By Jasim Mohammad
Jamia Urdu, Aligarh was established as a distance education institution way back in 1939 for imparting Urdu education. Perhaps it was the first such institution in India. All other institutions using distance learning system like IGNOU were established later on. As it imparts Urdu education, it will be appropriate to throw some light on status of Urdu in India and the desirability of its education.
In post-independence India, assaults on Urdu begin due to variety of reasons. In some quarters it was thought that the script be changed for its survival. The issue of Urdu is not limited to the common elements found in the language spoken along with Hindi nor is the future of Urdu limited to the language of the films. The problem of Urdu is tied up with its status as a national language which is different from Hindi. Usually those who wish in one way or the other to merge Urdu with Hindi argue that speakers should somehow accept the status of Urdu as a style of Hindi. The pressure to abandon its script can only be put on Urdu alone and this is necessary for annihilating the linguistic identity of Urdu and merging it with Hindi.
It is a matter of great sorrow that the Urdu elite with a view of gaining certain political advantages have been striving to organize seminars and conferences but they have never put pressure on the government in any way for the organization of Urdu education at the primary or secondary level. The Urdu community has been continuously led astray by the superficial works performed by the government on behalf of Urdu.
The government has always been happy to provide facilities for education at the university level and even now can give more concessions. It is no longer practical to say that the Urdu community should make its own arrangements for having its children taught Urdu or that it should take steps to establish such institutions that would be able to impart Urdu education. In our developing but poor and deprived society it is the task of the government to provide the means of education. Indeed after 93rd Amendment in the Constitution our government is now obliged under the Directive Principles of State Policies to arrange compulsory education for every child upto age of 14 which the government is doing. Then there is no reason why the Urdu community should be deprived of the right of having its children given primary education in their mother tongue under the state system and in addition to this of being given the right to study their mother tongue as a compulsory subject. This problem is faced by the minority languages of every state but apart from Urdu and Sindhi all national languages in their specific areas where the speakers of these languages are in majority, are not only considered to be dominant languages but can decisively to employed for government and administrative business. Urdu and Sindhi are those unfortunate languages that have no home of their own.
The solution to all the educational problems of Urdu is that Urdu should be taught at the primary level as a medium of education and after that at the high school, Urdu should be taught as a mother tongue as a compulsory language. But this is the solution about which those in power do not wish to think. It is regrettable that those people who have Urdu as their mother tongue and those who according to all the educational principles and regulations laid down by the government ought to have the right to study it as a first language, do not even have the right to study it as a second language.
In south India the situation of the non-Hindi minorities is even more precarious. There, after the local languages, Hindi and English occupy all places leaving no room for others. Therefore in these states we should consider combined Hindi-Urdu course.
In these days when our younger generation is losing its familiarity with Urdu, who will be able to read Urdu books or newspapers? The dominant language rules every aspect of life like employment, trade and the government. It is due to this reason that every person belonging to a minority, language group feels that it is better for his language to remain “home language” but he does not realize that future generations will suffer this cultural assimilation to such an extent that they will cease to take much interest in their own language.
It was due to all these hard facts that Jamia Urdu, Aligarh was established and no doubt it served the nation and the community in a large way. Its courses were recognized by almost all states and the central government. Its courses are not only recognized in India but also by several foreign governments like USA, Singapore and Gulf countries. Almost all boards of examinations also recognize its degrees. Jamia Urdu, Aligarh has awarded honorary degrees to late Indira Gandhi, I.K. Gujral, and V.P. Singh. Its courses are equivalent to other boards/ universities courses like its Adeeb is equivalent to 10th class and Adeeb-e-Mahir with Intermediate. Its centres are located in Jaipur, Lucknow and Bihar. It has educated crores of poor, deprived and marginalized people particularly females by its unique process of distance education.
Few years back, it was subjected to hardships due to incompetent governance. That inefficient administration is out now. Jamia Urdu, Aligarh is now in safe and competent hands and is moving ahead again but it needs attention of ruling elites and all well wishers. Fist of all it should be recognized as an Open University. Present HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal has reformed education to a satisfactory level. It is the demand of the time that HRD ministry must pay attention to the plight of the institution which has not only produced freedom fighters but has also spread communal harmony in the country. Special funds must be earmarked for its development.
It is the question of UPA government’s credibility. It must come out with specific plans to uplift Jamia Urdu which will not only enhance secularism but also will provide great opportunities to a section of Indian society to acquire education. The basic question is not of Urdu or Hindi or any other language but rights of people who speak minority languages.
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Author is research Scholar of Aligarh Muslim University
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