1. Decline of Urdu and its impact
on Education in Uttar Pradesh
The correspondence that should exist between the school training and the character
imbibed with the mother's milk . . . is absent when the school training is given
through a foreign tongue. However pure may be his motives, he who thus snaps the
cord that should bind the school life and the home-life is an enemy of the nation.
M. K. Gandhi
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

2. Every year the world celebrates the International Mother Language Day on February 21 to focus on the
importance of the mother tongue as a medium of learning, and education. It also aims to celebrate the
linguistic and cultural diversity in the world, which is important to promote unity and harmony in the society.
India also celebrates the day, but Uttar Pradesh, which even after bifurcation remains the largest Indian state
continues to turn blind eye to this celebration, because the government machinery wants to promote and work
in only Hindi. Here only Hindi Divas is celebrated with much fanfare, when speakers across the state organise
functions to promote Hindi and implement one-language policy.
It was under these circumstances, where nations across the world try to force ‘one-language’ policy on the
people, for obvious political gains, that the United Nations stepped in to protect the rights of linguistic
minorities. As early as 1953, a UNESCO committee of experts considering questions about language and
education found many advantages to mother tongue education: It is axiomatic that the best medium for
teaching a child is his mother tongue. .. Educationally, he learns more quickly through it than through an
unfamiliar linguistic medium.
Another UNESCO report of 1999 agreed: There is ample research showing that students are quicker to learn
to read and acquire other academic skills when first taught in their mother tongue. They also learn a second
language more quickly than those initially taught to read in an unfamiliar language.
In 1999, UNESCO decided to launch an International Mother Language Day (IMLD) to be observed
throughout the world each year on 21 February. This celebration is designed to promote linguistic diversity
and multilingual education, to highlight greater awareness of the importance of mother tongue education. The
importance of mother tongue instruction in the early years of schooling is emphasized in the findings of
studies, research and reports such as the annual UNESCO Education For All (EFA) or Global Monitoring
Report. In the US, children who speak a language other than English enter schools with abilities and talents
similar to those of native English-speaking children. At personal level, it also leads to the growth and
enhances self-esteem. The child's first language is critical to his or her identity. Maintaining this language
helps the child value his or her culture and heritage, which contributes to a positive self-concept.
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

3. Mother tongue education also enhances children's learning and preparing them for a
globalised world. Research also establishes the relationship between the mother
tongue and attendance in schools, a study on primary school absenteeism in Ireland
has found. A child whose mother’s native language was not English or Irish was nine
times more likely to have poor school attendance than a child of a native English or
Irish speaker, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) study has found.
Given the importance of mother tongue in imparting education to the young minds
across the world, it is surprising that the Uttar Pradesh government is not doing
enough to make this a policy and implement this at the primary level. After
independence, Uttar Pradesh was the first state to make Hindi the official language
and impart education at all levels in this language. This move was against the dual
role played by Urdu-Hindi before the Revolt of 1857 in imparting education in the
province.
When education was transferred to provincial government in 1843, nine GovernmentAnglo vernacular schools besides the attached classes of Banaras, Agra and Delhi
colleges were imparting secondary education in the NW Provinces. They were
educating more than 2000 boys--Hindus, Muslims, Europeans and Eurasian—with the
total cost of Rs. 1,81,108. The Provincial Committee report of 1884 says: "...of these
1598 were Hindus, 385 Muslims, and the rest Europeans or Eurasians. English was
studied by 1423, Urdu by 1,015, Hindi by 736, Arabic by 88, Persian by 270 and
Sanskrit by 171.
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

4. Lt. Governor Thomason submitted to the Government of India complete scheme of vernacular
education for approval in 1846. By the Resolution of 9 February 1850, the North West Provinces
Government accepted the establishment of government village school at the Headquarters of
every Tahsildar...the instruction was to be given through the vernacular languages, both Urdu and
Hindi. Thomason's scheme of vernacular education was introduced in 1850 in eight districts,
namely Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Agra, Mathura, Mainpuri, Aligarh, Farrukhabad and Etawa. Dr. F J
Movat, an educationist appreciated this education and called for extension in other areas as well.
Finally in 1853, the Government of North West Provinces agreed to extend the scheme to all the
districts of provinces. The scheme was so popular that the Governor-General in Council called for
the extension of the scheme in Bihar and Bengal.
During the first decade of the introduction of education in the state, the majority of students came
from Hindu community, and vernacular education was given in Urdu and Hindi. Even in 1854, the
majority of students were Hindus: Muslims were 701 while Hindus were 3,967. Following the
Wood’s despatch of 1854, Education Department was created in 1854 and a Director and four
inspectors were appointed. The noble idea that the vernacular should be the medium of highest
subject of culture and education was originated by the British Indian Association, Aligarh. The
association submitted a Memorandum to the Government of India in August 1867 and suggested
for imparting education in a manner which could benefit the large number of people. Aligarh
Scientific Society took up the cause of translating important books in Urdu which were prescribed
for University examination. The provincial government introduced prizes for translation of books in
vernacular languages.
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

