URDU
Man Mohan Talkh on Urdu Journalism: Creeping Narrowmindedness
Urdu newspapers too made a solid contribution to the national cause during the struggle of independence. The Britisher at all levels tried their level best to create a wedge between Hindus and Muslims and to some extent succeeded also, but not totally. Lakhs of Muslims even after the partition opted for India and did not migrate over to Pakistan.
After partition, Urdu newspapers, owned by Hindu editors and proprietors started publishing from Delhi. Nearly after a decade of partition, when the dust started settling and scars started healing, Urdu newspapers owned by Muslims too, started making an impact on the national scene. Several Urdu magazines owned by both Hindus and Muslims also started flourishing.
Urdu language and literature no doubt (are) a cultural heritage of this country. Uptil 1960, Hindi, was still in its birth pangs and could not match the chaste and chiselled Urdu language. Renowned Urdu poet Firaq Gorakhpuri (Prof. Ragupati Sahay Firaq) was a giant among men of letters. Krishna Chandra, Rajendra Singh Bedi and satirist Fikr Taunswi were front rank writers. Scores of other Hindu writers were also gaining prominence in the realm of literature and journalism. There was no such thing as Hindu Urdu and Muslim Urdu.
But after 1970, several Urdu newspaper, from UP and Bihar, which were owned and edited by Muslims started portraying only one sided view of every happening. This gradually resulted in the bifurcation of minds of Urdu readers. Slowly and slowly, readers of Urdu newspapers
and magazines started looking at the day to day situations from different angels.
The Government policy also did a lot of damage to the image and national character of Urdu, which was in a true sense the common language of the two major communities of India. Urdu language, in fact was a linking bond between Urdu knowing Hindus and Muslims. It was the short sightedness of the Government that Muslims started getting priority in Urdu sections of AIR, Door Darshan, Urdu Promotion Bureau. PIB, NCERT, Urdu Academies all over India and scores of Government subsidised Urdu organisations. Today, the bitter truth is, that you will hardly find any Hindu holding a high post in any of the above. Government offices or organisations. Not onlythat, you cannot find a single Hindu in any of Urdu newspaper or magazine owned by Muslims. Have Hindu Urdu writers ceased to exist? No, they have not, but have been sent into oblivion. Today, the Muslim Urdu writers, want only the signatures of Hindu Urdu writers, when it comes to submitting a Memorandum to the President, or the PM of India on the plea of secularism. And through this they require to prove the national character of Urdu language.
Urdu newspapers, by and large, upto 1960 were writing' Hindostan as spoken in Urdu ... But today Urdu newspapers owned by Muslims have done away the letter O' and write 'Hindustan. Now, which country is this? Muslim leaders usually raise the accusing finger at the majority community for communalism. But aren't the (Muslims) themselves the culprits for distorting India’s name even in Urdu.
Let's face the truth. Hindus, by their bent of mind. Have never been and can never be communalists. Every illiterate Hindu, living in villages is broadminded and tolerant of other sects and religions. (After) the Partition Hindus could have opted for a Hindu Raaj in this country... But Hindus, overwhelmingly opted for Jawaharlal Nehru and secularism.
Some years ago, a seminar in Delhi was organised by Urdu Academy. The topic was 'Urdu and Modern Media of Mass Communication'. I raised the basic question: do you accept Urdu as written by Urdu newspapers owned and edited by Hindus? The answer was. 'No'. So, today we have Hindu Urdu and Muslim Urdu.
Government Statements On Maulana Abul Kalam Urdu University
The Bill to establish and incorporate the Maulana Azad National Urdu University at Hyderabad has sincebeen passed by the Rajya Sabha (since passed by the Lok Sabha - Editor).
The non-recurring expenditure on the proposed University is estimated at Rs.6 crores in the next three years. Once the University becomes functional the estimated requirement of recurring expenditure shall be Rs.5 crores annually. No expenditure has been incurred so far. (Source: LSUQ NO. 2393 dated 9 December, 1996 by Mukhtar Anis )
On Publication of Books
Publications Division published 122 books during1995-96 as detailed given:
Hindi English Urdu Other Regional Language
Average Print Order 72 31 4 15
Copies 2000 2600 1100
Title of Urdu Books
1. Abdul Kalam Azad (BMI)
2. Hamari Tahzeebi Veerasat
3. Hindustani Tahzeeb Ke Musalman Par Asar
4. Ainee-e-Ghalib
