Agitating students block main Tawi Bridge, court arrest
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 17: Protesting against alleged discrimination against Hindi, Sanskrit and Dogri in recruitment for the posts of Plus 2 Lecturers, students and activists of ABVP today held a strong protest march and blocked the main Tawi Bridge, here this afternoon.
Accusing the National Conference-led Government of completely ignoring national and local languages in the recent recruitment notification issued by the J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) for 10+2 Lecturer positions, the protesting students staged a sit-in on the Tawi Bridge resulting into disruption of vehicular movement for more than an hour.
Even as Police used mild force to disperse the protesting students, the latter continued their sit-in protest amid high-voltage drama till courting arrest.
Carrying placards and raising slogans, the protestors assembled at Jammu University and marched towards Bikram Chowk, alleging regional and linguistic discrimination.
“Instead of promoting national languages like Hindi, Sanskrit and Dogri, which are part of our identity, this Government is promoting foreign languages such as Arabic and Persian, which were included in the recruitment notification,” said the ABVP leaders.
“We are not against any language, but the Government’s preference for foreign languages over Hindi, Sanskrit and Dogri is a well-planned conspiracy. It is an assault on our civilisation, and we will not tolerate it,” they added.
The protesting students expressed frustration over the JKPSC’s omission of Hindi and Sanskrit lecturer posts in its notice dated November 12, despite advertising 575 other teaching positions.
“We blame Education Minister Sakina Itoo and warn the Omar Abdullah-led Government that students in Jammu will not accept this silently. The Kashmir-centric policies of this Government are unacceptable, and we will fight this discrimination tooth and nail,” said one of the protestors.
Akshi Billowria, ABVP State Secretary, said that posts for languages like Hindi, Sanskrit, and Dogri should also be created. “There are posts for subjects like Urdu and Persian, but not for Hindi and Sanskrit. This is a conspiracy to eliminate languages like Hindi, Sanskrit, and Dogri from Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
Several protesting students courted arrest and the protest dharna continued for around two hours even as senior police and district administration officers were on the spot and spoke to the protesters to lift the blockade.
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