5. Sheo Prasad was awarded for his labour in translating books in Hindi.
As long as vernacular education was given in Hindi as well Urdu, there were no
complaints from the Urdu speakers. After the revolt of 1857, there were organisations
working for the Hindi in Devanagri script, and the language was filled with Sanskrit
words. In the 19th century, there was also campaign and move to associate Urdu with
Muslims, ignoring the contribution and great works of non-Muslims for the cause of Urdu
literature. The British Empire followed a policy of discrimination against Urdu and
promoted Hindi. This was done to claim the support of the majority community for the
future rule and penalise the Muslims for their support and participation in the Revolt of
1857.
However, Urdu in Persian script was popular and most of the students preferred to take
Urdu. As Shyam Sunder Das wrote in his autobiography:‘To even mention the name of
Hindi was considered sinful. There was absolutely no respect for it in the courts. In
schools it had a place only up to middle class. The majority of students took Urdu. For
some time, the official patronage to Urdu / Hindi was based on the wishes of the
provincial governor. Under the government of Sir John Strachey and Sir George Couper
(1874-82)…this patronage had reached a high point with the rules of 1877 requiring
Persian or Urdu as a second language for aspirants to government service.
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

6. According to Lala Lajpat Rai’s autobiography, it was the Hindi-Urdu controversy of the 1880s,
which wedded him to the idea of Hindu Nationalism. Despite a heavily Islamised father and Urdu
education he began to make pro-Hindi speeches even before he learnt the Devanagri script.
Agitations in favour of Hindi at least partially successful, and the government of the central
provinces and Bihar made provisions in late 1860s to allow the use of Hindi alongside Urdu.
Leading Muslims in Up were active in anti-Nagari organisations in the 1870s and again at the turn
of the century to prevent this from happening in UP. But in 1900, seemingly or response to a Hindu
petition and without consulting these activist Muslims, the provincial government decided to accept
Hindi as a lingua franca equal to Urdu in law courts and government offices. This decision
broadened the number of people capable of carrying on official business with the government, but
it was also seen as a threat to the literary culture that had developed around Urdu. The standard
language, the pure ‘Hindi’, of literary reformers became the language of education and the mark of
school proficiency …it excluded spoken, varieties and labelled Urdu words as foreign’…only
children of upper caste backgrounds could feel at home in a school culture where the language
used was so restrictive.’
Bhartendu Harishchandra said: Nij Bhasha Unnati ahaye sab Unnati ko Mul-Bina Nij Bhasha-gyan
ke Michat Na Hiya Ke Sul, (Progress in one’s language is the source of all progress; if you know
not your own language your heart cannot be pure). Lakshman Singh (1826-96), the Hindi
translator of Shakuntala (1863) said: ‘in my opinion Hindi and Urdu are two different languages.
Hindi is spoken by Hindus and Urdu by Muslims as well as Hindus well versed in Persian’. One
Hindi weekly reported that some residents of Kanpur had sent a memorial to the Lieutenant
Governor with twenty-three statements attached...the memorial closed with a request for Hindi and
Devanagari in the courts.
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

7. 1900-1947
By the end of the 19th century Urdu/ Hindi controversy became widespread. In fact,
throughout the century (19th) the controversy Hindu vs. Urdu was a great driving
force...in the growth of Hindi journalism. Notwithstanding the controversy and
communalism surrounding Urdu / Hindi, their common history and lineage is illustrated
by Hindi journalism. The beginning of Hindi journalism in North Western Frontier
Province (NWFP) can be traced in the bilingual (Hindi-Urdu) Malwa Akhbar published as
early as 1849. It may be noted that UP was then known as NWFP. Despite the
endeavours of the early Makers of Hindi and all the efforts made by the Arya Samaj in
northern India, there were only two Hindi dailies in northern India, there were only two
dailies in Hindi in 1905: the Hindostan from Kalakankar in Pratapgarh tehsil in the then
North Western Frontier Province (UP) and the Rajasthan Samachar from Ajmer.
After the Piggot Commission of 1912-1913, the government reiterated its policy of a
common language but at the same time ordered separate supplementary readers in
Hindi and Urdu, which came into use in 1916. The decision amounted to an education
that its policy of a common language had failed…and gave leeway to the introduction in
the school curriculum of a more Sanskiritized Hindi.’ After 1916, Hindi rose slowly but
steadily in the education system; it became a compulsory subject up to high school
leaving examination in 1922 and an optional subject in intermediate colleges in 1927.
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

