ABVP Protests Over Urdu Compulsion in J&K Recruitment: Discrimination or Administrative Requirement?

ABVP Protests Against Urdu in Naib Tehsildar Recruitment: Discrimination Row in Jammu & Kashmir

By: Javid Amin | Jammu | 14 July 2025

ABVP, the student wing of the RSS, held a vociferous protest in Jammu against what it called a “regionally biased” and discriminatory requirement—the inclusion of Urdu as a mandatory language in the Naib Tehsildar recruitment exam.

Protesters gathered outside the official residence of then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, demanding that the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) revoke the condition. The recruitment notification had advertised 75 Naib Tehsildar posts, with the mandatory requirement of working knowledge of Urdu, sparking intense criticism, especially from non-Urdu-speaking regions of Jammu.

Background: What Is the Urdu Controversy All About?

The Trigger: JKSSB Recruitment Notice

The Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) issued an official advertisement for 75 Naib Tehsildar posts, a key administrative position at the tehsil level. The notification explicitly mentioned that “working knowledge of Urdu is mandatory” for eligibility.

This clause instantly ignited opposition—particularly in Jammu—where Hindi and Dogri are more widely spoken and Urdu fluency is not prevalent.

Why Is Urdu Required for Naib Tehsildars?

Administrative Rationale

Urdu has long held official language status in the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir. For decades, government records, revenue documents, and court records were maintained in Urdu. Even today, many administrative and revenue offices continue to use Urdu as a primary language for land records and communication.

Thus, the JKSSB defended the requirement as a functional necessity rather than a cultural imposition.

“Naib Tehsildars must interact with official documents written in Urdu. Working knowledge is essential to discharge their duties,” a JKSSB official stated during the controversy.

The Protest: ABVP Hits the Streets in Jammu

Where & How It Happened

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged protests in Jammu city, including a demonstration outside Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence. Chants of “Urdu Farz Nahi Banegi” (Urdu will not be made mandatory) echoed in the air.

The students held placards accusing the administration of regional bias and linguistic discrimination, demanding equal opportunities for Jammu’s non-Urdu-speaking youth.

“This is the second protest we’ve held. If the government continues to impose Urdu, we will intensify our agitation,” said an ABVP spokesperson.

Key Demands of the Protesters

1. Immediate Revocation of Urdu as a mandatory eligibility condition.

2. Review of JKSSB Language Policy to ensure inclusivity.

3. Special provisions for Jammu region candidates where Urdu is not the mother tongue.

4. Ensure language neutrality in all state-level recruitments.

Legal & Constitutional Angle

Language & Equal Opportunity

The Indian Constitution does not permit discrimination based on language, region, or religion in public employment (Article 16). However, it also empowers states to specify language qualifications if the job function requires it.

Thus, the legal status of the Urdu requirement hinges on whether it can be proven essential to the job.

“If Urdu is truly indispensable for the functioning of the post, the requirement is justified. But if it filters out otherwise capable candidates, it becomes constitutionally questionable,” said a constitutional law expert from the University of Jammu.

Regional Divide: Kashmir vs Jammu

The controversy also reveals the deepening linguistic and regional divides between Jammu and Kashmir.

• In Kashmir, Urdu is not just an administrative language—it is widely taught, spoken, and embedded in public life.

• In Jammu, particularly the Dogra-majority districts, Hindi, Dogri, and Punjabi are dominant, and Urdu is taught only marginally.

Thus, uniform language criteria, critics argue, disadvantages Jammu-based aspirants, who may otherwise qualify on merit.

Omar Abdullah’s Role & Public Reaction

Though Omar Abdullah did not personally issue the recruitment directive, his government bore the brunt of the protests as the sitting administration at the time.

Critics accused him of:

• Appeasing Kashmir-centric identity politics

• Neglecting regional balance in employment policies

• Failing to consult diverse stakeholders before implementing such sensitive criteria

However, defenders of the policy pointed out that Urdu had long been part of administrative operations, and the requirement was not new—only reiterated.

Precedents & Past Controversies

This wasn’t the first time the language issue erupted in J&K:

• 1980s & 1990s: Similar debates over Urdu vs Dogri in government communications

• Post-2019: Calls grew stronger for Hindi and English to replace Urdu in state administration

• 2020 Official Language Act: Post Article 370 abrogation, the Official Languages Act of J&K recognized Urdu, Hindi, English, Dogri, and Kashmiri—yet administrative practices still favored Urdu.

Deeper Implications: Identity, Access & Opportunity

The ABVP protest tapped into broader youth anxieties about:

• Equitable access to government jobs

• Language as a tool of exclusion

• Feeling alienated in policy-making

In a region as diverse and politically fragile as Jammu & Kashmir, such decisions are often read through identity-based lenses, making administrative choices far more symbolically loaded than elsewhere in India.

What Happens Next?

Possible Government Responses

• Waivers or Alternatives: Introducing a 6-month Urdu training clause post-selection.

• Exemption for Jammu applicants or bilingual options in exams.

• Policy Review Committees to revisit criteria for future recruitment.

ABVP’s Stand

The ABVP warned that it would launch a massive youth movement if the Urdu condition wasn’t dropped. The group plans to organize:

• University-level mobilizations

• Signature campaigns

• Petitions to the Lieutenant Governor and Ministry of Home Affairs

Final Thoughts: Linguistic Unity or Discriminatory Uniformity?

This protest underscores how language, jobs, and identity remain deeply intertwined in post-370 Jammu & Kashmir. While functional knowledge of Urdu may be justifiable for certain posts, the lack of flexibility and region-specific adaptations fuels legitimate discontent.

At its heart, the issue reflects the challenges of governing a multi-lingual, multi-regional union territory—where uniform rules don’t always equal fairness.

Summary of Key Points