The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Change of Government rekindles Urdu-lovers' hopes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Change of Government rekindles Urdu-lovers' hopes

From Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MAY 25. The change of guard at the Centre and in the State has rekindled hopes among Urdu lovers of a better deal for the language. Writers, poets and connoisseurs of the language at a conference held here on Tuesday hoped the new Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, would do justice to the language and ensure that it is accorded the status of second official language throughout the country.

The meeting was organised under the aegis of the All India Urdu Educational Committee to finalise the agenda for the 26th All-India Urdu conference and the national conference of minorities on implementation of the Prime Minister's 15 point programme to be held here on July 30 and 31.

The committee chairman, Mohd. Jaleel Pasha, said Dr. Manmohan Singh was well versed in Urdu and hoped Dr. Singh's special attachment for the language would result in its promotion. He urged the Prime Minister to declare Moulana Azad's birth anniversary on November 11 a national education day throughout the country.

M. Malla Reddy, head of department of economics, Osmania University, said it was wrong to think that career opportunities were limited if one pursued education through Urdu. He cited examples to show how several of those who studied through Urdu medium from Osmania Univeristy had become doctors, engineers and occupied top positions in the Government. He advised students to also equip themselves with the knowledge of English since it was an international language.

Prof. Reddy complimented Mr. Pasha for his untiring efforts to promote Urdu and said more and more children should be taught the language at the primary level.

S.A. Shukoor, head of the department, Urdu, Nizam College, said though Urdu had been declared second official language in 12 districts in the State, its implementation left a lot to be desired. He also stressed the need to encourage primary education through Urdu.

R. Lakshmi, principal, Moulana Azad Memorial Model Junior College for Girls, Prof. Shabbir, M.K. Husain and Pof. Taher Quadri also spoke.

Later the conference finalised a 19-point agenda for the ensuing conference. It was resolved to urge the Government to establish an Urdu Official Language Commission in the State and to oversee implementation of all GOs and policies of the Government on par with the State Official Language. It was also decided to include Urdu as a compulsory language in the three-language formula as this would help in promoting linguistic harmony and national integration.

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