JAMMU: Up in arms against the J&K Service Selection Board decision of keeping Urdu language test as compulsory for qualifying Naib Tehsildar posts in its recent advertisement, various organizations and individuals have voiced their strong resentment over the alleged discriminatory move against Jammu youth.
BJYM workers from across the Jammu Province assembled at Kachi Chawni yesterday in large numbers, raising their voices against this discriminatory and regionally biased move. The protest was marked by spirited slogans and placards, asserting the rights of Jammu’s youth to fair and equal access to public employment.
While addressing the gathering, State President BJYM J&K, Arun Prabhat, lambasted the Omar Abdullah-led administration for introducing a policy that sidelines youth from the Jammu region. “This imposition of Urdu is a deliberate attempt to exclude deserving candidates from Jammu. Such regional discrimination will not be tolerated. We demand an immediate rollback,” he stated and urged the Services Selection Board (JKSSB) to reconsider this policy immediately.
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also organized state-wide protests at all district headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir against the SSB notification making Urdu a compulsory qualifying subject for the post of Naib Tehsildar. The protests were held at Jammu Mahanagar, Udhampur, Rajouri, Jammu University and other places in which BVP activists, Naib Tehsildar aspirants , students, and concerned citizens participated.
Leading the protest, Sannak Shrivats, State Secretary ABVP J&K warned that if the Government fails to revoke the Urdu qualifying exam requirement, ABVP will intensify its protests across the UT.
Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta has termed the SSB move as blatant discrimination against the youth of the Jammu region, many of whom do not have Urdu as a subject in their academic curriculum.
He demanded immediate review of the recruitment criteria for Naib Tehsildar posts and ensure a level playing field for all candidates, irrespective of their regional and linguistic backgrounds.
Sunil Dimple, president Mission Statehood Jammu Kashmir, also led a protest against Urdu as compulsory subject for the Naib Tehsildar posts.
Addressing the protestors, he strongly resented the move forcing for Urdu knowing in the Revenue Department. He warned agitation in case the Urdu knowing criteria is not changed and dropped from the advertisement for the Naib Tehsildar post.
Namrta Sharma, senior Congress leader and social-political activist, has strongly condemned the JKSSB notification and described the move as arbitrary, exclusionary, and in violation of the spirit of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
While the J&K Official Languages Act, 2020 recognizes Hindi, English, Kashmiri, Dogri, and Urdu as official languages, the selective imposition of only Urdu-especially where it holds no administrative relevance in the majority of Jammu districts-reflects blatant linguistic discrimination, she said and added, “This is more than a language issue-it impacts the futures of thousands of capable candidates from Jammu.” -(Daily Excelsior)
