By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: On the evening of November 12, Wednesday, the US Embassy in India launched its Urdu website. Besides English, about eight months ago the Embassy had launched the Hindi version of the website too.
The website was officially launched by US’ Charge d’Affaires in India Ambassador Kathleen Stephens at a function held in Lutyen’s Delhi, where Urdu press was specifically invited for the launch, besides several important personalities, writers and senior journalists.
Speaking on the occasion, Kamna Prasad, India’s leading Film Maker and Urdu Activist, who founded the ‘Jashn-e-Bahar Trust’ in 1991, that organises the extremely popular, annual mushaira, Jashn-e-Bahar spoke on the ‘beauty’ and richness of Urdu language that is part of our syncretic heritage, adding that every religion may have a language, but the language in itself is never confined to any faith or culture.
She also gave examples of how Urdu borrowed from different languages freely, while it also lent several words to English and other languages.
Padma Shri Akhtarul Wasey, National Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities , who said that Urdu can become a medium of spreading love and commended the US Embassy for launching the Urdu version of the website that can lead to better understanding and can become a platform for engagement between the United States and Urdu speaking Muslims in the country.
Ambassador Kathleen Stephens charmed the audience when she began with the greeting As Salaam o Alaikum, and ended with the message, that according to her even US President Barack Obama has learnt: Chalein saath saath (Let’s go together)!
She added, “This is a very special day for the United States Embassy. I hope this is also a very special day for the friendship between our two people as we launch the US Embassy website in Urdu.”
Urdu has become a “global language,” that has become “part of India’s soft power as people are drawn to the beauty of Urdu, its literature, its history and its culture,” she added.
The Urdu version of the website will have same content as in English and Hindi that among other things will have details of visa process, besides important speeches and statements by US leaders, pertaining to India.
In March the US Embassy had launched the Hindi version of the website, and in eight months they have launched the Urdu version, that explains the aim of the Embassy to reach out to those, who may not be very comfortable with English.
The website’s Urdu content is managed and edited by Syed Zafar Hasan, who has been associated with the Public Affairs Department of the US Embassy for long. “It is an attempt to reach out to Muslims in the country,” Hasan told TCN, when asked about the need of the Urdu version of the website.
Other imminent personalities including Zafar Agha, Kamal Farooqui, Shahzad Poonawala, Tehseen Poonawala were also present on the occasion.