8. Many national leaders during Freedom Movement called for embracing vernacular
language. This call was construed as adopting Hindi. Mahatma Gandhi said: ‘The first
and greatest social service we can render is to revert to our vernaculars, to restore Hindi
to its natural place as the National Language and begin carrying on all our provincial
proceedings in our respective vernaculars and national proceedings in Hindi. We ought
not to rest till our schools and colleges give us instruction through the vernaculars. . . .
The day must soon come when our legislatures will debate national affairs in the
vernaculars or Hindi as the" case may be. Hitherto the masses have been strangers to
their proceedings.’ The supporters of Hindi fail to realise that Gandhi was also talking
of vernaculars and it included Urdu.
In Allahabad, the second municipal election in 1921 returned Puroshottam Das Tandon
(1882-1962) as Chairman of the education committee; together they implemented a
scheme for a national Hindi-medium college for women, the Paryag Mahila Vidyapith. In
the decades preceding partition, the controversy only grew and Urdu speakers suffered.
This was the time, when Urdu could not count on even its speakers, and lovers. In
October 1947, Choudhry Khaliquzzaman—high-profile leader of the Muslim League in
the Indian Constituent Assembly, long-time ally of Nehru and other Congress leaders in
U.P. and subsequently a vocal champion of the rights of India’s Muslims—unexpectedly
and abruptly migrated to Pakistan...No one knew quite why he had suddenly made this
decision, and his own explanations—that he wanted to make way for younger blood, that
he could not reconcile himself to learning Hindi (which had been made the official
language of U.P.)
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

9. 1947-2013
After independence, the supporters of Hindi and Devnagari script became more
aggressive in their demand for ‘one-language’. They achieved final success shortly after
independence, when the Government of Uttar Pradesh adopted Hindi written in
Devanagari script as the official state language. There was nothing wrong with the
implementation of this policy, except for the fact that it ignored the sentiments of Urdu
speakers, which was the largest minority of the state.
In August, 1949, Provincial Education Ministers Conference passed a Resolution
regarding Education through mother tongue. The Resolution states: "The medium of
instruction and examinations at the Junior Basic stage must be the mother tongue of the
child." The Government of India, soon after independence, adopted a definite policy
favouring the use of mother tongue at the primary level of education, which is given
importance by the Constitution. Article 350(A) of the Constitution spells out: "It shall be
the endeavour of every State and of every local authority within the state to provide
adequate facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage of education
to, children belonging to linguistic minority groups; and the President may issue such
directions to any State as he considers necessary or proper for securing the provision of
such facilities." The Conference evolved a 10:40 formula in 1949. The formula provided
for the appointment of at least one language teacher if the total number of pupils
belonging to a linguistic minority is 40 in a school or 10 in a class. Uttar Pradesh ignored
this suggestion, as leaders of the state called for the implementation of Hindi at all levels
of administration and education.
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

10. In 1956, a Memorandum of safeguards for linguistic minorities was issued by the
Ministry of Home Affairs. Perhaps, India being a member of the UN was inspired by the
UNESCO resolution of 1953, which called for education in mother tongue. The
Memorandum, making special mention of primary education said: "The directions which
may be issued by the President under Article 350(A) of the Constitution as it is proposed
to be enacted into law are likely to be based on the resolution accepted by the Provincial
Education Ministers' Conference in August, 1949. The intention is that the arrangements
which were generally accepted at this conference should be brought into force in States
and Areas where they have not been adopted so far." Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu (Hind)
submitted a representation to the President of India in 1956 requesting him to declare
Urdu as the second regional language of Uttar Pradesh in accordance with Article 347
of the Constitution of India. The representation was signed by 22 lakhs Urdu speakers
from the state.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, in its Press Note issued on July 14,
1958 containing a statement on language, said "facilities should be provided for
instruction and examination in the Urdu language at the primary stage to all children
whose mother tongue is declared by the parent or guardian to be Urdu." The effect of
one-language policy was the low level of literacy rate in Uttar Pradesh, as can be seen
in Table 1, where literacy rate for Male / Female is 27.4 / 13.0 in 1961.
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

