Srinagar: Central University of Kashmir (CUK) Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir today said the Urdu department of the varsity would do every bit to further the cause of promoting Urdu in Jammu and Kashmir.  

“Urdu is dying a slow death in J&K. However, the CUK will ensure that the language regains its lost glory and reaches back to its zenith,” Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir said while addressing the gathering during a function Youm-e-Urdu (Urdu Day) organized by the Urdu department at Nowgam-I academic block of University. The theme of the function was “Urdu’s Present Status vis-à-vis special reference to Jammu and Kashmir.”  

He said, despite the fact that Urdu was official language in J&K its usage in government departments, particularly the Revenue and institutions like Judiciary, wherein the language was earlier used predominantly, was on decline. “At present, it is very difficult to find the Urdu signboards even on shops,” he said, adding that both the government and privately run educational institutions aren’t teaching the subject properly, as was taught two decades before. 

Prof. Mehraj ud Din said that Urdu shouldn’t be related to any particular religion. “The language has no religion as it transcends all barriers,” he added.

Commissioner Minority Languages, Government of India, Prof. Akhter ul Wasey, former Secretary, Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and former Member Legislative Council, Mr. Muhammad Yousuf Taing, National Council for Promotion of Urdu (NCPU), Director, Prof. Irteza Karim, former Director Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar, Mr. Farooq Nazki, Dean School of Languages, Prof. Muhammad Aslam, Urdu Department Coordinator, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Malik, Deans of various Schools, Heads and Coordinators of different departments, faculty members, students and officials of the university were also present on the occasion.

Commissioner Minority Languages, Government of India, Prof. Akhter ul Wasey, while speaking on the occasion, said that Kashmir has produced excellent Urdu writers, journalists and broadcasters, who have contributed immensely for promotion of the language in the State. “However, I am extremely pained to hear that the language is being overlooked in the State now,” he said.

Former Secretary, Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and former Member Legislative Council, Mr. Muhammad Yousuf Taing, in his address said the Urdu has acted as a binding force between all the three regions including Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. He said a Committee constituted by the Government for recommending measures to promote Urdu in J&K, has already submitted its report. “The panel is still waiting for the implementation of the recommendations,” he added.

In his address, NCPU, Director, Prof. Irteza Karim, hailed the people of J&K, for adopting Urdu as the official language. He, however, expressed dismay over the lackadaisical attitude of Urdu teachers, and those associated with the promotion of language, in purchasing the books and other literature available in the market. “Let’s take a pledge to teach Urdu to the person who is ignorant about the language,” he said.

Former Director Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar, Mr. Farooq Nazki, also underscored the need for strictly making Urdu as medium of communication. “In this era of globalization, the need of the hour is to make Urdu, a medium of communication,” he added.

Dean School of Languages, Prof. Muhammad Aslam, said that there was a dire need of making books and other literature published in Urdu, available online. He hailed the contribution of vernacular Urdu newspapers in promoting the language in the State.

Urdu Department Coordinator, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Malik, in his speech traced the history of Urdu and said the language has survived many onslaughts. He said the Department was frequently holding events for promoting the language in the State.

The dignitaries also released two books, Dr. Altaf Hussain’s Mujtaba Hussain: Fiqr o Fann and Dr. Ashiq Hussain’s ‘Matn Mana Aur Tabeer.’

The programme started with recitation of Holy Quran by Muhammad Yousuf Wani while as Dr. Pervez Ahmad also recited a Naat-e-Sharief.

Assistant Prof, Mr. Rashid Aziz conducted the programme proceedings. (KNS)