Now an entire Urdu library accessible on your cell phone: Read Urdu books on BazmeUrdu website or your mobile screen, free

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It's a news that will gladden the hearts of Urdu lovers across the world. A treasure of Urdu books, ranging on diverse subjects, is now available to you--on website and on your cell phone screen.

Further, it's all free. Sounds too good to be true! But that's reality. Two persons--Ejaz Obaid and Dr Saif Qazi, have made it possible after painstaking efforts. First, the BazmeUrdu library's website was created.

Subsequently, it was taken to the next level--for the reader who uses his cell phone for surfing the internet.

With more and more people accessing the internet through their cell phones, the challenge was to make the library available to readers who wanted to access books through their mobile phones.

The duo have accomplished this task too.
The library keeps getting bigger by the day, as more books are being included in it, on a regular basis.

Another positive aspect of this Online Urdu Library is that, the books are in Unicode, and hence, the text can be searched and copied, unlike image-based Urdu that was in use in most websites.

The Android app is now available on Google play store. So, anyone can simply add the application, and then browse though this library. There are sections viz. poetry, novels, history, philosophy, children's books, satire, biographies et al.

Institutions fail, Individuals show the way

While people commonly rue the lack of patronage to Urdu, this determined duo has shown how individuals can do, what institutions should have done. 

There is no dearth of institutions working for the cause of Urdu in India.

Apart from National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu Hind, there are more than a dozen Urdu academies and many other such cultural bodies.

Yet, despite substantial government funding, they failed to accomplish the task.

But here, two persons, have managed to not only set up the online Urdu library but also brought it on cell phone screens. Clearly, it is such frenzied Urdu lovers, who will drive the language in future too.

In an article in daily Inquilab, journalist Alamullah Islahi, writes about the uniqueness of this project. Islahi mentions that, 'due to the unicode format, it is easy to read the books even on slow connections, unlike past when it took time for image-based pages to load".

Dr Saif Qazi is a medical practitioner, who lives in Maharashtra. In the past he had launched a Urdu social networking website too. Despite his professional responsibilities, he has been involved in this work--spending from his pocket and also giving hours daily, just because of his love for the language.

Litterateur and Urdu enthusiast Ejaz Obaid's name is familiar to all those who have been aware of Urdu's march on the world wide web.

The Hyderabad-based man shuns publicity but has played a major role in the development of Urdu keyboard, as well as other aspects relating to Urdu on the internet. 

As long as we have such Urdu enthusiasts, there is no reason to be pessimist about the language. Earlier, Syed Mukarram Niaz, came up with his website UrduKidzCartoon.

It was also an important need, and no institution had paid attention towards the lack of Urdu content on internet. [Don't look at government, do it yourself]. More heartwarming is the fact that people in India, are not just preserving the language and literature, but are also working with a missionary zeal to ensure that the zabaan is in sync with modern times.

*CLICK to visit the BazmeUrdu online library's WEBSITE
*CLICK to download the Android App from Google Play store to surf the library on your SMART PHONE

Urdu must gets its constitutional right in Uttar Pradesh: Amend discriminatory rule that stops opening of Urdu medium schools in UP

By Indscribe

Urdu is the mother tongue of at least 40 million or 4 crore people in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India's most populated State. 

It is spoken and understood by many more in UP which is considered as the birthplace of Urdu.

But the sad truth is that UP is the only state in India where a discriminatory law doesn't allow opening of Urdu medium schools.

This rule is in conflict with international norms that a kid has the right to education in his mother toungue, as well as against national policy.

Tragic fact is that Urdu is the second official language of UP. Yet, this discrimination continues. Join hands, if you love Urdu, and voice your support.

Post 1947, certain politicians in Uttar Pradesh unit of Congress, acted against Urdu. All of a sudden, Urdu medium was abolished. The legendary poet late Pandit Anand Narain Mulla, strongly protested the decision to scrap Urdu. 

Today, many states have thousands of Urdu schools. In Maharashtra alone, there are 5,000 Urdu medium schools but in UP, there is no Urdu school. Karnataka, AP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and even Tamil Nadu have Urdu medium schools, but not UP. 

1. Critics say that Urdu medium would not help the students. Wrong. They don't know the reality, having schools is better than not going to the schools at all. Not every one belongs to the affluent or middle class.

2. There are lakhs of families that can't even afford the basic fee of even small private schools. For them Rs 100-200 for a kid is too much, as it affects their monthly budget (this money can get them part of ration for a month). Especially, if family is poor and has two- three or more children, the kids go uneducated or merely end up studying a few years in maktabs and madarsas. Government Urdu schools or private Urdu schools in poor neighbourhoods are needed. For those studying in maktabs and madarsas, it helps a lot as they enter mainstream education through schools.

3. In states like Maharashtra, Urdu medium students have consistently done good and have topped the entire Maharashtra board, several times in the last two decades. Also, it's a question of your basic right. 

4. Samajwadi Party had promised that it would open Urdu medium schools in UP, if it came to power. But this promise has not been fulfilled. We don't expect the government to do this much as they haven't delivered on many counts, but they can at least, amend the law, so that private schools can be opened with Urdu medium.

5. Urdu is one of the major Indian languages and is recognised as an official language in the eighth schedule of Indian constitution, along with Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bangla, Kannada, Punjabi, Sindhi, Marathi et al. This injustice with the language shouldn't be allowed. 

6. It is also a question about your RIGHTS too. In a democracy, the manner in which Urdu was targeted in UP after partition, is deplorable. Successive governments paid no attention to the issue despite voices raised by sections of activists, intellectuals and organisations. The discriminatory law must go.

7. It is a sure shot way to hurt a community or group if you snatch their language from them. In post-1947 UP, certain leaders did exactly that and the result is that UP one of the most forward states, is now known for educational backwardness, especially, among minorities. 

Sadly, despite nearly 67 MLAs in UP Assembly, the issue has not been taken up in the Assembly even now. Politicians, litterateurs, activists and even poets with considerable influence haven't raised the issued at all. 

8. JUST ONE ORGANISATION URDU DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION (UDO), which is based in Allahabad, has been fighting for the rights of Urdu in Uttar Pradesh. However, they also don't get much support from the society. 

UDO needs to hire the best lawyers, which needs funds, to fight cases up to the Supreme Court. It has taken up issues about banks not accepting Urdu cheques, government organisations not using Urdu in its communication, and consistently takes up the cause, One hopes that UDO will continue its fight on this issue too. But UDO is the lone group of such Urdu-walas in the entire country. 

9. Some people who have less idea about ground situation, especially, those who talk about imparting English education, easily say that English schools or Hindi schools (or private) should be opened. No body stops them, please open. But can you? 

Governments don't open English medium schools. Hence, we are talking about schools, at least the basic schools. In areas, in Urdu-speaking (Muslim) areas where there are no schools, at least, let the schools come up. 

Poverty levels are such that huge number of Muslims drop out as their parents can't even afford studying in the school that has the lowest fee. Muslim families, especially, poor are having a very tough time due to the inflation. 

A section of upwardly mobile class (even amongst Muslims) has little idea about the tough lives of majority of Muslims. The situation is such that millions of Muslim households are yet to get past the 'struggle for two square meals' stage. 

They can't even afford Rs 50-100 fee for the school, because if there are 2-3 children, they can have 'aata' for a month for the family, with this money. It is very easy to say that open schools or colleges. People are doing their best but the economic condition of poor Muslims is such that it is not possible. 

Such is the situation that even in this era of focus on education, the number of Muslim kids' who droput after 5th and 8th is increasing. Land prices are skyrocketing, even constructing a room or two, takes lakhs.  

You can't open one school, forget talking about overnight change. [People are trying their best but it is very, very difficult] This only government can do. And its their duty, hence we are demanding it. Also, they promised it and its our job to keep watch on what they deliver and what they did not. 

Rather than criticising without understanding, please do something else if you can't support us in this demand. Please open one school and we will emulate you Sir.

10. Urge the Chief Minister, UP, to fulfill the promise of opening Urdu schools in UP, which hasn't happened even after his government came to power. Also, legal ways should be explored to deal with this issue that has troubled Urdu speakers for almost 65 years.

CONGRESS LEADERS IN UP AND THEIR POLICIES

Unlike the official policy of the Congress and the Government of India, the leaders of Congress in UP, were so adamant that they were not ready to give any rights to Urdu speakers in their own state. 

Purushottam Das Tandon, the Congress stalwart, was a strong Urdu opponent, who advocated education in mother tongue for everyone except Urdu speakers. Chief Minister Sampoornanand was so hostile that he openly said that Urdu walas need not be given any rights.

UP chief ministers Sampoornanand, Banarsi Das, GB Pant and Virbahadur Singh were vehemently anti-Urdu. The first order, Singh, gave after becoming CM in 1985, was to remove his name plate in Urdu. 

There was no hope for Urdu walas, as all legal fights were also stalled because of state's might, which was hell-bent to deny Urdu speakers any right. The attitude of UP Congress leaders towards Urdu was exactly similar to that of Bharatiya Jana Sangh. 

The stature of Purushottam Das Tandon and GB Pant, was such that high command of the party, couldn't take action against them. More than 10 lakh signatures were collected and sent to President of India, but nothing happened.

Congress leaders in UP were so harsh and hated Urdu, that in this blind hatred, that dug Congress' grave in UP. Over the years, Muslims, got so fed up that they stopped voting for Congress. Sensing the Muslim disenchantment, Congress leadership in late eighties forced UP Congress govt to act.

Urdu was made second language, on paper. The notification was done, but its language was so ambiguous that, legally it gave nothing to Urdu. You could still not open Urdu schools in Uttar Pradesh. MLAs were not allowed to take oath in Urdu in UP Assembly! 

SEE LINK to Congress leaders' objectionable statements on Urdu in Omar Khalidi's compilation HERE


ANINDIANMUSLIM.COM takes up this fight to ensure that justice is done with Urdu in UP. For years, people at different levels have been raising their voice but nothing concrete came out. We are taking it forward through social media. Call it a drive, a movement or a struggle, but the fight has now begun.

A page on social networking website, Facebook, has been created to take up the issue:

Check the page: Urdu must get its constitutional right in Uttar Pradesh--UP

You can tweet with the hashtag #JusticewithUrduinUP


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BACKGROUND: IF YOU DON"T KNOW WHY IT HAPPENED IN UP
Or for those who feel Urdu could be taught as third language, but have no idea that this is not possible in UP.

READ THIS POST WRITTEN 7-8 YEARS AGO. CLICK

Nasheman: Reading the weekly Urdu newspaper from Karnataka

That's Nasheman, the Urdu newspaper, on my table.

It comes to me from a distant place--1500 km away i.e. Bangalore.

So when it comes from that far, you do take sometime to read it, at leisure.

The paper that has a pan-India circulation, has been running for 54 years.

I grew up reading this paper and hence I was dejected when it ceased publication for a while. I had written a post on this blog about Nasheman, its uniqueness and its history. But, Rizwan Asad sahab has revived it.

Now the paper looks more impressive. It also has a website that has English news, apart from plan to put up the Nasheman epaper. Of course, the columns, the tone of the paper and the satirical style remains same.

Karnataka has a large population of Urdu speakers, however, it is a mystery that overall on the map of Urdu, this state is not given its due. While Hyderabad has far more Urdu speakers and newspapers, surprisingly, none of them could get pan-Indian readership to such an extent.

The lost world of spy fiction in Urdu returns: Akram Allahabadi's detective novels are back for his fans

By Indscribe

For years, Akram Allahabadi's detective novels that were once a rage, had  become rarer to find.

Finally, there is good news, as his family has decided to print his novels once again and bring them in public domain.

The website AkramAllahabadi.com has also been put up for the fans of the late author who wrote spy fiction for well over three decades.

Many today may not be aware about the magical world of Urdu detective fiction that was weaved by him.

It was in the post-independence era (starting from 1952-53), when detective fiction in the sub-continent reached dizzy heights.

Akram Allahabadi, who was born in Allahabad, and who had later settled in Mumbai, was among the most popular writers of the era.

In those days, his novels sold like hot cakes. Today, it is unimaginable the kind of following Akram Sahab or Ibn-e-Safi, had among masses.

Akram Sahab created many famous characters. Among them were Inspector Khaan and his assistant Baalay, Madhulkar and Raazi were most popular.

The novels were published in Urdu and Hindi, and were awaited every month by fans in India and Pakistan. But by 1990s, the novels were hard to found, except in libraries or personal collections.

In my childhood, I have seen almirahs full of Jasoosi Panja and Mahnama, in towns in UP. While Ibn-e-Safi novels were republished, Akram Allahabadi's (or Ilahabadi) works became rare to find.

Sometime back I spoke to a Delhi-based publisher who prints digests that has 2-3 old [Ibn-e-Safi's] detective novels every month [of course, without caring about royalty].

The publisher said that he tried hard but couldn't get Akram Sahab's novels. He asked me if I had any and said that he would love to purchase them and re-publish them.

Till recently, Akram sahab's famous novels like 'Sputnik', 'Junction Bilara', 'Salazar Series' and 'Operation Venus' were remembered. His forte was science fiction.

The website brings back the memories of the era. As an ardent fan, I expect at least of his famous novels to be made available [entire text, for free] for visitors to the website.

