HYDERABAD: Troops were called out this afternoon [Jan 22] to assist the civil administration to maintain law and order in the city following clashes between the supporters of Urdu and Police. Official sources confirmed that Army was patrolling in the affected parts of the city, particularly the sensitive and troubled spots of Latifabad, where the offices of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education are located.

[Earlier reports said] Two persons, including the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Hyderabad, Mr A.R. Kazmi, were injured in clashes between the supporters of Urdu language and the Police. A Government Transport Service bus was also set on fire.… The agitation in favour of Urdu was sparked off on the passing of a resolution by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, to make Sindhi its official language. Today’s incident was the climax of the movement launched by the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Urdu which wanted that Urdu should be given its rightful place as a national language and Urdu and Sindhi both be given official recognition.

… The president of the Jiay Sind Students Federation, Mr. Mehar Husain Shah, has demanded that Sindhi should be made an official language of Sindh and Bengali, Punjabi, Baluchi and Pushto should be given due recognition.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2021