Delhi: Writers, scholars honoured with 'Tahzeeb-e-Urdu' award for service to language

Indo Islamic Heritage Center (IIHC) has honoured 16 Urdu writers and scholars with the 'Tahzeeb-e-Urdu' award for their service to the language.

Indo Islamic Heritage Center (IIHC) has honoured 16 Urdu writers and scholars with the 'Tahzeeb-e-Urdu' award for their service to the language. IIHC on Saturday organised a seminar on 'Urdu: An Indian language' at the Indian Islamic Cultural Centre in Delhi where a resolution was passed giving shelter to Urdu in the name of the Centre and the states.

While speaking at the seminar, Sanjay Dwivedi the Director General of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) said that Urdu is an Indian language and there is no dispute about it. "When India was one, most of the owners and editors of Urdu newspapers were Hindus. These newspapers raised their voice for independence. He said that Gopichand Narang expanded the knowledge of the West by incorporating it into Urdu. If traders are investing money in Urdu it proves that Urdu has a market and a future," he said.

IIHC Director Professor Liaquat Hussain Moini said that the Sufis associated Urdu with the local land and gave emphasis to Urdu literature. "Hazrat Amir Khusrau gave power to Urdu and the contribution of Munshi Naval Kishore also cannot be forgotten. When Hindu poets were writing Naat and Hamd, Iqbal was writing Nazm on Ram. This inclusive feeling is the power of Urdu. Urdu is not the language but the name of the culture," he added.

Prof. Akhtar ul Wasey claimed that Pakistanis tried to kidnap Shah Waliullah, Sir Syed and Urdu as a result of partition after independence. "Language has no religion but religion needs language. Language is for dialogue, not for controversy. Most of the books taught in madrasas are the contribution of Naval Kishore ji. Similarly, the place of Raskhan, Rahim, Shani and Bismillah in Hindi cannot be reduced," Akhtar said.

Shujaat Ali Qadri, Deputy Director, IIHC said that the geographical part which is called the motherland of Urdu remains in India even after partition whereas Pakistan makes false claims on Urdu. "Even today, only 8% of the population of Pakistan speaks Urdu, but on the basis of the national language, it makes claims on Urdu which is not justified," he said.

Shujaat Ali Qadri also called upon the scholars to contribute to the language. The resolution for giving shelter to Urdu in the name of the Centre and the states was also passed.

A resolution was passed for giving Urdu the status of the second official language in all the states which have a 10% or more Muslim population according to the Indian census. In the resolution, IIHC demanded to appoint Urdu officers in all Post Office Headquarters of India Post who can ensure their delivery in case any postal address is written in Urdu and also to appoint Urdu officers at every district level in Urdu-dominated states i.e. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

In the symposium, a resolution for developing indigenous Urdu typing software in collaboration with NIC was also passed and demand was made for commissioning Rs 25 crore for the project similarly, as almost all the fonts of Urdu have been developed in Pakistan which gives a lot of revenue to Pakistan, it was said that designer should be commissioned on a competitive basis to develop Urdu font in collaboration with NIC to the Government of India. At least 20 lakh rupees for one font were asked. In a resolution, it was said that Ajmer is the Sufi headquarters of the whole of South Asia and there is a need to establish an International Sufi Center here. This project should be started by the Ministry of Culture. The Indo-Islamic Heritage Center is ready to provide policy support for the opening of this Sufi headquarters. If needed, its project blueprint can also be offered.

Other resolutions were also passed such as 5% of the advertisements should be reserved for Urdu newspapers, television channels and websites in the advertisements issued by the Department of Audio-Visual of the Government of India and 49 % of the advertisements issued by the Public Relations Department should be reserved for Urdu newspapers in the states where Urdu is the second official language. These states are Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. "However, the contribution of Urdu in India's independence and its development cannot be forgotten. Attempts have been made to kidnap Urdu in Pakistan while India still has more Urdu speakers than Pakistan," the official said. (ANI)

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