Interchange between Hindi and Urdu is need of hour, says Madan lall Manchanda
Hindi, one of our national languages, is third in size of eight global languages after Chinese and English. According to a recent survey, it is one of the largest spoken languages with around 360 million speakers. No wonder that President Pranab Mukherjee expressed his desire to promote Hindi as a global language in the recent past.
The outgoing UPA Government and the present NDA Government are committed to promoting Hindi.
Even Mahatma Gandhi was for Hindustani, our common language, or Aam Aadmi Bhasha, mix of Hindi and Urdu. During the British rule in India, Urdu was the official language used in courts. Also, the Progressive Movement gave it a big boost. But Partition proved a big blow for its survival and the language became the casualty of our hate for each other. Perhaps rightly so as it was then felt that a language unites and does not divide.
Pandit Nehru had faith in the potential of Hindi. Urdu and Hindi are two streams from one source; their framework and structure are same. However, more often, he charmed his audience in Parliament by reciting Urdu couplets of renowned Urdu poets. Former President Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, an astute scholar of Hindi who had deep understanding of Urdu words, earnestly wanted revival of Urdu in India.
On attaining Independence, India — a multi-lingual country — was at crossroads in the absence of a common link language. The fear of fragmentation of the country due to pulls and drives of various language groups was real. To tide over it, Nehru’s language Act of 1963, (presently 22 languages are listed in schedule VIII of the Constitution) paved way for formation of linguistic States as the foundation of Union of India. English and Hindi became the official languages. This yielded chance and space for regional languages to grow and flourish on par side by side, and talk of imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi States took a back seat.
However, the need for a common link language cannot be brushed aside. Europe too confronted the same dilemma, leading to the formation of Esperanto, which comprised commonly used words from various European languages. languages grow and follow their own course. A mechanical approach to invent and sustain them may prove futile. This is how Esperanto met its end.
Statistics show that Hindi remains the most spoken mother tongue in the country. As per the 2001 Census, around 42.2 crore people listed Hindi as their mother tongue, which is 41.03 per cent of the population. Therefore, the question of imposing it on non-Hindi States does not arise. A view, however, is that there is no harm in promoting Hindi, and improving it qualitatively is equally important. Sahitya Akademi is doing commendable work by translating literary works from various languages to Hindi, cultivating better understanding and bringing our people closer. Efforts of different language Akademis are laudable, particularly the Urdu Akademi Delhi, which has won appreciation from Vice President Dr Hamid Ansari.
No two languages are as closely linked as Hindi and Urdu. Urdu is dynamic, has a global presence and is equally popular among foreign based people of Indian and Pakistani origin, who keep holding literary seminars/symposiums to keep the diminishing lamp of this beautiful language of the subcontinent aglow. It has amazing capacity for adaptation; absorbing and borrowing words from other languages. It has borrowed from English more than any other language, including Hindi.
As the two sister languages are complementary, a closer connection with Urdu will make Hindi stronger. Similarly, for Urdu’s survival and growth, it is essential to cultivate a relationship with Hindi. As languages grow by give and take, continuous interchange between Hindi and Urdu is need of the hour.
Notable poet Firaq has earned a unique distinction of evolving a new style in which the thought pattern of Hindi and Urdu are intermingled; he brings out a complete fusion while maintaining the individuality of both forms. His poetry has roots in the Indian soil and it seems the whole poetic canvas is permeated with exhilarating symbols as ‘lata’, ‘Chameli’, ‘Ganga’ and ‘Jamuna’. There is a profusion of the visual, tactile and auditory, images which are copiously rich and suggestive.
There is a splendid confluence of Hindi and Urdu in Firaq’s poetry. He scored a point over his contemporaries and succeeded in proving that Urdu and Hindi are not only two forms, but can be combined and used as one with greater effect.
However, there are no two opinions that for evolving literary language, coinage of words adds to vocabulary. Need for a cautious approach is obvious. A view is that the approach adopted by Dr Raghuvira and Seth Govind Das in coining terminology may make Hindi more complex and beyond the reach of common man. Earlier, Urdu too was highly Persianised and appeared removed from the soil of its origin. Its alienation was bemoaned, besides others, by no less a dignitary than India’s representative to now defunct league of Nations Abdul Qadir, a man of letters who also edited Makhzen, a literary Urdu magazine of repute. He was struck by the simplicity and power of Hindi to invoke and enliven the scenes of the soil.
Urdu gained considerably as a result of the Progressive Movement because it bid adieu to cumbersome expression and high flown Persianised words. Modern Urdu became far simple. This example is worthy of emulating by all lovers of Hindi to make it more popular among masses as this will give the living language of millions a new vitality and lead towards a New Indian Renaissance, making it more acceptable in non-Hindi States as well.
The recent furore as a result of orders issued by the Government factually intended for Hindi States, and the uproar in various States notably in the South was uncalled for. let us remember the inspiring words of our first President Dr Rajendra Prasad to our people in the South: “You have beaten the English in English. I have faith you will beat North Indians in Hindi.”
