Good news for the lovers of Urdu, the Modern Indian Language (MIL). Now it seems the favourite language of poets and writers of 19th and 20th centuries has finally got a God father in the form of Justice (Retd) Markandey Katju, currently Chief of Press Council of India (PCI). This past week in first of its kind initiative to restore the lost glory of the Indian language the Urdu Heritage Caravan (UHC) was flagged off from the national capital New Delhi. Named as Urdu Heritage Caravan the inaugural ceremony & conference on Urdu Heritage Caravan was organised at India International Centre in New Delhi by Indian Development & Education Associates (IDEA) Communications, a registered national non-profit society.
Asif Azmi, the Director of IDEA Communications and Convener Urdu Heritage Caravan organised the programme under the leadership, guidance and patronage of Justice (Retd) Markandey Katju. In his address to audience Justice Katju said Urdu is pure Indian language and it is the duty of Indians to restore its lost glory. Urdu is part of our civilization hence the Heritage Caravan was need of the hour, told the former Supreme Court Judge. Language has many uses—a means of communication, an instrument of transmitting knowledge, an expression of cultural and creative urges of a community. Urdu clearly is the language of the cultured and the elite yet ‘Hindustani’ is the only language to find a distinct flavour with the masses and is a part of the popular culture also.
Urdu is not just the mother tongue of a large number of people but its literature and poetry is loved beyond all religious and ethnic pretensions by a very large section of the Indian population. In fact, Urdu’s canvas is bigger than this. It is widely read, written and spoken not just in the sub-continent, but in the Middle East, American, South Asian & European countries as well.
Urdu literature and poetry has a very rich and varied cultural heritage and has been instrumental in playing a pivotal role in the freedom struggle. Poems like “Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna Ab Hamare Dil Mein Hai & Saare Jahan Se Achcha Hindustan Hamara still have the same capability to resonate the feeling of patriotism among the masses. Stories like Kafan, Balidan, Namak Ka Darogha of Prem Chand and Toba Tek Singh, Thanda Gosht of Sa’adat Hasan Manto have stood the test of time both in their relevance and from their contemporariness. Urdu geets and ghazals are used commonly in Bollywood films. Besides, Urdu Mushairas and Sham-e-Ghazal are also very popular because of their immediacy… and the instant response that the poets and singers receive for their creations. The interaction with the audience and their constant “Waah! Waah” keep the atmosphere electric.
Beside, Urdu is generally epitomised with the composite culture of India i.e. Ganga Jamni Tahzeeb. By promoting Urdu’s cultural heritage, we aim to promote the basic soul of our composite culture. Therefore, we are planning take top contemporary Urdu writers, poets, playwrights, Ghazal signers and the experts of different creative forms of Urdu literature and culture to the different parts of the country and abroad with the to showcase their cultural performances and promote their valuable thoughts and ideas.
“Urdu Heritage Carvan” is basically an idea to associate masses with this the indigenous cultural heritage of Urdu. We also aim to remove the misconception about this language that it is a foreign language and is a language of Muslims alone. In fact, before 1947 Urdu was the common language of a large part of the educated people in India. We have distributed our tour plan into 3 phases. Initially, we will hold conferences and live performances in four historical cities of the country i.e. Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Lucknow.
As we move on to the next phases, we will ensure that the canvas of our mission enlarges to the level of cultural exchange with diverse cultures prevailing in different parts of India and abroad. In the third phase, we will take our performers to some SAARC and Middle Eastern countries to showcase the rich cultural heritage of India and also to achieve better cultural exchange with those countries, added Justice Katju.
Kapil Sibal, the Minister for HRD and IT & Telecom was the Chief Guest of Urdu Caravan. The Member of Parliament (MP) from Chandni Chowk constituency surprised the audience by revealing his family’s association with Urdu including renowned writer Saadat Hassan Manto. In fact, Kapil Sibal’s father used to be the lawyer of Saadat Hassan Manto, revealed the HRD Minister. Revealing his poetic side Sibal read the poem ‘Reiterate’ from his book I Witness, which is based on 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The organisers of caravan are going to translate the book in Urdu.
Besides Sibal, the Urdu Heritage Caravan was attended by political leaders, Urdu scholars, Urdu poets, Urdu writers and people from other fields loving the Modern Indian Language. Rajiv Shukla (Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs), Saeed Naqvi (Senior Journalist), Alok Mehta (Editor, Nai Duniya), Akhtarul Wasey (Vice-Chairman, Urdu Academy Delhi), Dr. Khwaja M. Ekramuddin (Director, NCPUL), Dr. Trinath Mishra (Ex. DG, CRPF & Ex. Director CBI) and S. M. Ashraf, IRS (Fiction Writer & Poet) attended the caravan and shared their views and personal experiences with the Urdu language. Along with the guests the audience came across the history and deep roots of Urdu language. Literally all vowed to promote the Urdu language on their own levels so that the Modern Indian Language can regain its lost glory.
The organisers had given away three awards as part of caravan, which include Dr. K. N. Katju Award from New Initiative in Urdu Promotion, Firaq Gorakhpuri Award for Young Urdu Talent in Poetry and Sa’adat Hasan Manto Award for Young Urdu Talent in Pose. Hopes are alive again for Urdu language and its lovers with the inauguration of caravan from Delhi, however its success depends on further three caravans in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Lucknow, and its after effects among common Indians.
