Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday said that Urdu is an Indian language, like all the great languages of our country while responding to a Panjab University proposal to make its Urdu Department part of School of Foreign Languages. The chief minister also said that he will speak to the Vice Chancellor and Senators of the varsity to review this decision immediately.
"Surprised to learn that @OfficialPU has proposed to make the Urdu Department part of the 'School of Foreign Languages'. Urdu is an Indian language, like all the great languages of our country. Will speak to the Vice Chancellor & Senators to review this decision immediately (sic)," Mr. Singh said in a tweet.
A 15-member committee, formed by the varsity vice chancellor, would take a final call on the proposed merger of small departments on September 30.
Yesterday, the Panjab University's Urdu Department has also objected to its proposed merger with those of various foreign tongues, asserting that Urdu is not a foreign language but an Indian one like Hindi and Punjabi.
The university has recently proposed making Urdu Department the part of School of Foreign Languages to be set up after merging departments of Russian, French, German, Chinese and Tibetan languages, said Urdu Department coordinator Ali Abbas on Saturday.
"Urdu was born, nurtured and cultured in India during the first two decades of the 13th century by Amir Khusro. From that moment onward, Urdu and Hindi languages have not looked back. Not only this, even Punjabi language was put on the path of development by Baba Farid Ganj Shakar," said Mr Abbas in a letter to the PU's Dean University Instructions (DUI).
A "wrong impression" is being created by "certain elements that Urdu is a foreign language", said Mr Abbas, asserting that "it is far from the truth".
As per the varsity's proposal, the merger is aimed at enhancing the "academic performance by sharing infrastructure and human resources" of various smaller departments.
(With PTI Inputs)
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