Hyderabad: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath sparked controversy by claiming the Samajwadi Party wants to “teach Urdu and make people maulvis.” Such remarks oversimplify Urdu’s role in India, especially in Hyderabad, where it transcends communal divides.
If studying Urdu made one a cleric, this journalist, with formal Urdu education, would be in a madrasa!
A Language of Revolution, Not Religion
Urdu is tied to secular, progressive movements, not religious orthodoxy. The slogan “Inquilab Zindabad,” popularized by Bhagat Singh, was coined by Urdu poet Hasrat Mohani. Marxist scholar Aijaz Ahmad, a self-proclaimed atheist, and poets like Sahir Ludhianvi and Javed Akhtar, also an atheist, enriched Urdu’s legacy. When Akhtar was born, his father, poet Jan Nisar Akhtar, recited the Communist Manifesto, not Quranic verses.
Urdu belongs to no dogma—it’s a language of dissent.
Beyond Religion: A Shared Legacy
Urdu isn’t inherently Islamic or exclusive to Muslims. Renowned Urdu writers like Munshi Premchand, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Dushyant Kumar, and Gulzar (Sampooran Singh Kalra) were Hindu or Sikh. Most Indian Muslims don’t speak Urdu; Kerala Muslims use Malayalam, Bengali Muslims speak Bangla, and Bhojpuri-speaking Muslims retain their mother tongues.
Hyderabadi Counterpoint: Dakhni Urdu
In Hyderabad, Urdu thrives as Dakhni, a dialect blending Persian, Marathi, Telugu, and Kannada. Spoken in homes, qawwalis, and street theatre, Dakhni reflects a cosmopolitan culture shaped by Hindu women, Sufi saints, and Muslim poets. It lives in films like *Angrez*, comedy, and poetry clubs, defying linguistic purism. As poet Jameela Nishat said, “Dakhni is our emotional inheritance.”
A Cultural Resistance
Reducing Urdu to a religious symbol insults its history of composite culture and secular thought. In Hyderabad, it’s the language of chaiwalas, professors, rickshaw-pullers, and poets—both high literature and everyday slang. Urdu doesn’t make you a maulvi; it connects you to India’s syncretic soul.
Written by: Hariom, M.A. Communication, University of Hyderabad, Intern.