11. Table 1: Levels and Trends in Literacy Rate in Uttar Pradesh
1961
1971
1981
Males
India
34.4
39.5
46.9
Uttar Pradesh
27.4
31.5
38.8
Females
India
13.0
18.7
24.8
Uttar Pradesh
10.6
14.0
14.0
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

12. Uttar Pradesh remained on the course of forcefully making Hindi the mother tongue of the
population, by not giving options to Urdu speakers. The Resolution of 1949, and the Memorandum
of 1956 had little effect on the policy makers of the state, which was swept over by another ‘proHindi’ movement of 1960s. Seeing the swift decline of Urdu in the first three decades of
independence, the Central Government appointed a Committee headed by Inder Kumar Gujral to
suggest remedy for the advancement of the language. All those witnesses who deposed before
Gujral Committee during the year 1972 to 1975, expressed their dissatisfaction over the working of
the 10:40 formula and its implementation. The Gujral Committee recommended :
1One Urdu medium primary school in area(village / ward), where Urdu speakers
were 10 % of the total population.
2Provision for one Urdu teacher in schools where Urdu speakers were less than
10% of the population and
3To appoint bilingual teachers in category (2), if the government cannot meet the
demands for large number of Urdu teachers.
The fate of Gujral Committee remained same in the state and it was not implemented. According
to the 24th report by Deputy Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities the number of Urdu medium
primary schools was 1778 in 1983-84, which indicates that there is a decrease of 205 schools in
spite of the fact that the population of Urdu speakers has increased in the meantime. The State
Government spokesman informed the Sub-Committee orally that Urdu was being taught as a
language subject in 4453 primary schools. However, the Deputy Commissioner for Linguistic
Minorities in his report, gives the number of such schools as 3690 .
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

13. According to 1981 census the total population of UP and linguistic break-up is
Total Population : 110,549,826
Hindi
: 94,144,962
Urdu
: 10,767,175
Uttar Pradesh was the last state in India to give constitutional right to Urdu language.
This amendment is known as Uttar Pradesh Official Language (Amendment) Act, 1989.
And we can see that there is a jump in literacy rate from 1981-1991, although it was just
two years back that the UP government gave Urdu its due right. And if you consider the
political situation of the period, when Mandir/Masjid-Mandal-Market were the dominant
forces, this is a huge jump.
Table 2: Literacy Growth in Uttar Pradesh, 1991-2001
1991
2001
Males
India
64.1
76
UP
54.8
70.2
Females
India
39.28
54.28
UP
24.37
42.98
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

14. Table 5: Educational Development Index: Uttar Pradesh
Primary Level; Upper Primary Level; Elementary Level (Enrolment, 2001 Census)
% Muslim Population
18.50
Elementary Level
Year
% of Muslim % Girl
2007-08 9.34
2008-09 9.59
2009-10 10.31
48.15
48.14
48.31
Primary Level
% of Muslim
7.34
7.55
8.20
% Girl
48.54
48.46
49.72
Upper Primary Level
% Muslim
9.12
9.80
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University
% Girl Enrolment
48.22
48.20

15. Conclusion
Today in a globalised world, there is more than ever a need to protect the richness of linguistic and
cultural diversity and promote multilingual education so that no language or community feel
neglected. Mahatma Gandhi admitted the organic and natural linkages between life and language
before independence. The United Nations acknowledged the importance of this in 1953, and every
year celebrates the International Mother Language Day (IMLD) on February 21 to celebrate cultural
diversity and multilingualism. As UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said, 'Multilingualism is a
source of strength and opportunity for humanity. It embodies our cultural diversity and encourages
the exchange of views, the renewal of ideas and the broadening of our capacity to imagine.’
After 60 years of independence, the Uttar Pradesh government should accept this reality and bring
the Urdu speaking people under the umbrella of literacy by giving education in mother tongue and
move towards Education For All. Hindi has been imposed on the whole of North India comprising of
U.P., Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana, and this region is referred as ‘Hindi
belt’. The government instead of imposing upon all the people Hindi as their ‘mother tongue’, should
give the people the freedom of choice. This will not only improve the education in UP, but it will also
ensure the survival of Urdu, which according to the latest People’s Survey of India figure, is spoken
by 25. 8 % of the state population, which is higher than the population of the Muslims in UP. The
below couplet depicts the plight of Urdu and Urdu speakers in Uttar Pradesh:
Dar dar bhatak rahi hai magar dar nahin mile,
Urdu ko apne des mein ek ghar nahin mile.
Urdu is wandering around for a place-but it failed to get acknowledgement in its own land.
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University

16. The Boxer is the government, and
Zebras running are Urdu speakers…!
THANK YOU !
Abdul Azim Akhtar, Glocal University