Language, Culture and Society

Urdu Hindi
Controversy
Critical Analysis

Taimur Nasser
07U0406
Section: L
15/09/2010
Question 1: What is there in the article (brief summary of one
paragraph?)

Answer: The article is about the Urdu- Hindi controversy that arose in the time when
British ruled over India, the controversy which in-turn became one of the crucial reasons for
the partition of British India into Bharat and Pakistan. The article begins with the
explanation of the Hindi language. The languages which were once associated to be similar
languages Hindi and Urdu gained their distinctive identities in the 17 th century in which
people like Shah Hatim, Nasikh, Lallujillal Kavi, Sadal Mishra identified the Persian script of
this language with word from Arabic and Persian to be called Urdu and the Devanagri script
with words from the Sanskrit as Hindi. Soon Hindi became the symbol of Hindu identity and
Urdu became the symbol of Muslim identity. In the early 18 th century Urdu was introduced
as the vernacular of the vast tract of the country know as Hindustan. It was maintained as
the language of courts, schools and all other government departments. It was not until 1872
that Hindu protested against this language to be replaced with Hindi as the language of the
courts of the province. The Muslims at that time were among the highly educated and
highly employed people of that era. Threatened by the power of the Muslims, British also
thought to destroy the cultural power of Muslims by attacking their language, Urdu. Soon
after opposition and support of many Muslim and Hindu poets and writers became visible in
newspapers and books. Hindi was made an equal language to Urdu in the education and
the government sector. People like Sir A. P. MacDonnell also took an anti-Urdu stance and
supported Hindi instead. It was then in the early 19 th century that organizations like
Anjumman-e-Taraqqi-e-Urdu and All India Muslim League realized the suppression Hindus
and British were putting on Muslims, their religion and their cultural bindings. The
organization then under the leadership of influential leaders like Maulvi Abdul Haq, Liaqat
Ali Khan, M.A. Jinnah and Muhammad Mehdi etc worked for the rights of the Indian
Muslims and fought against all the policies Hindus and British put across Muslims, like the
famous La Touches’ policy. Soon after it was then in 1940’s that India became divided into
two separate identities, Muslims and the Hindus which in turn in 1947 became into two
separate countries now known as Pakistan and India.
Question 2:

What is my response to the article? (Contents, arguments, organization,

vocabulary, style etc. State the basis of your response)

Answer:

I have an optimistic response towards the article and I totally agree with the content and
arguments this article. As from what I know about the Indian history the Urdu-Hindi
controversy was among one of the vital reasons which made writers like Allama
Muhammad Iqbal to think for another country for the Indian Muslims and leaders like M.A.
Jinnah to work for and fight for a separate nation for the Indian Muslims.

The organization of the events in this passage is appropriate. Though the vocabulary and
style is more thick and difficult for a normal reader to understand, as the article consists of
many names of different writers whose sayings are mentioned, but these sayings and too
many names just confuse the readers more than it would have been without too many
sayings and names.

Overall the article covers all aspects of the Urdu-Hindi controversy, but in my view it fails to
identify the facts that actually why were the British and Hindus afraid of the Muslims and
their power. Even there were a large majority of Hindus living in the country at that time, but
still why was there a threat to British for Muslims who were just a minority of that time.

In my view that is also an important aspect of the partition of the country and the Urdu-
Hindi controversy that the writer has failed to put forward.
Question 3:

What are the implications of the article for me as a

 Student
 Professional

Answer:

As a student the article made me learn about a brief history of these languages. The
conflict these languages caused lead to the separation of identities which the language
created and hence the controversy which divided a nation into two separate countries
Pakistan and India.

This article also helps me understand the importance of my language, Urdu. It created a
sense of respect in my mind for my language that how my ancestors have fought for the
upright of this language. How this language has been an identity for the Muslims
movement towards independence.

From a professional point of view the article makes me understand the importance of
different languages and cultures. It guides me to the face that how language of a
community is directly linked with the culture of that particular community. It also made me
understand the importance of different languages and cultures all around the world that
how by respecting a particular language you can respect the people of that community.

It also made me understand that the power of language and its importance in the global
market today which is determined by the power of the people or the community who speak
that language.