Urdu – second official language in Bengal

Will it lead to a novel experimentation for another Pakistan?

There is simply no end to efforts of reigning Trinamool Congress-led Bengal government to exert its empathy towards minority Muslims in the state and the latest approach on its part, in this regard, happens to be the decision to make Urdu the second official language in the state. Well, there is something more to add – it will be made in areas where Muslims form sizeable populations or make 10 per cent of the total populace. Political analysts have already started to term that this overture will give the party an edge in the coming Panchayat election.

It is worthwhile to mention that this issue was mooted by the Information and Cultural Affairs Department of the State Government.  However, the role of Minority Affairs Department under the aegis of Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, in this context, is momentous.

What will be the immediate effect of this motion? Quite a lot of municipalities, together with Kolkata Municipal Corporation, will have got to have Urdu as the second official language. And the reasons behind this are not far to see.  These areas, in accordance with 2001 census, do enjoy high concentrations of Muslims. As far as Kolkata is concerned, it, at the moment, contains almost 14 per cent Muslim population and as per various sources, the same is likely to increase after the census of 2011.

It, indeed, is a D-day for champions of Urdu in the state as the official language status will also benefit them lots and in various ways. Here are some of them – formation of designations for Urdu translators; notifications in addition to government orders will be made in Urdu; primary schools with Urdu as the medium of teaching; introduction of Urdu as subject in both high schools and colleges and a generation of Urdu teachers will be in its command.      

Urdu, without doubt, was never an issue of such importance in the Indian state of Bengal, from its political inception in 1947 following the bloody partition of undivided Bengal, till a few days back. Moreover, the vigorous language movement in then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1952 urging the recognition of Bengali as the state language of Pakistan played a great role in weakening substance of Urdu in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent.  

What Mamata didi is yet to know is that Urdu language played a great role in the growth of Islamic separatism leading to the vivisection of undivided India and formation of Pakistan. In accordance with historical facts, approval of Devanagari script along with Hindi as an official language of United Province (now Uttar Pradesh) instead of Persian sparked the growth of Muslim communalism in the modern context. It took place in 1900 and the final decision was made by Lieutenant Governor A. Macdonnel. Muslims, irrespective of class and creed, had joined the movement in defense of Urdu language and the emotion that ignited it ended with the formation of Pakistan. 

Urdu language is hallowed now whereas Sanskrit has failed to earn even an iota of this benefaction in the last 5 decades in the state, if not more.

People who frown over the mentioning of Sanskrit (considering it to be the kitty of Hindu fundamentalists only) will be glad to know that one of the main notions of creating Pakistan was to heighten the status of Urdu and make it the most formidable emblem of Islamic dominance in the Indian subcontinent and over the effeminate (?) Hindus.

What will happen at this time?