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Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Decode Politics: Why dropping of Urdu clause for J&K govt post has set off a row
By Express News Service THE Central Administrative Tribunal's (CAT) order scrapping Urdu as a compulsory language requirement for a Revenue Department post in Jammu and Kashmir has renewed debate on the issue in the Union Territory. While the BJP, which had been protesting against the notification since it came out and calling it 'illegal', welcomed the CAT decision, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said non-Urdu speakers would not be 'efficient' in the posts since most land records are in Urdu. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, who made the same argument, added that it was 'deeply unfortunate' that the judiciary appears to be 'influenced by divisive politics'. On June 9, the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB), one of the two government recruitment agencies, issued a notification for a written exam for 75 posts of Naib Tehsildar in the UT's Revenue Department. As always, the JKSSB specified that the second paper of the written exam for the posts will test the candidate's 'working knowledge of Urdu'. Urdu has been the official administrative language of J&K since before Partition. While Persian was the official language of J&K in the early Dogra period, Maharaja Pratap Singh made Urdu as the sole official language over a century ago. It was during Maharaja Partap Singh's time that the first land settlement of J&K was carried out by Sir Walter Lawrence, an Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer, who was also a member of the British Council of India. Lawrence, who was appointed as the first Settlement Commissioner, started the process in 1889, completing it in five years. Thus, the first official land settlement in J&K was recorded in the Urdu language. Since the Lawrence period, all the revenue records of J&K were registered in Urdu. The pre-Partition revenue records are kept at Srinagar's Muhafiz Khana, which also has the original and official pre-Partition land records for the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) region. Hence, working knowledge of Urdu has always been a prerequisite for recruitment in the J&K Revenue Department because all land records in the UT are in this language. In the wake of the abrogation of Article 370, which granted J&K special status, in August 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020, was passed by the BJP-led Central government in Parliament, which added four more languages – Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi and English – to already existing Urdu as J&K's official languages. The Bill said that these five languages will be 'used for all official purposes' in the UT. The BJP immediately called for the scrapping of the notification making Urdu mandatory for for the post of Naib Tehsildars. Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma, met Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to seek his intervention to drop this eligibility criterion. Sharma's contention was that making working knowledge of one of the J&K's five official languages mandatory for Naib Telsildar aspirants 'violates constitutional principles and administrative impartiality, and creates an unfair barrier'. He also claimed this would put candidates from Jammu at a 'disadvantage'. The NC and PDP, immediately countered the BJP's stance. 'Urdu is not associated with any class, region, or religion, but is a historical and administrative language used in Jammu and Kashmir for over 130 years. During the reign of the Maharaja, all administrative work was conducted in Persian but later Urdu was adopted as a unifying language,' NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq pointed out. 'It is wrong to view every issue through a religious lens. The shajras (or the ancestral land records) have long been written in Urdu and it is not possible to change all those documents now. There is a need to acknowledge Urdu's historical role in administration, including judiciary and revenue,' Sadiq said. Subsequently, a petition was filed by job seekers with the CAT over the order. A Bench comprising Member (Judicial) Rajinder Dogra and Ram Mohan Johri (Member Administrative) said the notification was discriminatory in light of the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020, and stayed 'the operation of the relevant provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules of 2009' that spoke of Urdu as the required language. Abdullah and Mufti both reiterated the importance of Urdu for understanding land records. 'Even before Independence, our revenue records were in Urdu. How will a staff member in the Revenue Department work if he/she doesn't know Urdu? I don't think staff members of the Revenue Department who don't know Urdu can be efficient,' Abdullah said. 'It is only logical that applicants for the post of Naib Tehsildar possess basic proficiency in the language,' Mufti said.
