Indian Army Launches Radio Station for Dard-Shina

The Indian Army has launched the Shina Gilgit Community Radio Station in Gurez Valley, Bandipora district, to preserve the endangered Dard-Shina language and promote local cultural heritage. Broadcasting primarily in Dard-Shina and Hindi from Dawar, the station covers government welfare schemes, education, healthcare, and folk traditions.

The initiative addresses a critical need, as nearly three-fourths of Gurez's population speaks Dard-Shina as their mother tongue, but the language faces decline among younger generations due to increasing use of Urdu, Kashmiri, and English in education and digital platforms. The Dard community in Gurez numbers around 37,000-38,000, with approximately 50,000 native Shina speakers across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Since Dard-Shina has traditionally been an oral language without written documentation, the radio station plays a vital role in language preservation. The initiative has also created opportunities for local women to serve as radio jockeys, contributing to public communication while keeping their mother tongue alive through regular broadcasts.