In a fiery display of linguistic pride, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti sharply rebuked a journalist during a press conference in Srinagar on Friday. The incident occurred when the reporter requested her to switch from speaking in Kashmiri to Urdu.
A Heated Exchange Over Language
The confrontation unfolded at the PDP headquarters in Srinagar. As soon as Mehbooba Mufti began addressing the media in her native Kashmiri, a journalist interrupted, asking her to speak in Urdu instead. This request triggered an impassioned response from the political leader.
"Do you want a translation? Why? Translate it. Why don't you ask Stalin to speak in English or Urdu?" Mufti retorted, drawing a direct comparison with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who consistently uses Tamil in his official communications.
She did not stop there. Turning her attention to local journalists, Mufti urged them to hold their mother tongue in higher esteem. "This is the only thing that is left now, so respect the Kashmiri language a little," she stated emphatically before proceeding with her briefing in Kashmiri.
Broader Commentary on Lynchings and Safety
Beyond the language debate, Mehbooba Mufti's press conference covered grave issues of communal violence and safety. She spoke extensively about the recent lynching of two Hindu youths in separate incidents in neighbouring Bangladesh, using it to critique the atmosphere within India.
"The intolerance in the entire country has increased. Lynchings are taking place. What is happening in Bangladesh pains us, but those who criticise it remain mute spectators when lynchings take place here," she told the assembled reporters.
Connecting this to concerns for Kashmiri citizens outside the union territory, the PDP chief made a specific appeal to the Jammu and Kashmir administration. She demanded proactive measures to ensure the security of Kashmiris residing in other Indian states.
Call for Ministerial Teams and Recent Incidents
Mufti proposed a concrete plan of action. "Our government should send a ministerial team to every state and especially to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, where most of such incidents take place," she asserted.
This remark was prompted by an alleged assault on a Kashmiri trader in Uttarakhand, one of three troubling events she highlighted within a 72-hour period across North Indian states. Mufti also claimed personal credit for swift police action in one case, revealing she had directly tweeted the Uttarakhand Director General of Police to intervene, leading to an arrest.
"There are still some officers in the police who respond. But three incidents took place in 72 hours? In Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. What is happening is distressing," she added, expressing deep concern over the pattern of events.
The press conference, which started with a defense of linguistic identity, thus expanded into a serious discussion on national intolerance, comparative politics of violence, and the urgent need for protective governance for Kashmiri minorities across India.
