“Urdu isn’t owned by Muslims”: Javed Akhtar says languages are not religion-specific

Renowned Indian literary figure and lyricist Javed Akhtar challenged the narrow perception of Urdu being solely associated with Muslims. This mischaracterisation not only undermines its broader appeal and popularity across regions but also distorts the rich history of its roots, which flourished in the undivided India.

Akhtar emphasised over a broader understanding of language, emphasising that it transcends religious boundaries and flourishes in specific regions. Highlighting the multicultural appeal of Urdu, he asserted that “it's as much a part of Hindustani heritage as Hindi.”

Instead of assigning blame to the government for Urdu's decline, the writer pointed the finger at those who hold the language dear. He argued that their failure to transmit its heritage to younger generations has contributed to its gradual fading.

Speaking at an event at the India International Centre during a discussion on the interconnectedness of Hindi and Urdu, Akhtar referred to both languages as "Siamese twins." However, this isn't the first time Akhtar has expressed his thoughts on the matter.

Akhtar emphasised the mutual relationship between Hindi and Urdu, which flourished in the Indian subcontinent but became targets of British colonists aiming to reinforce their divide-and-rule policy for sustaining colonisation.

“Hindi and Urdu were equals until about 200 years ago, when, for political reasons, they were separated. You would not be able to tell if certain poems were written by a Hindi poet or an Urdu poet. This was done by the Britishers to create a cultural difference in north India, he noted.”

Akhtar furthered on, “They say that Urdu is a Muslim language. Really? What about the 10 crore Bengalis in the erstwhile East Pakistan? Malayalam giants like Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, were they writing in Urdu? All the Arabs in the Middle East, do they speak Urdu? In Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan… Where do they speak Urdu? Only in the Indian subcontinent. True, we were split 70 years ago, but it was all Hindustan, was it not?”

He elaborated on the idea that if Hindi is considered the language of Hindus, then why do Hindus in Tamil Nadu not speak Urdu or consider English as the language of Christians. He observed that although Urdu originated in North India, the division of land does not limit one's cultural association with Urdu.

He highlighted that both languages are utiliSed based on convenience, with words being interchangeably employed without a clear sense.

“I will die before making a character say, ‘Tumne mere saare hukook le liye’. I will always write, ‘Tumne mere saare adhikaar le liye’. Similarly, I won’t have one friend tell another, ‘Mujhe tumhari avashyakta hai’, because, ‘Mujhe tumhari zaroorat hai’ sounds better. Why am I writing in Hindustani? Because I am writing for Hindustan. I’m not writing for Urdu speakers or Hindi speakers,” the writer concluded.