Jammu, 11 June (H.S.): Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers staged a protest here against Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to include Urdu as a compulsory subject in the recently notified Naib Tehsildar recruitment examination.

The BJYM workers led by state president Arun Prabhat held the protest at Kacchi Chawni, raising slogans against the “discriminatory and regionally” biased move and asserting the rights of Jammu’s youth to fair and equal access to public employment.

“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,” Prabhat said.

He accused Omar Abdullah-led administration of introducing a policy that sidelines youth from the Jammu region.

“This move is discriminatory, unjustified, and violates the principles of equality, inclusivity, and regional fairness in public sector employment,” the BJP youth leader said.

He said the Naib Tehsildar post is open to candidates from all parts of Jammu and Kashmir but making Urdu a mandatory qualifying criterion disadvantages aspirants from the Jammu region – most of whom study in Hindi, Dogri, or English and do not have Urdu as their medium of instruction.

“This is not only exclusionary but also deprives capable candidates of a fair chance at government employment. This decision amounts to linguistic imposition and systemic bias, and stands in violation of the Constitution of India, which guarantees equal opportunity in employment and freedom from language-based discrimination,” he said.

Moreover, he said the role of a Naib Tehsildar demands effective interaction with local populations.

“In most parts of Jammu, the working language is not Urdu. Therefore, proficiency in regional languages such as Dogri, Hindi, or Punjabi is more relevant for governance at the grassroots level,” he said.

The BJYM urged the Lt Governor and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) to reconsider this policy immediately.

“Urdu should be made optional, or candidates should be allowed to choose from a list of regional languages based on their domicile and preference,” he said.

Prabhat also appealed to civil society, legal experts, and political leaders to unite against this “unfair policy” and defend the constitutional rights of the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar