Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday stressed the need for the protection and promotion of Urdu language.
Addressing the Urdu Heritage Carvan’s Conference at Jubilee Hall, the Chief Minister said that steps must be taken at mass level to promote both Urdu and Telugu languages in the State. Quoting a UNICEF report, he said nearly 50 per cent of regional languages would be lost in the next 20 years. Therefore, he said the regional languages should be linked with employment for their effective growth and preservation.
Delivering the entire speech in Urdu, the Chief Minister also cited an experience from his own Pileru constituency. After starting an Urdu medium school, he started getting a representation from the people requesting him to change the same to English medium. He said people were more inclined towards English medium education due to its employability. This trend needs to be reversed in favour of regional languages, he said.
The Chief Minister also announced that the government would soon host the World Urdu Conference on the lines of World Telugu Conference held recently in Tirupati.
Kiran Kumar Reddy also listed out the measures being taken by his government for the promotion of Urdu language and the development of minorities in the State.
Speaking on the occasion, Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju advised the Chief Minister too make Urdu and Sanskrit as compulsory in all schools from third to seventh standards. He also condemned linking of Hindi language with Hindus and Urdu with Muslims. He said Urdu originated in India and is spoken by all sections of the society. He also claimed that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh also writes in Urdu and expressed doubts whether he knew Hindi.
Siasat Urdu Daily Editor Zahed Ali Khan, Urdu Academy Delhi chairman Prof Akthar-ul-Wasay, AMU’s Ex Vice-Chancellor Dr Mahmood Ur Rahman, Dr Zaheer I Qazi of Anjuman-e-Islam Mumbai, NCPUL Director Dr Khaja Ikramuddin and other prominent personalities addressed the seminar. (INN)