New signboards in Srinagar carrying information in Hindi and English — but excluding Urdu — have triggered criticism that the century-old official language of Jammu and Kashmir is being sidelined.
The controversy erupted after social media handle Kashmir Tweets posted a photograph of an income tax department signage installed in Rajbagh by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). “Has Hindi replaced Urdu as the official language in J&K? @SMC_Srinagar please clarify!” the post asked.
Several political leaders and citizens termed the move a deliberate erasure of cultural identity. “Kashmir has almost zero familiarity with Hindi while an overwhelming majority can read Urdu. It’s the first time that I’m seeing a Union government signboard in Hindi and English only, without Urdu,” said former minister and PDP leader Naeem Akhtar.
Social media users accused the administration of pushing “Hindi nationalism” into the Valley. “Brilliant way of telling people that even our language can be overwritten with a few strokes of paint. This quiet sidelining of Urdu is not just a cosmetic change. It’s a deliberate attempt to erase cultural identity & history,” one user wrote.
The timing of the controversy is significant, as Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is set to attend “Hindi Rangmanch – Humari Bhasha, Humari Pehchaan” at Srinagar’s Tagore Hall on Saturday.
Urdu was declared the official language of Jammu and Kashmir in 1889 by Maharaja Pratap Singh, replacing Persian. After Independence, Urdu and English remained official languages until the 2019 revocation of Article 370, when the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act added Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi.
Last month, the Central Administrative Tribunal dropped Urdu as a mandatory qualification for candidates applying for Naib-Tehsildar posts, further fuelling concerns about its marginalisation.
Although the Srinagar municipality is under the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference, Lal Chowk legislator Ahsan Pardesi distanced his party from the development. “Such initiatives are not sanctioned by our government,” he said.
