New Delhi: Reports of continued discrimination against Urdu keep surfacing. Hardly does one piece of news fade before another emerges about some institution neglecting the Urdu-speaking community. The latest case involves the Sahitya Akademi.
For the Sahitya Akademi Translation Award 2024, translators from 21 languages have been approved. Unfortunately, no name has been included in the Urdu translation category this time. This has caused deep disappointment in Urdu literary circles.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a prominent Urdu literary figure told our correspondent that while Sahitya Akademi has awarded writers from other languages this year, no Urdu writer or poet has been recognised.
Similarly, Ghalib Institute, which used to give out five to six awards annually, has reduced the number to just three this year. Furthermore, in the new education policy, the central government removed Urdu from the list of mother tongues while including Sanskrit. In another setback, Delhi Public School (Mathura Road) has dropped Urdu as a third-language option from Class 3 onwards.
However, so-called guardians of Urdu remain indifferent. The source lamented that some individuals in major Urdu institutions fail to protest when they should but create unnecessary hurdles for those working honestly and diligently, all under the pretence of serving Urdu. Additionally, some self-proclaimed lovers of the language have been writing to the Lieutenant Governor, urging him to stop seminars on Iqbal and media, which continue under the Urdu Academy despite changes in government. The source emphasised that genuine efforts should be made for the progress and welfare of Urdu.
Dr. Syed Ahmed Khan, a dedicated advocate of the Urdu language, also expressed his concerns. He stated that despite the Akademi’s willingness, the Urdu Translation Award is not being given this time, which is both objectionable and regrettable. He questioned that if the Akademi had no intention of awarding Urdu, why did it form an Urdu Jury Committee in the first place? He further criticised the committee for failing to select any Urdu book or translator for the award, calling it narrow-mindedness and negligence.
The Urdu Jury Committee consisted of Dr. Javed Anwar, Dr. Shams Iqbal, and Zakia Mashhadi. Addressing the controversy, Sahitya Akademi’s Deputy Secretary for Awards, Shri Babu Rajan S., clarified that the Akademi had no role in withholding the Urdu Translation Award. He explained that a three-member jury was formed, and books by Urdu translators were provided for selection, but the committee did not finalise any name.
This statement makes it clear that the jury members themselves obstructed the award announcement, which has led to growing resentment in Urdu literary circles.
