Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 25: Members of the J&K Urdu Council and the Urdu Coordination Committee today termed the exclusion of Urdu from the recruitment criteria for Naib Tehsildar posts as “unacceptable” and demanded immediate withdrawal of the Government’s recent notification.
Addressing a press conference here, the members expressed strong disappointment over the decision, saying it would adversely impact both administrative functioning and the linguistic heritage of the region.
They said the removal of Urdu as a mandatory qualification for the posts marks the “second major blow” to the language under the present dispensation.
“Earlier, the requirement of knowing Urdu for the post of Naib Tehsildar was relaxed last year. The latest notification goes a step further and undermines the historical and functional importance of the language,” A.R. Hanjura, president of the JKUC, said.
Highlighting Urdu’s long standing role, the members noted that it has remained the official language of the region since the rule of Maharaja Pratap Singh and continues to be integral to governance, particularly in the Revenue department where a majority of records are maintained in Urdu.
“Urdu is widely spoken and understood across Jammu and Kashmir. Removing it from recruitment criteria will not only create practical difficulties for the public but also weaken the language’s institutional standing,” they said.
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