Dear members, Assalamu alaikum.Please see a letter on the subject published in the daily Observer, Dhaka, on 17th September.This issue of the urdu-speaking people of Bangladesh deserves carefulconsideration .
Shah Abdul Hannan 'Need for learning Urdu' The High Court decision that the three lakh (appx) Biharis living in different parts of Bangladesh are citizens of Bangladesh is a welcome news (Ref: The Daily Star dated 19/05/2008). The Biharis generally speak Urdu. Like other ethnic minorities whose interest are supposed to be up held by the state, the interest of Urdu speaking Biharis is equally required to be protected. As they speak Urdu, there has to be arrangement in school/college that they could learn their language (Urdu) which has now become almost defunct. The Urdu media schools set up or at least provision for teaching Urdu in the schools should be made where they have concentration. Further the necessity of learning Urdu by the local population is also needed for economic gains. Urdu has now become popular in India, and Middle East countries. In the Middle East Urdu is almost a common language for the Diaspora. In India they officially though say that Hindi is the state language but the Hindi of yester years has now become almost out dated. Earlier Hindi was close to Sanskrit . But now Hindi is more close to Urdu. If some watch the Indian TV and Pakistani TV channels, one can easily say that the language in both the countries are almost the same. The popular film stars are finding their way into Hindi (Urdu) films more than in other films. The songs and music do not lag behind. They also follow Hindu/Urdu. Moreover, the old timer Hindus were good at Urdu too. A story goes about the Hon. late Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawahr Lal Nehru. Once he visited a school. There a boy requested him for autograph. The boy said - "Sir, Dasta-Khat Kiji Yey" (sir please put your signature). Nehru signed that. The boy said - "Sir, date dey diji ye" (Sir please give the date). Nehru did it in English. Surprised the boy said "Sir ye apne keya kiya, dasta khat Urdu mey/aur date angrezi mey diya" (Sir what did you do? Put your signature in Urdu and put the date in English). Nehru said - "Barkhurdar, meiney wahi kiya jo tumney kaha - Dastakhat kar ney ko kaha, meiney Urdu mein kiya, isliye key daskhat Urdu lafz haye; tum ney kaha date dijiye, so meiney angrezi mein keya, isliye key date angrezi lafz haye" (son I did what you said - I signed in Urdu because the word 'dastakhat' is Urdu, you asked me to put date, I did it in English because date is English word). This though was a light moment shared by the then Honorable and learned Prime Minister of India but speaks of the knowledge of Urdu he possessed. And over period of time, the need and necessity of Urdu in India has rather increased. And it will be no wonder if we take into consideration the vast number of people speaking Urdu in India, Pakistan and the Middle east countries. It will be one of the major languages of the world after English, Arabic, French, Chinese etc. Hence it is necessary that Urdu is also taught here to those who want it. It is important for Bangladesh because one of the priorities for Bangladesh for the next 25 years would be to increase the manpower export to Middle East countries. And surely among other skills, the knowledge of Urdu for easy communication would definitely give advantage to Bangladeshis over other competing countries like the Philippines, Thailand, and Hong Kong etc. Hence also is the emphasis on its learning. Abu Imran Azimpur Rd Dhaka-1205 It was published in the letter columns of Bangladesh Observer dated 17 September 2008 -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.526 / Virus Database: 270.7.0/1680 - Release Date: 9/19/2008 8:25 AM
