VIJAYAWADA: Seeking to dispel the perception that Urdu is linked to a particular community, Andhra Pradesh State Urdu Academy Chairman Mohammed Farooq Shubli on Sunday said the language is India’s shared cultural heritage.
He announced a first-of-its-kind programme in Kadapa to honour non-Muslim Urdu students, teachers, lecturers, researchers and scholars on a common platform.
Addressing the media at the State office in Vijayawada, Shubli said the Urdu Ki Udaan – Urdu Sahitya Vikas programme will be held at Haripriya Function Hall, Kadapa, on August 2. He said the initiative aims to promote Urdu as a language of communal harmony, remove misconceptions and encourage wider participation in Urdu literature.
The programme will also create awareness among youth about opportunities in education, employment, research, translation and digital media through Urdu.
Stressing that “Urdu is a language, not a religion,” Shubli called upon students, teachers, literary figures, researchers and enthusiasts across Andhra Pradesh to participate in large numbers and make the event a success.