Gandhi on Urdu

19 days before his assassination, Gandhi discusses the Urdu script and Hindu treatment of Muslims in newly-independent India.

Gandhi announces his regret at having to discontinue the publication of his mouthpiece, Harijan, in the Urdu script, though he sees it as inevitable because of the dwindling demand:

‘The dwindle was to me a sign of resentment against its publication ... My view remains unalterable especially at this critical juncture in our history. It is wrong to ruffle Muslim or any other person's feeling when there is no question of ethics’

Gandhi urges the advantages of learning Urdu script

’The limitations of this script in terms of perfection are many. But for elegance and grace it will equal any script in the world’

He considers the potential of Urdu for shorthand, and for the transcription of Sanskrit verses.

‘(Any suggestion of a boycott on Urdu script is) a wanton affront upon the Muslims of the Union who in the eyes of many Hindus have become aliens in their own land. This is copying the bad manners of Pakistan with a vengeance’

The address ends with a ringing call to 'Muslim friends' not only to support the Urdu edition but to learn the Nagari script and thus 'enrich their intellectual capital'. Gandhi founded his mouthpiece publication, Harijan, in 1933, originally in order to deal with the Untouchable question. The present article was written for the journal during the period of inter-communal tension which followed immediately upon the Independence and partition of India: the following day Gandhi announced his last fast, in protest against communal violence. On January 30, 1948 he was assassinated by a Hindu extremist whilst on his way to evening prayers.

Role of Urdu speaking community in freedom struggle

Role of Urdu speaking community in freedom struggle highlighted

Special Correspondent

“Urdu poets used poetry to enthuse freedom fighters”

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala on Saturday highlighted the important role played by the Urdu speaking community and the Urdu language in the freedom struggle.

Speaking at the Urdu Teachers Day celebrations organised by the Government Muslim Teacher Training Institute Alumni at the Raj Bhavan, Mr. Barnala explained how Urdu poets used their poetry to enthuse freedom fighters. In Tamil Nadu, the Governor noted that there were 327 primary schools and 24 higher secondary schools offering Urdu education. He honoured Syed Mohammed Ismail, former Vice-Principal, Government Muslim Teacher Training Institute, with a silver plaque for his contribution to Urdu for over 39 years as a teacher.

The Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali exhorted the minority community to be united to take Tamil Nadu to greater heights, especially in the cause of education.

Mr. Ismail, accepting the recognition, thanked the people of the State and the Urdu speaking community in particular for honouring him.

Mukhtar Badri, a poet, highlighted Mr. Ismail’s contribution in propagation of Urdu.. Mohammed Shanawaz, President of the Institute, J. Fareed Ahmed, Secretary, spoke.

Urdu in India: opportunities and challenges

Since Urdu was recognized as a language, people have been claiming that Urdu is dead or going to die very soon. This trend still continues even though now we have more Urdu speakers than ever before.

Prophets of doom may predict the date when Urdu is supposed to be finished but all indications are that it will continue to survive and may be even flourish if it is allowed to grow.

Urdu Book Review is a bi-monthly magazine published by Arif Iqbal. People like him and journals like UBR give hope that Urdu can not only survive but achieve its full potential.

there are spaces and opportunities that we need to make use of’. ‘Ultimately’, he says, ‘it is up to lovers of Urdu to save, protect and promote the language’. And by publishing his magazine against heavy odds for over a decade now, Iqbal shows what a major difference a single individual can make in this regard.

To see what heavy odds that people like him or Urdu is facing, you just have to read this news item.

"The trend of supplying question papers in a language other than that of medium of instruction for the sake of administrative convenience is bound to seal the fate of not only Urdu medium schools but also the very language itself," said Jayant Parmar, Urdu poet of national repute, who was conferred national award last year by HRD Ministry for his outstanding poetry in Urdu which is not his mother tongue.

Need we say more?

Now instead of crying about what government is doing or not doing. How about we help those who are doing something about it.


Please click here and subscribe to Urdu Book Review.

Gulzar in Japan

Gulzar is a successful Bollywood director. He is also equally successful song writer and many of his songs have become super hits. He considers himself a poet of Urdu language but unlike Javed Akhtar he has little recognition in Urdu literary circles.

News of Gulzar reciting his Urdu poems to Japanese audience is very encouraging because most of us have tough time understanding him.

If you study carefully, his songs have fanciful arrangement of words but lack any meaning or totally nonsensical... but yes, they sound great!

From this same news report:

People are constantly calling up to know what I mean by ose (dewdrop) mein gholi mint ki goli. They want to know, why mint? I've no answer.

but we have lots of questions.

Georgetown University Urdu Poetry Activity to Continue in Fall 2007

Urdu Poetry and Culture in Society with Moazzam Siddiqi

Georgetown University Main Campus, Place TBA

Wednesdays Evenings (Provisional)



This is the first part of a non-credit seminar that takes socio-historical, literary, linguistic, and political perspectives on Urdu poetry in society. In the fall semester, we explore the poetry\'s beginnings in Indo-Persian poetry, medieval Hindi/Hindavi or Bhakti and Sufi traditions (from the 13th century onward), and early 15th century Deccani poetry. We then turn to its florescence in important literary centers of north central India--Delhi (early 18th century), Lucknow (19th century), and Lahore (20th century). Later, we culminate with discussion of the modern era, including European influences and impacts of socialism, communism, and the Progressive Writers Movement. Discussions of authentic texts and their contexts are supplemented with historic and contemporary performance recordings.

Dr. Moazzam Siddiqi (PhD UC Berkeley) recently retired as a senior policy analyst with the International Broadcasting Bureau. Earlier he directed the South and Central Asia Division and the Urdu and Hindi News Services of the Voice of America. In addition, he has taught at leading US universities on Urdu, Hindi, and Persian, and on rich performance traditions of these languages.

This activity is free and open to all interested members of the community. Some knowledge of Urdu or a related language is helpful but NOT required. For more information and to hold a seat, please contact: maggie.ronkin@gmail.com. General information and notes for the sessions are distributed by email.