August 21, 2001

‘11’

    The Information and Broadcasting, Smt. Sushma Swaraj has said that Urdu is a very rich and sweet language but is handicapped because not many Urdu books are available in Devnagari script. A very large number of people who are fascinated by Urdu literature are unable to benefit from its richness, as the books are not available in Devnagari script.

    Smt. Swaraj was speaking at a function where she was presented a seven-volume set of compilation of ghazals of over 600 poets from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh by Dr. Raj K. Nigam. The 3500 page compilation in Devnagari script features 2500 ghazals from present and past Urdu legends like Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, Zauq, Iqbal, Jigar Moradabadi, Faiz, Majrooh and Sardar Jafri. One of the volumes even includes the ghazals of the new and upcoming poets. Another volume is a trilingual Urdu-Hindi-English dictionary, which comes very handy for the followers of the language. The compilation also traces the origin and the development of Urdu language as a completely Indian language right from its early days of Hazart Amir Khusro, Quli Qutab Shah and Wali Dakhni down to the present time.

    Smt. Swaraj commended the ‘monumental work’ and said that it is a big treasure, to create which a tremendous effort has been made by Dr. Nigam. The ghazals in Devnagari script compiled by Dr. Nigam would go a long way to bridge the gap and benefit a large number of readers, she said.