Urdu

It is very difficult to find out the origin of any language similar to any river. It can’t be fixed with any geographic location or timeframe. They evolves over the centuries and flow similar to any big river by changing its bank, route and width. Sometimes it is flooded and sometimes completely dehydrated. Something similar happens to many languages. Urdu is one of them.

Urdu immediately reminds us sher and shayari. Rhyme in Urdu makes it very pleasant to listen. Decorative, ornamental words makes it very rich language. Therefore, no other language can compete with Urdu in Sher and Gazal. One theory says that she was born in Deccan plateau. This theory is convenient to me. Therefore, I want to believe in it. Urdu has adopted Persian script and has many words from Persian and Arabic. It is essentially Indo-Persian language. But interestingly, Persian language itself is an Indo-European language. Urdu has both Arabic and Turkey words but they are in Persian form. Around 99% Urdu verbs have root in Sanskrit and Prakrit. Therefore, Urdu is essentially an Indian language.

In my previous blog, I shared my experience with Pakistani Pathan driver while coming to Riyadh airport. He was talking to me in Urdu and I was talking to him in Hindi. Both are the same language and earlier called as “Hindustani”. British divided it into two, Urdu for Muslims and Hindi for Hindus. Although any language can’t be property of any religion, British intentionally did this sin and we Indians are still continuing with it.

After the partition of India, Urdu became the sole national language of Pakistan. I asked that Pathani driver which part of Pakistan speak Urdu as their mother tongue. He was completely confused with my question and started murmuring Sindh speak Sindhi, Punjab speak Punjabi, Frontier speaks Pashtun. I am adding one more. East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) speaks Bangla! As an innocent person, he started wondering why Urdu is their National Language when it is not mother tongue of any region of Pakistan! This question still haunts many Pakistanis.

It is an interesting story of creation of Pakistan. But I will write about it sometime later. After partition, Pakistan declared Urdu as sole National Language and it sow the seeds of partition of it. Bengalis felt that it was they who created Pakistan for Jinnah and he is imposing Urdu on them! Bengalis were 44 million out of total population of 69 million of entire Pakistan. Pakistan’s Public Service Commission removed Bangla from the list of approved subjects. It ignited demonstrations in Dhaka University in 1948. Jinnah arrived in Dhaka in March 1948 in the middle of agitation. He declared Urdu and only Urdu would be sole National Language of Pakistan during one public meeting. Although language dispute resolved in 1956. But by then Urdu became the sole cause of partition of Pakistan!

Indians started distancing from Urdu as soon as it became the national language of Pakistan. Although it is still official language of 6 states of India, but it has decorative status and not being used as official language of any government communication except J&K. Aligarh Muslim University and Osmania University used Urdu as medium of education. Both of them have already dropped it as medium of education. Non-Urdu speaking Pakistanis finding it difficult to learn and it became the language of only elite people. Long political unrest in Pakistan took a huge toll on Urdu literacy. Bollywood movies patronized Urdu for long. So many Urdu shayars entertained us with wonderful shayari. Lot of movies were made in Urdu in past. But now, I have not heard any Urdu movie made in Bollywood in recent past. Urdu shayars are also on decline in India.

It is very sad to see that Urdu, which has seen glorious days in past, is going to the path of decline. This is, in my opinion, just because it was attributed as Muslim’s language. Insha’Allah, it will one day free herself from the clutches of religion and achieve its past glory!!