‘Mukadma, Mulzim, Ilzam’: Rajasthan Government Directs Police to Adopt Hindi Over Urdu Terminology
'Mukadma, Mulzim, Ilzam': Rajasthan Government Directs Police to Adopt Hindi Over Urdu Terminology
The Rajasthan government has issued a directive for the state’s police force to shift from using Urdu terminology to Hindi in their operations. This initiative is designed to encourage the use of Hindi in law enforcement and reflects a broader effort to standardize language across governmental and public services.
Terms like Mukadma (case), Mulzim (accused), Ilzam (allegation), Ittila (information), and Chashmdeed (eyewitness) may not have been part of the policing vocabulary in Rajasthan for long, as the BJP government has directed that they be replaced with suitable Hindi words. This initiative was sparked by a letter from Minister of State (Home) Jawahar Singh Bedham, which requested information about such terms and their Hindi alternatives.
In response, the state police chief U R Sahoo wrote to the Additional Director General of Police (Training) last month, asking for details on Urdu words and their appropriate replacements. In his letter, he also instructed the officer to remove Urdu terms from training materials, inform all trainees of the new Hindi words, and share this information during ongoing training programs.
The communication from the DGP, dated November 11, references the letter from MoS Bedham.
The Additional Director General of Police (Crime) wrote to all police range inspector generals on December 10 regarding a letter from the Director General of Police (DGP). Following this, letters were also sent to all Superintendents of Police (SPs) across the state.
A police official mentioned, “In line with the instructions from the Police Headquarters, SPs have been directed to gather information about Urdu terms and their Hindi equivalents.”
The Congress party criticized the government’s decision, deeming it unnecessary. One member stated, “The law and order situation is deteriorating in the state, but the government seems unconcerned. Instead of changing long-standing terms, the government should focus on taking effective measures to control crime and restore order.”
There are numerous terms commonly used in policing, such as Mukadma (case), Mulzim (accused), Mustagis (complainant), Ilzam (allegation), Ittila (information), Chashmadeed (eye-witness), Jeb Tarashi (pickpocketing), and Ferd Baramadgi (recovery memo), among others. These and many other Urdu terms may not have been part of the state’s policing vocabulary for long.
