Although Kashmiri is the first language of 3–4 million people and one of the 17 officially recognised languages of India, in the daily life of Kashmir, including its educational system, it has many of the features of a minority language. It might be described therefore as a majority-minority language. In an attempt to explain the phenomenon, the paper makes use of data from an earlier study, combined with new interviews with some of the respondents. It shows that teachers in Kashmir have a poor opinion of the language. They even question whether it is really a language, sometimes for absurd reasons, and whether it is worthwhile or feasible to teach it. The situation is discussed in historical and social terms and by reference to current practice in language education in India. The paper questions the distinction between productive and unproductive languages, and the application of international TEFL pedagogy in India, where learners are usually in an acquisition-poor environment.