Letters to the Editor : Urdu and english - Asianage

Sir,
After reading Syed Iqbal Hasnain’s Muslims need more than madrasas (October 4), I can say that it is rather surprising that even after almost 60 years of independence, the Muslim community is still not part of mainstream India. If that is truly the case, then it is high time the community woke up to the fact that it has to be part of India’s progress. As for Urdu, the language is now associated with Muslims, when the truth is that Urdu has its roots in Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic and Turkish. It grew and flourished in India in its entirety and was spoken by a vast mass of people, and not just Muslims. The Muslim community in North India must ensure that madrasas teach both Urdu and English.

Yasmin Banu
Abu Dhabi, UAE