Mint
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
‘Shocking, shameful': Mamata, Stalin, Akhilesh slam BJP over Omar's house ‘detention' on Martyrs' Day in Kashmir
Chief ministers of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Monday slammed the house arrest of their Jammu and Kashmir counterpart Omar Abdullah and his ministers over their plans to visit the graveyard of those killed by Dogra forces in 1931. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it amounted to snatching the democratic rights of a citizen. "What is wrong in visiting the graveyard of martyrs? This is not only unfortunate, it also snatches the democratic right of a citizen," Banerjee posted on X. "What happened to an elected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is unacceptable. Shocking. Shameful," she added. Abdullah and several leaders of the National Conference and opposition parties were put under house arrest on Sunday to prevent them from going to the Naqshband Sahib graveyard in Srinagar to mark Martyrs' Day. A defiant Abdullah, however, on Monday scaled the gates of the graveyard in old Srinagar city to pay tributes to the 22 people killed by the Dogra army on July 13, 1931. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, in a post on X, said that at a time when there is a growing demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, the current events unfolding there are a grim reminder of how far things have deteriorated. "The elected CM Hon'ble Omar Abdullah is being placed under house arrest simply for wanting to pay homage to the 1931 martyrs and is forced to climb walls to do so. Is this how an elected Chief Minister should be treated?" he asked. Stalin hit out at the BJP-ruled Centre, saying it was stripping away the rights of elected state governments. "This is not just about one state or one leader. From Tamil Nadu to Kashmir, the Union BJP Government is systematically stripping away the rights of elected State Governments. "If this can happen in Kashmir, it can happen anywhere, to any elected representative of the people. Every democratic voice must unequivocally condemn this," he added. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav used poetry to remind the BJP about the possibility of it having to sit in the opposition in future. "If you keep imposing restrictions on every matter like this, then when the regime changes, tell me yourself, which border will you cross to escape?" the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said in a post on Hindi on X. July 13 is commemorated as 'Martyrs Day' in Jammu and Kashmir in tribute to 22 people killed by the Dogra army outside Srinagar's central jail in 1931. The L-G administration had dropped the day from the list of gazetted holidays in 2020. CPI leader D Raja condemned Abdullah's detention as insulting. "It is utterly unacceptable that in Jammu & Kashmir, the LG's administration and J&K Police prevented even the elected Chief Minister OmarAbdullah, along with citizens and leaders, from paying their respects at the Martyrs' graveyard on July 13, arresting and manhandling them. "Adding to this insult, numerous leaders were placed under house arrest, silenced within their own homes on a day of collective remembrance. This is not just a breach of democratic norms. It's a blatant assault on our conscience and a reminder of how far governance in J&K has fallen under authoritarian unaccountable rule," Raja said on X. CPI(M) demanded restoration of statehood to J-K and urged the administration to respect the people's verdict What is wrong in visiting the graveyard of martyrs? This is not only unfortunate, it also snatches the democratic right of a citizen. "This contempt for an elected government by the Central Govt and its representatives is unacceptable. Restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Respect the People's Verdict," it said.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump's Explosive Anti-Russia Declaration After Meet With NATO Chief Mark Rutte
J&K CM Omar Abdullah jumps over the boundary wall of Mazar-e-Shuhada to recite prayers Former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah jumped over the boundary wall of Mazar-e-Shuhada in Srinagar after he was allegedly stopped by security forces from entering the site. July 13 is observed as Martyrs' Day in Jammu & Kashmir, commemorating the 22 people who were killed in 1931 while protesting against the Dogra regime. Omar claimed he had been placed under house arrest earlier in the day and was prevented from offering tributes in an official capacity. Determined to pay his respects, he chose not to inform anyone and took matters into his own hands by reaching the site on foot and scaling the wall. 'I didn't want to make it political. This day belongs to the martyrs,' he said. His actions have sparked sharp political reactions, with the National Conference accusing the administration of curbing democratic rights and political expression. Security arrangements in Srinagar remained tight throughout the day.#omarabdullah #jammuandkashmir #kashmirpolitics #mazareeshuhada #martyrsday #housearrest #kashmirnews #politicaldrama #srinagartoday #nationalconference 12.5K views | 8 hours ago
The Wire
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
J&K CM Omar Abdullah Accuses Police of ‘Grappling' While Entering Martyrs Graveyard, Releases Video
