Language Dept to hold Urdu classes

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 2

The Language Department has started evening classes for residents, who want to learn the language of poets, ‘Urdu’, at Sant Singh Sukha Singh School here.

The six months course started on July 1. The people interested in learning Urdu can join the course by submitting an application at office of the department near the school.

Once, Amritsar had a large population of Urdu knowing residents, which now has dwindled. The circulation of Urdu newspapers has decreased considerably in the city. In comparison to 1980’s, when 3,500 copies of Urdu newspaper were sold, today the number has come down to 1,000.

“Residents above 70 years know Urdu. Only those, who have learnt it during their school days in 1940’s when it was part of curriculum, read Urdu newspapers. At present not many from young generation in Punjab know the language,” said Subhash Sehgal, a leading news agency operator.

The city had once been abode of noted Urdu writers as Sadaat Hasan Manto, A Hamid and Shiromani Sahitkar Award recipient Sarvan Kumar Varma. Even Faiz Ahmad Faiz had once taught English at a college in the city.

Officials of the Language Department said Urdu classes would start at 5:15 pm and there was no age restriction for joining the course.