KARGIL, JANUARY 11, 2022: The Socio-Religious organizations of District Kargil have expressed resentment over the removal of the Urdu language from Ladakh Revenue (Subordinate) Services Recruitment Rules 2021.

In a representation to the Lieutenant Governor Ladakh, RK Mathur, the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust invited his attention to the recently issued SO-3 Date 7th January 2022 in partial amendment of SO-35 Date 08/09/2021 in respect of Ladakh Revenue (Subordinate) Services Recruitment Rules 2021 replacing the text “Graduation with knowledge of Urdu” in Schedule II(B) to “Graduation from a Recognized university.”

In this regard, the organisations appealed for immediate reconsideration and revocation of the said SO-3 Date 07th January 202.

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The organisation’s above-mentioned letter maintained that this move “affects 25% direct requirements of Naib Tehsildar and 100% direct recruitment quota of Patwaries in the Union Territory, it may adversely affect working of Revenue Department in the UT where in all the revenue records are in URDU Language.

“Historically, Urdu was introduced as one of the official languages by the then Dogra Maharaja Partap Sing in 1889. All the Revenue Records were first maintained and commissioned under the First Settlement Operation in the Ladakh, Baltistan and Gilgit Wazarat in Dogra Rule, during the early years century (Ref. Ladakh Archives). All these records and their entries, maps are entered in Urdu language. Urdu was made medium of teaching in schools by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1940.The records continue to be maintained till know as Urdu was the State Language of the erstwhile J&K State. Presently more than hundred thirty-year-old Revenue Records are in Urdu which is maintained till date in Urdu language.

“You are well aware that Urdu is one of the important International languages largely spoken in the Sub Continent, was known to Ladakhics by the 19^th century. Famous explorer William Moorcroft, who visited Ladakh in 1820-21 has found that at least one or two persons here in Kargil knows Persian or Hundustani” Historians have stated that it was Urdu which was Lingua-Franca among locals and outside traders.

“An abrupt shift or posting people / officials not familiar with the entire records in Urdu may create a vacuum, Chaos and confusion with tremendous miseries to general public as well as functioning of the Revenue Department in UT Ladakh. Besides any paradigm shift in age old system may need to apply serious thought and pre-planning as well as a period of preparation.

“We feel that the SO-3 Date 07h January 2022 has been notified by the UT Administration Ladakh in a hurry without doing the required home work. We, on behalf of the people of Kargil request you to kindly Revoke the SO-3 Dated 07th January 2022 forth with till the entire Revenue Records are converted in English or Digital Format.”

On the other hand, the Anjuman Sahib Zaman from Sankoo in a press release also expressed resentment over the controversial tweet by the Member of Parliament from Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal.

The press release maintained that, “Urdu for centuries being the sole language of communication in Indian subcontinent, has got deeply entrenched in socio-cultural structure of Ladakh. It has become the main medium of social and religious communication.

“Urdu was introduced in 1888 by Maharaja Partap Singh and was the legal and revenue language since then. All the official revenue records of both the districts are also in Urdu language and scrapping Urdu language from the post of Naib Tehsildar and patwari post selection criteria is very unfortunate. As Urdu knowing is much compulsory for these posts.

“In addition, Purgi, the main language spoken in Kargil district, is written using Urdu script. Now, member of parliament from Ladakh, calling Urdu an alien and imposed language is highly condemnable. This type of comments will only cause division in the society and will serve no purpose.

“Hence UT administration is appealed to revise the notification, which tends to cause language bias in the region.”