Not only the ‘subjects’ of J&K even Urdu too has suffered due to divisive notes Part-III

 By Daya Sagar
The way Urdu language, particularly its script has been handled all these years has made both Urdu as a language and common man in J&K to suffer. Vide G.O No: REV/NG/314/2013 Date10/12/2013 Government of J&K after their completing Patwar training appointed 945 Patwaries that included hardly just around 160 non-Muslims and surely the main reason for that would have been condition of proficiency in Urdu at the time of recruitment. It is so worrying that inspite of its being official state language Urdu is becoming a reason for social bitterness amongst the people, more particularly in view of the so conditions already prevailing in this state.
Is it not the duty of J&K Government to undo any communal myths about Urdu and promote the language (at least as long as it is the official language) so as to see that it could be used even by Secretaries to Government like Hindi is used in UP, MP and Marathi in Maharashtra ?
Urdu is the official language of J&K. This day in Bihar too is Urdu used as a language along with Hindi, in Jarkhand too Urdu and Hindi are in use, in Telangana Telugu & Urdu are in use, in UP too Hindi and Urdu are in use and of course in Delhi too. It was official language of J&K even during the Dogra rule before independence. No doubt, before 1947 also lesser number of non-Muslims had been taking Urdu at school level but it has been more after 1947 that the non-Muslim communities have not been taking to reading Urdu at the school level. Before 1947 though non-Muslims preferred Hindi over Urdu but a good number of students also studied Urdu since it was official language of Maharaja’s princely state of J&K and also in many north Indian states (like Punjab news papers like Hind Samachar 1948; Milap Daily) it was among the first languages. Even in early 1950s many local hindukids used to take Urdu as the main language while entering the school at primary level but after that the number has drastically reduced.
Urdu language has its origin in India and it is the Persian script used for Urdu that has kept this language at distance from the non-Muslims more in India. The Turko­Afghan Delhi Sultanate set Persian as its official language, even Mughal Empire continued with that cementing Persian influence on the upcoming ‘Hindustani’. The British adopted Hindustani written in Persian script / Arabic script as administrative language in place of Persian . To be brief Urdu (that we know in India ) as language , in a way, originated in India (Hindustan) and many may even call it as Hindustani. Urdu is a form of Hindustani developed under the influence of the Persian and Arabic languages using Arabic / Persian script s.
Urdu and Hindi share an Indo­Aryan base, but Urdu is associated more with the Nastaliq script style of Persian calligraphy and reads right­to­left, whereas Hindi resembles Sanskrit and reads left­to­right.
As per some opinions the earliest linguistic influences towards a medium like Urdu began with the muslim conquest of Sindh around 711AD. The language started evolving more from Persian and Arabic contacts during the invasions of the Indian subcontinent by the Persian and Turkish forces . To some extent it could also be said that Persian has words from Arabic and Urdu has words from Persian & Hindi (originated from Sanskrit).
concluded
( Daya Sagar is a Senior Journalist and a social activist can be reached at [email protected] )