Silent Village Of India: There is a village situated amidst the snowy and picturesque hills of Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, the most beautiful union territory of India, whose reality can surprise anyone. The name of this village is Dhadkai. Although the natural beauty and valleys of this village attract the tourists, but this place is known all over the world by a very different and unique name, The Silent Village of India.
The biggest specialty of this village is that there is no silence here, rather the silence here talks to each other. A large population of people living in this small hill village can neither hear nor speak. Let us know the complete story of this unique village, its history and the shocking medical science behind it.
What is the ground reality of Dhadkai village?
Dhadkai village is located in inaccessible hilly area, about 260 kilometers from Jammu. People of Gujjar Muslim community mainly live in this village, who come under a Scheduled Tribe (ST).
The total population of the village is around 2,000, but the surprising thing is that more than 90 people in this small village are completely deaf and dumb. Out of the 105 families living here, there are more than 55 families in which at least one or more members can neither hear nor speak. There are some families where 6 out of 7 children are born deaf and dumb.
This village has its own unique ‘local sign language’
Despite the challenges, the people here have found a unique way to live. The people of this village have developed their own ‘local sign language’. The special thing is that the people of the village who can hear and speak, also know and understand this sign language so well that the entire village communicates among themselves without any hindrance.
When and how did this series of silence start?
According to village elders and historical records, the first official case of birth of a deaf-mute child in this village came to light in the year 1901, when a son who could not hear or speak was born to a local man named Fauji Gujjar. After this, this number continued to increase decade after decade. In the year 1990, the number of deaf and dumb people in the village was 43. In the year 2007 this figure increased to 79. Now more than 90 people in the village are living in this situation, out of which the number of women is much more than that of men.
Why does ‘silence’ resonate in this village? Scientists found the reason
For years, the people of the village believed it to be a curse from God, a play of bad luck or a mysterious effect of the water and soil there. But when special teams of scientists and doctors visited this village and did research, a very shocking medical reason came to light. It is called ‘Genetic Cluster’ or ‘Founder’s Effect’ in medical science.
Inbreeding and endogamy
People of Gujjar community have been marrying within their own tribe and close relatives (like cousins) for centuries. When people from the same small genetic pool (DNA structure) intermarry, the genetic defects hidden in their genes become more prominent in the next generation.
OTOF gene defect
When scientists took blood samples of the villagers, they found that there was a serious defect in the gene named OTOF (Otoferlin) in their bodies. This gene performs the main function of sending sound signals from the inner part of our ear to the brain. When this defective gene is transferred to the child through both mother and father, the child is born deaf and dumb.
What is the solution to this disease and the hope for the future?
Doctors and genetic scientists say that the only practical way to stop this genetic disease is for the village youth to start out-marriage outside their community or with close relatives. Apart from this, scientists have also suggested making ‘colour-coded cards’ so that the genetic risk of couples (which can range from 25% to 100%) can be measured before marriage and the coming generation can be saved from this cycle of silence.
It is a matter of relief that in recent years, with the help of the Indian Army and some major social organizations, efforts have been started to teach ‘Indian Sign Language’ (ISL) to the youth here and to connect them with the mainstream of modern education and employment. These efforts are awakening a new ray of hope in this peaceful and beautiful valley.
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