URDU

Urdu Teaching Scheme of Abid Ali Khan Educational Trust, Hyderabad

During his lifetime Abid Ali Khan, the founder-editor of the Siyasat Urdu Daily, had created and nurtured many institutions especially in the fields of art, literature, culture and education. His constructive activities included promotion of communal harmony and development of Urdu language ... In order to continue his work, the Abid Ali Khan Educational Trust took up the cause of propagation of Urdu. The first step was taken in the summer holidays .of 1994. The Trust opened 49 schools and 4947 students passed Urdu Dani including 556 women and street children who could not attend the regular schools.  In January 1995, 7082 students cleared Urdu-dani and Zaban-dani Examinations.

The Trust activities have spread to all over Andhra Pradesh. The Delhi Urdu Academy has published its books. Dilip Kumar inaugurated the Urdu school in Bombay in Dharavi slum. For the overseas Non-resident Indians specially the young generation, classes were opened in Dubai, Kuwait, Jeddah, Riyadh, London and Chicago. In summer '95 the Trust conducted 4 months course in 162 centres spread all over AP and 8284 students passed the examination. The Trust supplies all the reading material including Urdu primers, which it has prepared, apart from pencil, rubber, notebooks and pays a token conveyance allowance to the teachers.

In January 1996 around 16,500 students wrote Urdu Dani, Zaban Dani and Insha examinations from 156 centres in the twin cities and 90 district centres.

The expected figures for the examination to be held in January 1997 is around 30,000 in 257 centres of twin cities and 151 district centres which includes Delhi, Azamgarh, Baroda, Nanded, Marhelli and Gulbarga.

In a period of two and a half years the Trust has taught Urdu to more than one lakh students, out of which 28841 students have passed Urdu Dani, Zaban Dani and Insha examination. Among them 3000 students are non-Muslims.

Mr. Zahid Ali Khan, the present editor of the Daily Siyasat, Hyderabad, is the Chairman of the Trust.

Combined Medical Services Exams Result, 1996:

Total : 1219 Muslims   :  35 Percentage    : 2.87

Delhi Municipal Corporation Elections, 1997:

Total :   134  Muslims : 4 Percentage : 2.99

1.     Zamcer Ahmed Munna, Seelampur

2.     Razia Begum, Jafarabad

3.     Hafiz Salimuddin, Daryaganj

4.     Azhar Shayufa, Jama Masjid

National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Exams, April, 1996:

Army/Navy:

Total : 380             Muslims : 4             Percentage : 1.05

Air Force:

Total : 151            Muslims : 2             Percentage : 1.32

Naval Academy:

Total : 37             Muslims                       NIL

Media India Awards, 1996:

Total : 37         Muslims                           NIL

Press Trust of India Ltd .:

Total Directors            15 Muslims          NIL

INS Office-bearers:

Total Members           44 Muslims          NIL

Shahabuddin's Letter to The Indian Express On Retention of Urdu Script, 29 Jan., 1997

Apropos B.P. Sharma's letter on Urdu Script (29 Jan.), I must say that introduction of a language without its script is a prescription for linguistic suicide. The dot and the dash have not been accepted universally or officially to approximate to the proper pronunciation of Urdu words of Persian and Arabia origin. Secondly, the mispronunciation of Urdu words by the younger generation of Urdu-speaking people has already reached an unacceptable limit, even in the electronic media e.g. "Ab aap Begum Akhtar ki jabani Galib ki Gajal Suniye"!

Mr. Sharma is wrong to think that Urdu script is foreign to Urdu-speaking children who are more familiar with it because of its resemblance with Arabic than with Nagri. My proposal does not entail a burden on the Urdu-speaking child any more than on the Marathi-speaking child in Karnataka or the Punjabi-speaking child in UP. Universally for the linguistic minorities at the primary stage the medium should be the Mother Tongue, the principal language of the State or the official language should be introduced at the higher primary stage and Hindi/English at the secondary stage. Obviously, the linguistic minorities in non-Hindi states need a fourth language in order to learn both Hindi and English.

In the Indian context, the feeling of separateness may be generated, by a multiplicity of factors, apart from script, e.g. from language, religion, race, class, caste, place of origin but it can be overcome by earnestly and effectively implementing the policy of national integration which involves acceptance, not just tolerance, of differences and of plurality.