Lucknow: Al-Farooq Educational and Welfare Foundation organized a seminar entitled ‘Urdu in Uttar Pradesh: future, fears and expectations’.
Noted poet and Director UP Hindi Sansthan Manish Shukla said anti-Pakistan attitude has harmed Urdu in India. When the Pakistan declared Urdu as its national language, anti-Urdu environment started developing in India. Despite being given the status of 2nd official language in Uttar Pradesh the language didn’t receive its due importance. He also said that Urdu is unnecessarily linked with religion. Mr. Shukla asserted that if we want to preserve the language we should begin with our homes. He asked to teach our children its script.
Chief guest Balendu Dwivedi District Minority Welfare Officer in his short address said there is no other language as sweet as Urdu. He said no language belongs to any religion. If it is believed Urdu is the language of Muslims then, there would not have such a big number of non-Muslims who read and write Urdu. Mr. Dwivedi cited several non-Muslims who got famed because of Urdu.
Mr. Balendu said we can do no good to Urdu just by complaining government’s negligence or organizing seminars and conferences. He stressed the need to work on ground level for promotion of the language.
Senior journalist and eminent commentator P K Tiwari who presided over the conference underscored the need to provide translation of Urdu literature, books, stories and poems to new generation to help them get the taste of this sweet language.