The use of language on a simple school billboard has snowballed into a controversy in Doda. Earlier, the name of the school was printed in Urdu and English, but a new signboard was installed with the name written in English, set against a tricolour background, with “Satyamev Jayate” inscribed.
This change attracted sharp reactions from different quarters, some calling it an invasion of culture, while others went so far as to portray it as an expression of hatred against their community. In response, the District Administration and school management appeared to buckle under pressure, repeatedly erasing and repainting the board, in what many see as an attempt to appease a handful of pseudo-intellectuals.
Urdu is undoubtedly a beloved language — one that allows a writer to encapsulate complex ideas in just a single sentence. But it is both illogical and shortsighted to classify this beautiful language into binaries of “our language” and “their language”.
A Historical Perspective
The roots of Urdu’s presence in Jammu and Kashmir are often traced to the Mughal and Afghan periods, though its influence became more pronounced under Sikh rule. The most crucial turning point came in 1889, when Maharaja Pratap Singh, the Dogra ruler, replaced Persian with Urdu as the official language of the princely state.
This status lasted for over a century until the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020, which ended Urdu’s 131-year reign as the sole official language. The Act declared Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi, Urdu, and English as the five official languages of the Union Territory.
It is worth recalling that before Persian became the court language in the 14th century, and long before Urdu was institutionalised in 1889, Sanskrit had held pride of place. For centuries, Sanskrit was not only the medium of administration and royal courts but also the foundation of Kashmir’s intellectual and cultural life, earning the region the title of Sharada Peeth.
This civilisational legacy, built upon Sanskrit, suffered irreparable blows through successive invasions that destroyed much of that world. Yet those who now protest the presence of a Sanskrit phrase on a school board never raised their voice when such erasures of history occurred.
Selective Outrage
The dissent voiced today appears less about genuine concern for Urdu and more about an unease with the inscription of “Satyamev Jayate” — a Sanskrit maxim signifying the triumph of truth. The same voices were silent when municipal ward names were altered, or when administrative posts required compulsory knowledge of Urdu.
Their selective outrage suggests that what unsettles them is not the absence of Urdu, but the presence of Sanskrit — a phrase that symbolises India’s enduring values.
The Way Forward
As the situation unfolds, all eyes remain on the District Administration and school management. So far, their wavering stance has only reinforced the impression of a policy guided by appeasement rather than principle. The challenge now is not merely about the lettering on a school signboard, but about whether institutions can withstand politicisation and uphold a balanced respect for all of Jammu and Kashmir’s official languages