Srinagar, Apr 7 : The Jammu and Kashmir Urdu Council on Tuesday organised an Eid Milan programme here, with speakers emphasising the need for a mass movement to promote and develop the Urdu language.
The event was attended by prominent personalities from various walks of life.
In his presidential address, Maulana Shaukat Hussain Kang said Urdu is indispensable to the region’s history and identity. “Without Urdu, our history is incomplete,” he said, adding that senior scholars used the language to spread the light of knowledge.
Council president and advocate Abdul Rashid Hanjura highlighted the various initiatives being undertaken by the council for the promotion of Urdu.
Educationist G N War said the passage of the Private University Act has paved the way for establishing a language university in the Union Territory.
Renowned journalist Yusuf Jameel called for greater attention to Urdu newspapers, while journalist Javed Azhar expressed concern over the weak reading and writing skills of children in Urdu, despite their fluency in speaking the language. “Parents need to focus on this aspect,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, the Editor-in-Chief of Kashmir News Service (KNS) Mohd Aslam Bhat, said that it is a great initiative taken by the Jammu and Kashmir Urdu Council, because efforts need to be made not only to safeguard the Urdu language but also to preserve our mother tongue. He emphasized that it is everyone’s responsibility to strive for the protection of Urdu and the preservation of our mother tongue, Kashmiri.
He further said that in today’s era, every language is important however, giving precedence to modern languages should not mean refraining from speaking our own mother tongue.
Imtiyaz Ahmad Malik, president of the Traders Federation, Sher-e-Khass, said protecting Urdu is a collective responsibility.
Dr Rafiq Masoodi lamented that funds for Urdu institutions in the country have been curtailed, calling for an urgent change in this trend.
Bashir Ahmad Bashir, editor of Srinagar Times, said children are being crushed under the burden of multiple languages. Masood Hussain stressed the need for serious efforts to promote Urdu.
Dr Hafeez Masoodi warned that Urdu is now becoming a mere spoken dialect, with the new generation unable to read and write it. “This needs immediate attention,” he said.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Safdar Samoon, Saleem Salik, Abdul Hakim Munshi, Fareeda Shouq, and Mufti Muhammad Sultan.
Two books were unveiled during the event Khutbat-e-Iqbal ki Asri Mahnawiyat by Dr Mushtaq Ganai, and Suhbat-e-Saliheen by Dr Faiz Qaziabadi.
Among other prominent attendees were Riyaz Malik, Professor Naseer Mirza, Dr Iqbal Lone, Dr Riyaz Tohidi, Nazir Ibn-e-Shahbaz, and Shabir Mattoo. The event was compered by Javed Mattoo. (KNS)
