Urdu being deliberately erased from new digitisation effort, claims Waheed Para

Srinagar, July 19: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and MLA Pulwama, Waheed ur Rehman Para, on Saturday slammed the National Conference-led Jammu and Kashmir government for “deliberately erasing” Urdu—the official language of J&K—from the new digitisation effort and replacing it with English.

Para stated that Urdu, a language integral to revenue records for generations, is being completely removed, and the entire process is being carried out “exclusively in English.”

He further claimed that the order for this move has come from the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, himself as he holds the revenue portfolio.

In a post on X, Para wrote, “NC Govt wherein J&K CM @OmarAbdullah holds the revenue portfolio has ordered yet another round of land record digitisation across Jammu & Kashmir. This time, the process being carried out exclusively in English, with Urdu completely REMOVED, a language that has been integral to our revenue records for generations.”

“Why is Urdu one of J&K’s official language being deliberately erased from the new digitisation effort by NC govt?” He added.