JULY 15: Following the order of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order staying the requirement of basic Urdu knowledge for the Naib Tehsildar examination, PDP leader and MLA Pulwama Waheed Para said BJP’s attempt to view Urdu through a communal lens marks a dangerous and disgraceful new low in our political discourse in J&K.
Taking to social networking site, Para said, “Urdu is not a symbol of any religion but the throbbing pulse of Jammu & Kashmir’s identity, echoing collective memories and soulful struggles of our people over centuries. It is the language of poets, courts, revenue offices, administration & everyday life here.”
Para severely reprimanded the CAT and said, “Even more disturbing is the CAT’s order staying the requirement of basic Urdu knowledge for the Naib Tehsildar exam is a signal that judicial forums too are beginning to cave under political pressure.”
He further added, “BJP’s protests appear to be shaping institutional responses, which is an alarming trend in any democracy.”
Para also said, “Urdu must be preserved, not just as a language, but as an embodiment of our shared heritage, administrative continuity & cultural essence that binds every region of J&K together.”