This would be a 'tabarruk' for his fans. Also, those who haven't read him before, will get to read at least one of his complete work.

The photographs of the master writer and his family, apart from covers of his novels, are treat to his fans. As a fan of the late writer, I am thankful to all those who helped create the website. Hope, they will keep updating and adding more novels to it. It's very important to keep his legacy alive.

Go, check the website: www.AkramAllahabadi.com

[You can read an earlier article, which I had written, on Akram Allahabadi sab at the other blog. HERE]

Marching past a Million hits: Multi-lingual Urdu poetry website steadily makes a mark, gets popularity among Shayari lovers

BESTGHAZALS.NET

When BestGhazals.Net was initially started as a blog, the aim was to put up the best and representative poetry of famous Urdu shayars.

Also, it was the first site to have poetry in three scripts viz. Urdu, Roman English and Hindi [Devnagri], on the same page.

It was an amateur blog, not for profit, but the aim was just to present selected Ghazals and Nazms on the internet.

Works of 150 poets on the Website

There wasn't a regular and constant effort on it. Still, it now has nearly 300 ghazals and nazms.

It features around 150 Urdu poets. The plan was to put up 'standard poetry'. Literature or Adab was the first consideration, [not ghazals that have been sung and are easily available elsewhere]. But the tough or the 'over the top' modernist poetry was avoided.

Over the years, it got its own domain. In fact, the site had crossed a million hits long back. The 'statcounter' was put up much later and the Google's display of statistics for blogger platform was released years after the blog began. Still, now that the blog shows more than a million page views, I feel quite happy.

Love poetry, Learn Urdu online

The reason I started this blog was that those who can read a bit of Urdu and want to learn the language, wouldn't have to go ask someone for pronunciation, but will see it right there either in Hindu or Roman English.

In fact, if you have know the Urdu alphabets and also can read basic Urdu, you can improve your Urdu, by seeing the same words in Roman or Devnagri scripts. If you can't read the Urdu [nastaliq] script, get a Urdu primer and give it a try.

I was asked by many friends that I should post Urdu in text. But when the blog started, everybody didn't have Urdu fonts. Even today, many people who are used to reading in  Urdu in Nastaliq, find it difficult to read the Arabic font. And, many other sites are using Urdu fonts.

Not just Mir, Ghalib and Iqbal

Most poetry websites feature the poetry of Mir Taqi Mir, Ghalib and Iqbal. I intended to present works of poets from the era of Wali Dakni to the progressive movement and the modernist poets too. Hence, you can find not just Aatish and Nasikh, but also Majaz and Jazbi, Shakeb Jalali and Irfan Siddiqui too.

The meanings of tough Urdu-Persian-Arabic words are also given to help the reader. The progress of the website hasn't been too fast. However, it is quite satisfactory. Only the poetry that will evoke interest from an ordinary reader, and that can later develop in him, the taste for Urdu poetry, is being posted here. The blog will keep growing, steadily, ever.

Do visit BESTGHAZALS.NET

Legend in Lifetime: Magical Urdu storyteller Mohiuddin Nawab wants his stories to be translated in English and Hindi

(C) By INDSCRIBE

Mohiuddin Nawab, who rules over Urdu story world, is a true legend.

He is the man who has authored Devta, the most voluminous and longest running novel ever written in any language, and that runs into more than 50 volumes.

He is also the man whose stories are published in almost every monthly [digests] in Urdu and are awaited by millions of readers, in India & Pakistan.

Also, publishers in India, print and sell his novels, of course, without copyright [and no royalty]. His novels and stories are awaited by a large number of readers. On blogs the entire novels are copied and uploaded by fans.

The octogenarian writer who is known for his unique writing style, finds tales from the people around us and then writes extraordinary stories about ordinary men. He is a cult following. While his stories exhilarate you, at the same time they also have a social message and expose the hollowness of our society.

Nawab sahab lives in Karachi in Pakistan. There is little doubt that he is an inimitable writer and generations have loved him. Still, there is a very sad aspect. Perhaps, it can happen only in the East, that such a major writer hasn�t got the due regard from so-called �literary world�.

Is it because his writings�though no less incisive than the leading litterateurs, mostly got published in popular magazines [digests] that have huge circulation, and not to literary magazines. Isn�t it an irony? It is an honour to be able to have a brief chat with the famous author who has been writing for the last 55 years.

Interview with Mohiuddin Nawab

*Nawab Sahab, first tell us about your childhood and how you were drawn towards writing stories?

