Javed Akhtar on why Urdu is not the Language of Muslims

Javed Akhtar on why Urdu is not the Language of Muslims

10 June 2018

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© Thinkworks Pvt Ltd – Javed Akhtar is a multiple award-winning poet, lyricist and script writer. He started writing Urdu poetry in 1980. His first collection of Nazms and Ghazals entitled, ‘TARKASH’ was released in 1995. He has written a large number of poems against communalism, social injustice, National Integration and for Women’s Rights. He has won five national film awards, six Filmfare awards, Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. Javed Akhtar is of the opinion that Urdu was an anti-fundamentalist language right from its inception and that “no religious poet ever gained recognition in Urdu but rather it was the anti-fundamentalist, agnostic and atheistic poets who were the real stars of Urdu poetry”. It is a misnomer to say that Urdu belongs to the Muslims because Akhtar believes that “languages belong to regions and not religions”. Urdu was given a beard and a topi to make the two-nation theory relevant. Akhtar says that Urdu is so deeply entwined with Hindu culture that when it comes to Hindu festivals like Holi, one cannot find better poetry than in Urdu.