper beat karey ga'(Don’t break the toy, otherwise, the shopkeeper will scold you).  This amusing yet concerning sight left me guffawing coupled with a sense of unease, as I could sense the child’s confusion. One can imagine the blend of English and Urdu words flawlessly inserted into this single sentence creating a delightful linguistic hotchpotch.

While this trend is gaining popularity, especially on social media where more views equate to more popularity and success, delving into the intricacies reveals that it is distorting our rich linguistic heritage passed down from our forefathers. 

While multilingualism is undoubtedly valuable in our globalized world, distorting a language can lead to a loss of its richness and sweetness. It is the bottom line  for our youngsters to be fluent in the languages they speak, maintaining the integrity of each. Encouraging our children to speak various languages is beneficial, but they should strive for mastery in at least one language while being proficient or at least acquainted with others. In this way, we can appreciate linguistic diversity without compromising the purity of each language.

• Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer

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