Mohiuddin Nawab: I was born in Kharagpur in West Bengal. The year was 1930. I was interested in listening to stories when I was a kid. I also enjoyed narrating tales. Rest, it is life that has taught me. I consider me a student till date. I guess it was my destiny to become a writer.

*How many stories you have written so far?

Mohinuddin Nawab: Frankly, I never kept an account of the number of stories wrote. But I believe that I had more stories to tell than most authors. Devta is undoubtedly the longest story written in any language in the world.

*We wonder, how you can write so much. Once it was commonly known that you dictated and recorded your stories.

Mohinuddin Nawab: It depends on the mood. Sometimes I write and t here are times when I use the tape-recorder. These days, I am also using computer.

*Your stories show your deep insight about the society. There is also a message in them. How do you get so many experiences about people and their lives, which help you form such strong characters?

Mohiuddin Nawab: From books, I gather information about the world around. I study people and try to understand their psychology, their actions. The effort to get into the person�s mind, helps me create the stories.

*How did you plan writing �Devta�?

Mohiuddin Nawab: Every person�s brain works differently. I thought that it would make the diverse kind of human minds play through my pen. Emotions like love, hate, treachery and all other passions come out of human mind. I successfully wrote this long story for a period of 33 years.

*Who inspired you as a writer?

Mohiuddin Nawab: I learnt from my predecessors. Learning is a constant process. Sometimes, a child says something that astonishes you and makes you ponder over it.

*Do you write poetry also?

Mohiuddin Nawab: Sometimes I do write couplets.

*Any message for young generation?

Mohiuddin Nawab: I wish that youth would devote more time towards reading. Excessive use of mobile phone hampers their creativity. I hope that the youngsters would read  books as they are a true friend and have a treasure of knowledge.

[These are excerpts from a long interview, which is soon going to be published.]

Malegaon's emergence as capital of Urdu language in India: When Urdu books worth Rs 1 million are sold in a day!

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Malegaon is today the capital* of Urdu in India and there can't be any doubt about it. A bustling town that has a population of nearly 6,00,000, it is today becoming the heart of Urdu culture in the country.

Just when we hear pessimism over decline in sale of books in most languages, a ten-day Urdu book fair organised at Malegaon, saw sale of Urdu books worth Rs 87 lakh [8.7 million].

This is a record in the country. In fact, many book fairs in metros where books of dozens of languages are available, don't match these figures.

The National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) had organised the ten day book fare. On the last day alone, books worth Rs 10 lakh or 1 million were sold within a few hours. Imagine, these are figures from a city which is considered a backward place and where half of the population lives in slums and shanties.

Such was the excitement among Urdu lovers, that books worth Rs 8-9 lakh were sold every day during the 'Kitab Mela'. People came from Dhule, Jalgaon, Pune, Ahmadnagar, Akola, Bhiwandi and other places in the region, to buy books here.

With time, languages spread and thrive, hence, the linguistic landscape also changes. Once, Delhi, Lucknow, Rampur, were centres of Urdu in North India. Then, Deccan region that had seen the birth of early Urdu, once again preserved the language and its culture.

Now, the culture is thriving in middle-level cities and towns across the country.

Among them, Malegaon, is the most well-known. It is often said that the city has the most per capital presence of poets in the world.

It also has an abundance of Urdu publications.Malegaon is a city and municipal corporation in Nasik district in Maharashtra.

For decades, it has suffered official apathy, in terms of infrastructural development. A city of powerlooms, it was inhabited by migrant Muslims from Uttar Pradesh (UP), who fled from their hometowns after the first war of independence in 1857.

The City has over 70% Muslim population. Divided by the Mausam river, it is also known for the unique names of its mohallas and chaurahas like Tension Chowk, Rishwar Nagar, Chaon Chaon Road & Achanak Nagar. The recently concluded book fair makes it clear that there is no dearth of Urdu lovers in India.

Neither the language faces any bleak future. Those talk pessimistically about Urdu are those who aren't aware of the changing landscape. Today, Maharashtra, Karnataka and regions of Bihar, are the Dabistan-e-Urdu just like, UP-Delhi region was, once.

Also read, an interesting post on this blog, about the names of places in Malegaon:

Tale of Two cities with in a City: Tension Chowk, Achanak Nagar, Chaon Chaon Road & Rishwat Nagar

[*People from Hyderabad may differ and those in Sri Nagar may also claim that there is higher percentage of Urdu knowing populace in their cities but Urdu has wider influence in Malegaon despite it being a comparatively small place.]
[Photograph of Malegaon Municipal Corporation, above]