Urdu is complex, phase it out of police parlance, says Raj mantri

JAIPUR: Terms like "adam pata" (address not known), "khana talashi" (location search) and "bayan tahriri" (written statement) will be phased out of police parlance in Rajasthan, with the home department seeking Hindi or English alternatives for Urdu and Persian words in crime records, reports and investigation files.

State home minister Jawahar Singh Bedham said in an Oct 3 directive to DGP U R Sahoo that words and terms "in use since the Mughal era" were often complex and difficult for newly recruited police personnel and public to comprehend.

This, he reasoned, has led to "significant communication errors and misunderstandings". The minister said Thursday that the use of Urdu and Persian in police procedures dated back to when it was mandatory for law-enforcement and other agencies to know the language used by the rulers of the time.

The minister said Hindi should replace Urdu in all police documentation and communication to ensure clarity. He told TOI that PM Narendra Modi has previously flagged the use of Urdu terminology in legal documents and procedures, calling for "a more accessible language" in official processes.

Bedham has sought a formal proposal from the DGP to initiate planned changes.