Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir spoke at the Telangana Urdu Working Journalists Federation’s conference in Hyderabad. He called on the government to support Urdu journalism in India, as the number of Urdu readers has decreased. Despite a rich history of Urdu journalism in India, there is a lack of government support, which has contributed to the decline. Shabbir Ali argued that increasing Urdu readership should be a priority. Although Telangana declared Urdu as its second official language in 2017, its implementation has been lackluster, particularly in education. The Urdu Academy needs to do more to promote the language and allocate financial resources for this purpose.
Shabbir Ali also highlighted that the Urdu-speaking population in Telangana has increased to 12.69%, but the actual number of people who can read and write Urdu is uncertain. To preserve the language, it needs to reach every household and be taught to every child. He suggested holding awards in the name of Urdu veterans and organizing lectures, talks, and quiz competitions in Urdu.
Shabbir Ali found hope for the Urdu language, seeing Urdu journalists from Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and other states attend the conference. He criticized attempts to rename cities and remove chapters on esteemed Urdu poets from syllabuses. He also praised the 4% Muslim reservation introduced by the previous Congress Government in 2004-05, which has empowered nearly 20 lakh impoverished families through education, economics, and social benefits.
The conference was also attended by Hyderabad DCC President Sameer Waliullah, who praised TUWJF President MA Majid and others for advocating for the rights of Urdu journalists.
