By greenlighting Urdu signages in hospitals, UP gives language a booster shot

Lucknow, Sep 11 Languages connect people and are a means to express one's culture, value system and group affiliations.

Hindi and Urdu are not just mere languages, but are also an integral part of the society. It can also be said that both languages are complementary to each other due to which Urdu has become the second official language in Uttar Pradesh.

Mohammad Harun, a resident of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, had written a letter to the state government complaining that despite Urdu being recognised as a second official language, it was not being spoken much in various government sectors.

After Harun wrote a letter, the government took cognizance of it and instructions have been given to the Chief Medical Officers of all the districts on behalf of the Medical and Health Department to write the signages of government hospitals in Hindi as well as in Urdu.

Since this government order has been implemented, it remains to be seen how much it will impact Urdu literature. This can be better understood from well-known Urdu writers and litterateur in the country.

Renowned writer Sharib Rudaulvi said that Urdu is the second official language of the province. Earlier, the names of people working in every government department were written in both Hindi and Urdu except in hospitals. The government has recently named the signages at hospitals in both Hindi and Urdu which is a welcome sign.

There is no conflict between various languages. It is a good thing to learn any number of languages. In Europe, children learn foreign languages during holidays.

Writing names in Urdu will become convenient for the people which is a good thing. The intervention of Urdu in the literary world is equal to that of Hindi. Munshi Premchand was an Urdu writer whose stories were written in the same language. When Premchand's books stopped selling in the market, the writer's friend translated his books into Hindi.

As far as literature goes, right from Ghalib, Mir Anees, Mir Taqi Mir, all were renowned Urdu poets in their own right. People all across Europe read them as well.

British and American scholars such as Ralph Russell, David Mathews, etc., were good Urdu scholars. Ralph Russell wrote a book like 'Three Mughal Poets' on Urdu literature in English.

Books have been written on Urdu grammar in Russia. Literature is equal in stature whether in India or across Europe.

The intention behind the government's decision is that Urdu must be preserved in India, there should be no hindrance in its education and writing so the government has recognised it as an official language. The official language has a value of its own.

He said that how much Urdu is spoken, it can be gauged from conducting a census on it. The contribution of Urdu to literature is no less than any other language.

Mirza Khaleel Ahmed Baig, former professor of linguistics, Aligarh Muslim University, said that Urdu is an Indian language. A total of 22 languages have been accorded a place in the Indian Constitution which also includes Urdu.

There are many Urdu speakers in northern India. Both Urdu and Hindi have originated from 'Khari Boli'. Promoting Urdu will have a good impact on society. The purpose behind announcing Urdu as the official language is to promote it in the country.

Hindi-Urdu are not antagonistic to each other. Obviously there are many Hindi speakers, but other languages also have their own importance. Urdu is the second language in Bihar.

There is a lot of Urdu-speaking people in states like Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Bengal. The number of Urdu poets in these states is huge and it is difficult to count them. Both Hindus and Muslims have contributed a lot in promoting Urdu.

Moofi Raza, Research Scholar of Maulana Azad University, said that Urdu is considered as the second language by the Uttar Pradesh government. But right now it is not getting the kind of recognition it is due for. In 1958, 75 per cent of the people knew Urdu. A lot of literature has been written in Urdu. A lot of non-Muslims have coined the words in Urdu. To promote the language, it must also be given priority.

Can a document be filled and accepted in a bank? No. Can an FIR be lodged in Urdu? No. Because in such places the people who are well-versed with Urdu have become quite miniscule and it needs to be made necessary for employability. In addition to literature, there are many religious texts written in Urdu as well. Earlier several books on maths, science, etc., were also written in Urdu.

According to the UP Official Language Act 1951, the most populous state declared Urdu as the second official language in 1989. After Hindi, Urdu is the most spoken language in the state.