Sometimes it happens, but now it often happens that a person says something that gets him into trouble. The reason for this is that it contradicts the views of many people, so instead of examining it on the basis of ideological differences, they reject it on the basis of ideological differences.
Recently, the Chairperson of the Academy of Letters, Dr. Najiba Arif, also said something similar, which has received strong reactions from some literary circles and reputable figures, and that was that the future of Urdu is associated with religious madrasas. Some literary figures have rejected this outright, while some have kept quiet about it, while there are some Mujahids who have presented strong arguments in defense of this. Today’s writing is not intended to oppose or support anyone, but rather to examine this matter only on the basis of logic because for us, all figures associated with poetry, speech, language and literature are respected and everyone’s opinion is worthy of respect.
Now, let’s see that our national language is Urdu, but what percentage of the nation speaks or understands Urdu well? To start with, Parliament is the biggest institution in our country’s system, where representatives of the people from all over the country gather and make laws. You can see the proceedings of the Senate and National Assembly sessions. Our esteemed parliamentarians make speeches in Urdu, but hardly any national leader speaks Urdu that can be called standard Urdu. Otherwise, most of them either have a mixture of English in their Urdu or their own local languages are showing glimpses, while most of the laws and decrees passed by the Parliament are prepared in English. The judiciary is the second major pillar of this country’s system. According to the decision of the Supreme Court, the highest court of the country, our official correspondence should be Urdu, but our courts and government offices themselves do not prefer its use, but most of the decisions are written in English and correspondence is also done in this language. Only complaints are registered in police stations in Urdu, but that language is so complex that no one except the police or court officials can translate it.
The biggest responsibility for the survival and development of the language lies with our literary community. The condition of this community is that it is divided into two parts. The point of view of a small community is that the language should remain in its original state and it is also in favor of the influence of Arabic and Persian on it, while the other community, which is relatively much larger, is of the view that changes are very necessary for the evolution of the language and in the name of these changes, all kinds of admixtures are being justified in Urdu. Now, in the hands of this community, the language cannot remain in its foundation or original state, but will only take on a new form after some time.
A major bearer of Urdu is our media sector. There was a time when people considered this sector as a source of information and used to learn the language through news, articles and features published in newspapers. There was only one government TV channel on which special care was taken for the correct pronunciation and accent. The diction of the newsreaders used to be exemplary, but now the newspapers do not have that standard of language editing, nor do the channels have newscasters and hosts of this level. Today’s anchors call Iran “Ae Ran” out loud, but no one makes them pronounce it correctly. Operation Bunyan Marsus is constantly called Bunyan Marsus, but no one stops it. Some call the monster “Afriyt” and some “Afriyt,” but no one tells them that it is under the “A”. Even when Israel is called “Azrail,” no one listens, although in Urdu, “Israel” and “Azrail” have completely different meanings. This shows that these people have never opened the Quran, read Islamic history, or studied Persian poetry and literature.
Urdu is not only a compulsory subject in our educational curriculum from the first to the twelfth grade, but it is also the medium of instruction for most other subjects. But first, school students do not only study the language, but are studying many subjects at a time, so they cannot establish a grasp on the language that would make them good speakers. Second, most students speak their native language at home, due to which they do not get much practice in speaking Urdu.
A large part of the population of all regions of the country, including all four provinces, knows Urdu, but at present, perhaps the majority of those who speak Urdu, whom we call speakers, cannot speak such good and standard Urdu as is expected of them, while the majority of those who are not speakers, speak Urdu in their local languages. Often, in common speech, the pronunciation and structure of sentences are not correct.
In such a situation, only two classes are left in whose hands the future of Urdu can be preserved. One of them is the highly educated and well-read teachers of our universities, and the other is the students of madrassas. The problem with universities is that they do not teach just one language, but many subjects including science, engineering, technology, IT and social sciences. So, Urdu teachers in universities can only train their own limited sphere of influence, not the entire university.
Thus, in the end, only one group remains who pays full attention to Urdu and works hard, and that is the students of madrasas. Madrasas students can therefore prove to be good guardians of Urdu. On the one hand, most of them are trained for the pulpit and the mihrab. They have to master Urdu to convey the message of religion to the masses. On the other hand, Urdu is based on Arabic and Persian languages, and most of the religious teachings are related to both languages. The children of madrassas are taught Arabic and Persian texts and sources, while most of the students who graduate from a university in Urdu are limited to Urdu poetry and literature. So, if a person who cares about Urdu has linked its future with the students of madrassas, there is nothing wrong with it, but there is a need to think about more ways to secure the future of Urdu.
