Now there is a new option emerging for schools, colleges and business field; Urdu.
Urdu-Hindi together is the 2nd most understood and spoken language in the world. I would call it Urdu or Hindi to mean both, the entire Hindi or Urdu Vocabulary is embedded in each other’s dictionary. Many a poetry books carry a poem in 3 scripts; English (called Roman), Devanagari (Sanskrit) and Urdu (Farsi) to make it easy for those who don’t know the two indigenous scripts. Nearly a Billion people speak Urdu-Hindi.
Thanks to the Bollywood films, many in South East Asia, Middle East, Europe and Africa are learning the words and phrases. The other day a Guatemalan Taxi driver surprised me on my way to Love Field, he was playing Fun Asia Radio, and was throwing many phrases at me, that was impressive. My late wife watched Lagaan in a hotel in Costa Rica, and one of my Algerian friends started humming “Mera tujh se hai pehle ka naata koi” she said that the film ran for a full month and they had to stand in the line to get the ticket.
The Chief Editor for Saudi Gazette writes quite a lot about India and Pakistan, he went to school in Karachi and speaks Urdu fluently. There is a Jewish business man in Fort Worth, he speaks broken Urdu. The owner of a Thai Restaurant sings and explains the whole meaning of Baharo Phool Barsao, Mera Mehboob Aaya hai.” We walked into New York Deli on Frankford, owned by a Russian, the moment he saw my wife in Sari, he started Raj Kapooring, “mera Joota hai Japani and repeating Lal topi Roosi, Lal topi Roosi, Lal topi Roosi…”. Some one from Ghana has seen Gunga Jumna 10 times!
In Cancun a road side grill sells Tandoori Chicken as Tandoori Chicken, he was calling me, “Aao, Aao, Tandoori Chicken Khao” Ah, get this, my daughter in laws father is Malaysian in oil business, he tell me he was in Siberia, the lonely deserted cold place – there was an Indian Restaurant among some five others, that’s right, one in five people on the earth are Desi’s. This language Urdu-Hindi has great potential for our kids and grand kids. If you have experienced some such things, please write in the comments section below.
Additionally, if you learn the Urdu Script, it would be easy to learn Arabic Language with so much business we conduct, and will conduct, this would be an asset to our kids or even ourselves.
There was yet another time, just some 30 years ago, we did not have a direct flight from Dallas to any one of the South Asian Nations, today we have plenty of airlines flying to those destinations everyday, and it will continue to increase. This language Urdu will take a prominent spot on the world stage, and it is time that we the Americans of Native and Desi heritage not miss the boat.
Indeed, almost all of the Bollywood films carry the common language understood by a vast majority of the people of Subcontinent. However politics creeps in and reduces the language’s reach. It particularly happens when the news segment hits the airwaves, Hindi gets heavily Sanskritized or Urdu gets Farsi-ized reducing the number of people who can understand either in full. Even me, who has a good working knowledge (writing, reading and speaking) in both the scripts, find it difficult to watch the Sanskritized Hindi or Farsi-ized Urdu. News is not a big part of our lives, just skip the news part and you will be fine, and connect with anyone and any where in the subcontinent.
If you sing Hindi songs professionally you have to learn pronouncing the words properly and almost all of the singers and actors in Bollywood (world’s largest film industry) learn the language of Urdu.
If you have the option to choose a foreign language in the school, Urdu is an attractive choice and a good business asset. Urdu will make a big come back.
The leaders who are taking this initiative forward are: Mr. Amin Tirmizi, Mrs. Talmeez Fatima Burni, Mr. Like Ali Khan, Dr. Akbar Haider and Dr. Amer Suleman. I have taken the tiny responsibility of administrative support.
I am developing this article as a survey to see how many kids and adults have an interest in joining the Urdu classes. A lot of benefits are offered right now as an incentive for kids.
I urge my Urdu-Hindi friends to write a sentence or a few words to be quoted in the article that we will publish in a News paper. Let it be no more than 50 words.
On my part, my tiny contribution to the vast Urdu-Hindi literature would be through a brand new stream of poetry that focuses on Pluralism, and we have already conducted several Mushaera-Sammelans on the topic and hope to continue them.
Last year, Dr. Amer Suleman of the Urdu Ghar fame experimented with his kids, on Father’s Day, he asked them to speak to him in Urdu and learn at least 25 words as his Father’s Day gift, and they did, and my son did it too. We had sent that note to all the Desis’ on my lists.
Through America Together Foundation, we are hoping to see the need for starting classes in Urdu language affiliated with established schools and colleges, and if we have enough members of the community wanting it, we can start soon. Are you ready?
At America Together Foundation, our Mission is to educate, entertain and invoke critical thinking in creating a cohesive environment to work, socialize and function effectively.
Please write your notes and interest in the comment section or click this link to write your comment – http://urduhindinet.blogspot.com/2015/03/urdu-language-opportunities.html#comment-form
Thanks to Milton Roy for sharing this information
Urdu Couplets are elixir for brain, learning prevent dementia
Thank you.
Mike Ghouse
www.UrduHindi.net