By Tarique Anwar, TwoCircles.net
Patna: Every year 10th January will be celebrated as ‘Urdu Day’ in Bihar, announced the Government of Bihar on January 10. Attending a program with the same name at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall in Patna, Chief Minsiter Nitish Kumar made the announcement. The program was organised by Ghulam Serwar Himayati Front on the occasion of first official and 82nd birthday of former state cabinet minister Dr. Ghulam Sarwar.
Welcoming the guests, General Secretary of All India United Muslim Morcha, Md. Reyazuddin, said Ghulam Sarwar was alone leader who spearheaded a Dalit Muslim revolution in the state. He equated his role with that of Jai Prakash Narayan in the student revolution of 1973.
Convenor of the Front, Kamal Ashraf, criticized Jagannath Mishra, former Chief Minister of Bihar, and other organisations for opposing Urdu Day. “I want to ask the people who are opposing the celebration of this day as ‘Urdu Day’ that why they kept mum for 15 years when 12th June (the birthday of Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav) was celebrated as Urdu Day? he asked. What was the reason to celebrate Lalu Prasad’s birthday as Urdu Day while the leader does not know Urdu language,” Mr. Ashraf lamented.
In his presidential note, Dr. M. Ajaz Ali, organizer of Dalit Muslim Tahreek, said Ghulam Sarwar sacrificed 50 years of his political life for education and upliftment of Dalit Muslim society. It was the result of his sacrifice that a socialist Government came in power, routing a Congress Government at that time, he maintained.
He further stated that Urdu and Hindi are just like twin sisters whose isolated existence cannot be imagined. There is a need for such maktabs where Urdu, Hindi and English can be taught, said Ali.
Earlier in his address, the chief minister announced that three buildings will be constructed in the vicinity of the Haj House. All offices and institutions running for minority welfares such as Sunni and Shia Waqf Boards and Minority Financial Corporation will be shifted to those buildings. He also said that the buildings will be named after great Muslim leaders Maulana Mazharul Haque, Ghulam Serwar and Abdul Qayyum Ansari.
At the program, the chief minister awarded several journalists for their extraordinary services for Urdu. The awardees included Mr. Ajmal Farid (Editor Quami Tanzeem), Rehan Khan (Editor Sangam), Raihan Ghani (Editor Pindar) and Mahfooz Alam (Editor E.TV Urdu) and the editor of Rashtriya Sahara Urdu edition.
One thing should be noted that this program was organised for the sake of Urdu language but it was named as ‘Urdu Day’ not ‘Yaum-e-Urdu’. When TwoCircles.net asked Dr.M. Ajaz Ali to explain, he claimed that it is a language which should be read in broad day light not at night. That’s why the program was called ‘Urdu Day’. The press note which TwoCircles.net got in press gallery was also printed in Hindi.
Maulana Abdullah Bokhari, Monazir Hasan, Minister of building construction and Prof. Aslam Azad, MLC and Deputy Leader of JD (U) in Bihar Legislative Council, were among the dignitaries present at the occasion.