__________________

If you haven't seen the print edition,
you've 
missed it ALL
send me the print edition
__________________

Hyderabad: Delegates at the 26th All India Urdu Conference here demanded that the central government should declare Urdu as the second official language in the country. The two day seminar, held during 30-31 July 2004, was organized by the All India Urdu Education Committee. About 250 delegates from different parts of the country attended the seminar.

Delegates demanded that National Educational Day be declared on the Birthday of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on November 11 every year. They also demanded filling up of vacant Urdu teachers posts, giving second official language status to Urdu in Maharashtra, setting up of an Urdu university in Rampur and allotment of Rs.1.5 billion for the development of Urdu. 

Inaugurating the seminar, J. Sudheer, principal secretary, Higher Education, Andhra Pradesh Government, said that arrangement for Urdu education is made in 100 intermediate colleges in AP where about six thousand students are benefiting. I. V. Sabarao, secretary, School Education, said that though results of Urdu medium schools do not cross 25 percent, this year the pass out rate was 60 percent. Government is trying to increase the level of success, he said.

Delegates included Prof. Gorikar and Dr. SAR Bilgrami (Delhi), Prof. Khalid Siddiqui (Rampur) and Prof. Aijaz Parvez (Chattisgarh). Mr. Jaleel Pasha, president of the All India Urdu Education Committee, in his presidential address said that the political parties get votes in the name of Urdu but do nothing for it. He said that efforts made for the development of Urdu in Andhra Pradesh do not match other states. He demanded that an Urdu University be set up in Rampur. Urdu is the identity of India and can unite India, but it is yet to get its due place. He praised the Prime Minister for promising the development of minorities.

The delegates asked the government to introduce computer education and vocational courses in all Urdu medium schools and colleges in the country, introduce Urdu as first language in Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya schools, all circulars of the education department be issued in Urdu.

It was decided that a delegation of education committee will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on August 25 and present the resolutions passed in the seminar. «