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah had to scuffle with police personnel to gain entry into Mazaar-e-Shuhada (Martyrs Graveyard) in Srinagar on Monday (July 14) where he and other National Conference (NC) leaders offered prayers at the graves of Kashmiri civilians killed by the Dogra army in 1931. An image on social media showed Abdullah accompanied by his father and the National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, J&K's deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary and other NC leaders gathered around the graves of 22 civilians who were shot dead by the Dogra monarch Maharaja Hari Singh's army on July 13, 1931. A senior NC leader told The Wire that in order to evade police scrutiny, senior Abdullah boarded an auto-rickshaw from Khanyar locality of Srinagar to reach the Sufi shrine of Khwaja Bahauddin Naqshbandi located in downtown Srinagar which is home to the Martyrs Graveyard. 'The plan was kept under tight wraps which took many of us by surprise,' the NC leader said, wishing to remain anonymous. Another party leader and J&K minister Sakina Itoo availed a bike ride to reach the venue on Monday where the fatiha prayers were offered for the deceased. The development took place a day after the lieutenant governor administration barred the NC and other Kashmir-based political parties from visiting the graveyard on Sunday to commemorate Martyrs Day, with J&K police warning of legal action against offenders. However, on Monday, chief minister Abdullah, who was on an official visit to West Bengal, was seen on the road outside the main complex of the shrine, which was turned into a security fortress by the administration ahead of the planned commemorations. A 59-second video shared by the party with the media showed the chief minister, surrounded by security personnel and three party legislators, pacing towards the shrine while some pedestrians look on and a few commuters halt their vehicles to see the action. Another video shared on social media showed Abdullah and at least three of his personal security officers clambering over the wall of the shrine complex with no visible resistance from the security personnel deployed there. Deputy chief minister Choudhary can also be seen watching the action in the video while some central paramilitary troopers, who were deployed at the shrine along with police personnel since Saturday to prevent such intrusions, look on in confusion. A five-second video posted by Abdullah on X, showed two J&K policemen in action in the shrine compound preventing him from moving towards the graveyard which is located behind the main shrine by grabbing his arms. The video shows one of Abdullah's personal security officers purportedly managing to loosen the grip of one of the cops, allowing the chief minister to release his arm while the second cop comes around to stop him from moving ahead. 'This is the physical grappling I was subjected to but I am made of sterner stuff & was not to be stopped. I was doing nothing unlawful or illegal. In fact these 'protectors of the law' need to explain under what law they were trying to stop us from offering Fatiha,' Abdullah said in the post. After Abdullah managed to make his way towards the graveyard along with three party legislators - Tanvir Sadiq, Ahsan Pardesi and Mushtaq Guroo, sources said senior Abdullah also reached the shrine complex and walked in to join the fateha prayers. The Union territory administration, which is directly run by the Bhartiya Janta Party-led Union government, foiled the plans of NC and other Kashmir-based political parties to commemorate the Martyrs Day. Authorities had sealed the historic shrine on Saturday while the applications of political parties to commemorate the day by paying tributes at the graveyard on Sunday were turned down. The BJP had opposed the July 13 commemoration. Senior leader and leader of opposition in J&K, assembly, Sunil Sharma triggered outrage across Kashmir last year after terming those killed by the Dogra army in 1931 as 'traitors'. The ruling party has also come under fire from the opposition over its alleged failure to restore July 13 as a public holiday after Abdullah was sworn into office last year. Restoring the July 13 holiday was part of the NC's election manifesto for the 2024 assembly election. The NC has reportedly written to lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha to reinstate July 13 and December 5, the birth anniversary of the party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, as public holidays, as it was.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Game On continues with the Queen of Indian Hockey, Rani Rampal!
J&K CM Omar Abdullah jumps over the boundary wall of Mazar-e-Shuhada to recite prayers Former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah jumped over the boundary wall of Mazar-e-Shuhada in Srinagar after he was allegedly stopped by security forces from entering the site. July 13 is observed as Martyrs' Day in Jammu & Kashmir, commemorating the 22 people who were killed in 1931 while protesting against the Dogra regime. Omar claimed he had been placed under house arrest earlier in the day and was prevented from offering tributes in an official capacity. Determined to pay his respects, he chose not to inform anyone and took matters into his own hands by reaching the site on foot and scaling the wall. 'I didn't want to make it political. This day belongs to the martyrs,' he said. His actions have sparked sharp political reactions, with the National Conference accusing the administration of curbing democratic rights and political expression. Security arrangements in Srinagar remained tight throughout the day.#omarabdullah #jammuandkashmir #kashmirpolitics #mazareeshuhada #martyrsday #housearrest #kashmirnews #politicaldrama #srinagartoday #nationalconference 3.1K views | 1 hour ago
