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| Confusion looms large about proposed official language of union territory of JK | | Assembly might adopt two official languages | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Nov 15: With the transition of Jammu & Kashmir from state into union territory complete on October 31, 2019, confusion looms large among the people what would be the official language of the newly carved out union territory.
As on date the official language of Jammu & Kashmir is Urdu and any change in this regard would have to be done by the assembly of the union territory. Given the fact that there is no assembly in place at present it remains to be seen as how far the present rules vis-à-vis official language would apply.
The Reorganization Bill introduced by Home Minister Amit Shah in the parliament on August 5 this year has authorized the legislative assembly of Jammu & Kashmir to take a decision about the future official language of the union territory. The bill was later on passed by the parliament through voting amid uproar by the opposition parties.
Sources told Early Times that it would be difficult for the new dispensation to continue with Urdu as the official language of union territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The primary reason for the same is that the new generation in the union territory is not inclined to take up their jobs and assignments in Urdu as on date.
"In the past the students would ensure that they are proficient in the Urdu language, but that is not the case now. In many schools the students as on date have to choose between Urdu and Hindi as their compulsory language subject. Lack of interest for Urdu may force the authorities to look for other options when it comes to choosing the official language for the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir," said sources.
Sources said that while in Jammu the youth inclined towards Hindi and English their counterparts in Kashmir want to take up English as the primary language. They said that Urdu is also losing its relevance in the official work of Department of Revenue where it was compulsory to be proficient in this language.
"Some time back some of the Jammu based candidates who had to appear in the Naib Tehsildar examination raised objection over the decision of examining authority to make Urdu as compulsory subject in the said examination. It was only after uproar that the people at helm bowed under pressure and said that candidates can take up either Hindi or Urdu as a compulsory subject," said sources.
Sources said that the assembly may choose two and not one as official language of Jammu & Kashmir. They said that both Urdu and Hindi would be treated as official languages adding that the same would be acceptable to the people living in Jammu and Kashmir regions.
"If the assembly decides to adopt Urdu as official language then there are chances of agitation in Jammu and same would happen in Kashmir if Hindi is chosen as official language. In such a scenario it would be difficult to have one official language for the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir. As such it would be prudent to have two official languages and not one," said sources. |
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